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: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $1,239 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,872 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $2,506 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 18% more expensive than in San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, San Pedro Sula is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$7.73 HNL 207

69.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$30.80 HNL 824

74.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$8.59 HNL 230

12.69%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$2.15 HNL 57.4

73.95%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$1.34 HNL 35.70

20.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$1.06 HNL 28.33

9.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.96 HNL 52.4

64.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$3.33 HNL 88.9

42.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.49 HNL 39.73

10.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.98 HNL 52.9

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.51 HNL 40.27

23.84%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.53 HNL 67.7

-1.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$9.12 HNL 244

11.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$6.04 HNL 162

36.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$11.25 HNL 301

5.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$4.27 HNL 114

-29.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.57 HNL 41.90

15.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$3.72 HNL 99.4

-46.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$2.01 HNL 53.8

-0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$2.25 HNL 60.3

-7.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$2.61 HNL 69.9

-13.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.85 HNL 22.70

71.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$1.62 HNL 43.43

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$3.00 HNL 80.2

45.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$13.11 HNL 351

29.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.15 HNL 30.73

50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.55 HNL 41.48

130.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.63 HNL 16.91

-38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$36.58 HNL 978

-48.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$3.66 HNL 97.7

-63.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.42 HNL 37.97

-80.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.93 HNL 185

-24.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.06 HNL 28.32

26.42%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$21.4K HNL 573.4K

-9.50%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$16.6K HNL 443.9K

43.55%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$133 HNL 3,557

-69.41%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$10.04 HNL 268

167.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$49.96 HNL 1,336

-38.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$38.74 HNL 1,036

36.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

$20.93 HNL 560

27.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$5.59 HNL 149

16.46%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$145 HNL 3,864

196.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$3,188 HNL 85.2K

229.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$52.1 HNL 1,394

9.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$37.66 HNL 1,007

20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$84.5 HNL 2,258

23.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$94.0 HNL 2,513

14.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$552 HNL 14.8K

81.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$417 HNL 11.2K

49.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$890 HNL 23.8K

137.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$720 HNL 19.2K

69.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$999 HNL 26.7K

289.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$431 HNL 11.5K

371.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

$594 HNL 15.9K

74.77%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $552 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% 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 $292 vs $268 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 18% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $1,239 including rent). San Pedro Sula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 75% 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $552 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 96% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $145 in San Pedro Sula. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,456 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 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.