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: $1,677 in Mexico City versus $1,240 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,608 in Mexico City versus $2,030 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,540 in Mexico City versus $2,820 in Roatan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 35% more expensive than in Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 22% above, Roatan is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.14 MX$206

$7.91 HNL 212

53.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$914

$40.62 HNL 1,091

32.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.09 MX$188

$8.73 HNL 234

27.03%

Cappuccino

$4.10 MX$69.5

$4.44 HNL 119

-7.66%

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

$1.68 MX$28.53

$1.01 HNL 27.04

66.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$23.55

$0.86 HNL 23.22

61.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.33 MX$56.5

$2.51 HNL 67.5

32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 MX$99.7

$5.11 HNL 137

15.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 MX$31.41

$1.44 HNL 38.68

28.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 MX$53.8

$3.22 HNL 86.6

-1.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 MX$35.13

$2.54 HNL 68.3

-18.50%

Eggs

$2.93 MX$49.67

$2.04 HNL 54.7

43.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.59 MX$214

$11.03 HNL 296

14.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 MX$172

$6.44 HNL 173

56.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 MX$273

$17.46 HNL 469

-7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.26

$1.08 HNL 29.12

92.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 MX$35.97

$1.09 HNL 29.14

94.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.41 MX$40.95

$0.56 HNL 15.05

330.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.11

$1.64 HNL 44.10

29.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.02

$1.48 HNL 39.86

35.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 MX$26.21

$1.17 HNL 31.45

32.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.15

$2.93 HNL 78.8

-53.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.77 MX$97.8

$2.91 HNL 78.2

98.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.74 MX$301

$7.83 HNL 210

126.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 MX$35.11

$1.33 HNL 35.78

55.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$78.3

$2.61 HNL 70.1

76.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 MX$34.84

$2.05 HNL 55.0

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.07 MX$103

$10.12 HNL 272

-40.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.34

$1.07 HNL 28.85

44.86%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

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

$27.2K MX$462.0K

$29.6K HNL 796.0K

-8.13%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

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

$30.62 MX$520

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.24 MX$632

$98.5 HNL 2,644

-62.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.5 MX$1,043

$58.9 HNL 1,580

4.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

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

$456 MX$7,739

$499 HNL 13.4K

-8.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.2 MX$1,259

$39.90 HNL 1,072

85.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.0 MX$967

$19.67 HNL 528

189.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 MX$1,958

$40.79 HNL 1,095

182.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 MX$2,061

$49.65 HNL 1,333

144.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 MX$19.5K

$848 HNL 22.8K

35.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 MX$12.0K

$552 HNL 14.8K

28.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,577 MX$43.7K

$1,990 HNL 53.4K

29.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 MX$22.0K

$1,229 HNL 33.0K

5.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,005 MX$67.9K

$1,907 HNL 51.2K

110.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,130 MX$36.1K

$1,338 HNL 35.9K

59.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,082 MX$18.4K

$495 HNL 13.3K

118.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-37.22%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Last update for Roatan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Mexico City and $848 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 118% 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: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $41.00 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $272 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,677 vs $1,240 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 118% higher in Mexico City, 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: $1,148 in Mexico City versus $848 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Mexico City versus $499 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 $41.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,240 in Roatan versus $1,677 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.