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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $1,213 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,342 in Mexico City versus $1,999 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Mexico City versus $2,786 in Roatan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 22% more expensive than Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.29 MX$231

$7.66 HNL 204

73.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$933

$40.15 HNL 1,066

33.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 MX$161

$8.93 HNL 237

4.03%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$3.77 HNL 100

-4.24%

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

$1.56 MX$27.03

$1.20 HNL 31.91

30.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$0.75 HNL 19.91

49.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 MX$54.3

$2.29 HNL 60.9

36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.71 MX$81.7

$3.94 HNL 105

19.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.54

$1.31 HNL 34.71

29.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 MX$48.03

$3.38 HNL 89.8

-18.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.05

$2.24 HNL 59.5

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.60 MX$45.21

$1.98 HNL 52.6

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 MX$173

$10.91 HNL 290

-8.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$141

$6.63 HNL 176

22.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$200

$17.91 HNL 476

-35.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.07

$1.08 HNL 28.56

60.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.73

$1.08 HNL 28.63

85.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$35.38

$0.57 HNL 15.08

257.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.14

$1.08 HNL 28.62

92.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.20 MX$38.12

$1.11 HNL 29.61

98.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$0.99 HNL 26.24

46.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.63

$2.95 HNL 78.3

-63.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$74.2

$2.95 HNL 78.3

44.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.32 MX$249

$7.60 HNL 202

88.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 MX$64.2

$3.94 HNL 105

-6.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.34 MX$23.18

$1.97 HNL 52.4

-31.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.33 MX$92.6

$9.86 HNL 262

-45.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.06 HNL 28.13

26.42%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

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

$23.9K MX$414.5K

$30.5K HNL 810.6K

-21.76%

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

$39.86 MX$692

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

$26.78 MX$465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.36 MX$510

$102 HNL 2,703

-71.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$927

$60.9 HNL 1,618

-12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

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

$440 MX$7,647

$422 HNL 11.2K

4.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MX$186.6K

$4,274 HNL 113.5K

151.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 MX$1,000

$40.69 HNL 1,081

41.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.02 MX$781

$20.38 HNL 541

120.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,801

$40.69 HNL 1,081

154.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,874

$49.22 HNL 1,307

119.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,013 MX$17.6K

$838 HNL 22.3K

20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$630 MX$10.9K

$542 HNL 14.4K

16.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 MX$37.5K

$729 HNL 19.4K

196.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 MX$21.2K

$1,226 HNL 32.6K

-0.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,793 MX$65.8K

$1,910 HNL 50.7K

98.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.5K

$1,336 HNL 35.5K

74.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,075 MX$18.7K

$507 HNL 13.5K

112.15%

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: April 11, 2026

Last update for Roatan: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,013 in Mexico City and $838 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 112% 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 in Mexico City vs $40 in Roatan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $1,213 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 112% 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: $1,013 in Mexico City versus $838 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $440 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 $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,484 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 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.