Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roatan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Roatan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Mexico City versus $1,218 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,310 in Mexico City versus $2,007 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,174 in Mexico City versus $2,797 in Roatan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 19% more expensive than Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 8% above, Roatan is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$227

$7.65 HNL 204

69.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.6 MX$919

$39.35 HNL 1,049

33.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 MX$165

$8.85 HNL 236

6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$62.4

$3.58 HNL 95.3

-0.28%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.04

$1.24 HNL 33.03

29.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.15 MX$20.16

$0.74 HNL 19.74

55.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$2.18 HNL 58.2

44.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 MX$84.9

$3.93 HNL 105

23.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.69

$1.31 HNL 34.87

29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$46.03

$3.38 HNL 90.0

-21.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.25

$2.15 HNL 57.2

-11.63%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.39

$2.03 HNL 54.2

25.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$176

$10.87 HNL 290

-7.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$145

$6.51 HNL 174

27.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.57 MX$202

$17.33 HNL 462

-33.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.87

$1.11 HNL 29.59

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.79

$1.08 HNL 28.70

89.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.98

$0.57 HNL 15.10

261.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 MX$36.06

$1.07 HNL 28.53

92.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.91

$1.08 HNL 28.74

100.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.51

$1.02 HNL 27.10

37.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.60

$3.07 HNL 81.9

-63.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$75.0

$2.99 HNL 79.6

43.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.41 MX$269

$7.77 HNL 207

98.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$64.4

$4.08 HNL 109

-9.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$24.12

$1.97 HNL 52.5

-29.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.6

$10.05 HNL 268

-46.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.37

$1.06 HNL 28.27

20.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.0K MX$331.6K

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K MX$409.8K

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

-23.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$41.02 MX$717

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$26.92 MX$470

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.69 MX$519

$101 HNL 2,698

-70.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.3 MX$914

$60.1 HNL 1,603

-12.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$427 MX$7,461

$422 HNL 11.3K

1.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K MX$186.9K

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

152.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$993

$39.47 HNL 1,052

43.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.83 MX$783

$19.91 HNL 531

125.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 MX$1,826

$39.64 HNL 1,057

163.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,851

$50.3 HNL 1,342

110.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$995 MX$17.4K

$860 HNL 22.9K

15.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$621 MX$10.9K

$556 HNL 14.8K

11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,126 MX$37.1K

$722 HNL 19.3K

194.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 MX$21.9K

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

-0.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$68.2K

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

107.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,096 MX$36.6K

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

55.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,107 MX$19.3K

$492 HNL 13.1K

124.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

-37.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roatan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $995 in Mexico City and $860 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 125% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $39.00 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $265 per month, with Roatan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mexico City vs Roatan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Roatan differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,447 vs $1,218 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 125% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $995 in Mexico City versus $860 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $427 in Mexico City versus $422 in Roatan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roatan – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Roatan versus $1,447 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roatan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roatan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Mexico City and Roatan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Roatan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.