Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pedro Sula Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Pedro Sula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $1,215 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,842 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $2,469 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 21% more expensive than San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, San Pedro Sula is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$7.66 HNL 204

72.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$31.10 HNL 828

73.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$8.68 HNL 231

8.53%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.17 HNL 57.8

63.59%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$1.37 HNL 36.61

18.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$1.11 HNL 29.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.94 HNL 51.6

60.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$3.22 HNL 85.7

43.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.47 HNL 39.14

15.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.96 HNL 52.2

38.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.55 HNL 41.31

23.23%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.51 HNL 66.8

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$8.92 HNL 238

12.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.95 HNL 159

35.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$10.98 HNL 293

5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$4.27 HNL 114

-30.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.58 HNL 42.01

14.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$3.94 HNL 105

-48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$2.02 HNL 53.7

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$2.27 HNL 60.5

-6.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$2.51 HNL 66.8

-9.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.82 HNL 21.92

70.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$1.62 HNL 43.21

-30.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.14 HNL 83.6

35.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$12.99 HNL 346

19.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.11 HNL 29.46

58.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.62 HNL 43.03

122.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.58 HNL 15.50

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$37.20 HNL 991

-48.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$3.75 HNL 99.8

-63.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.43 HNL 37.98

-80.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.19 HNL 192

-24.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$1.05 HNL 27.95

23.81%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$21.5K HNL 573.7K

-13.26%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$16.4K HNL 435.4K

41.45%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$135 HNL 3,588

-69.68%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$10.17 HNL 271

163.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$49.79 HNL 1,326

-39.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$39.17 HNL 1,043

32.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

$20.81 HNL 554

28.98%

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$5.41 HNL 144

16.45%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$144 HNL 3,843

202.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$3,288 HNL 87.6K

216.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$50.5 HNL 1,343

12.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$37.13 HNL 989

19.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$83.6 HNL 2,225

23.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$93.6 HNL 2,492

12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$556 HNL 14.8K

83.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$416 HNL 11.1K

51.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$925 HNL 24.6K

130.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$739 HNL 19.7K

68.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,031 HNL 27.5K

278.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$430 HNL 11.4K

380.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

$597 HNL 15.9K

86.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

11.24

0.89%

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

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $556 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 87% 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 $31.00 in San Pedro Sula for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $266 per month, with San Pedro Sula 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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and San Pedro Sula differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $1,215 including rent). San Pedro Sula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 87% 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $556 in San Pedro Sula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Pedro Sula runs roughly 94% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $144 in San Pedro Sula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,215 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Pedro Sula but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro Sula 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.

Expats usually find San Pedro Sula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.