Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Roatan Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Roatan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,259 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,212 in Roatan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,980 in Roatan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,095 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,749 in Roatan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 4% more than Roatan, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Playa del Carmen and Roatan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Roatan 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 MX$209

$7.35 HNL 197

62.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.94 MX$734

$40.22 HNL 1,076

4.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 MX$182

$8.89 HNL 238

17.21%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$61.5

$3.69 HNL 98.8

-4.88%

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

$1.52 MX$26.53

$1.24 HNL 33.19

22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.93

$0.70 HNL 18.74

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 MX$53.2

$2.22 HNL 59.5

36.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$76.5

$4.12 HNL 110

6.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.86

$1.30 HNL 34.79

9.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 MX$32.03

$3.24 HNL 86.7

-43.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.60

$2.14 HNL 57.3

-23.83%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.43

$1.98 HNL 53.0

28.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 MX$150

$10.82 HNL 289

-20.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$149

$6.77 HNL 181

25.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 MX$189

$17.97 HNL 481

-39.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$48.19

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.13

$1.13 HNL 30.11

27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.00

$1.09 HNL 29.10

73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.96

$0.58 HNL 15.38

274.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$31.13

$1.07 HNL 28.56

66.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.91

$1.08 HNL 28.86

105.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$1.02 HNL 27.41

4.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$2.94 HNL 78.8

-63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.98 HNL 79.6

39.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$183

$7.54 HNL 202

38.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$30.50

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$45.16

$4.10 HNL 110

-37.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.94 MX$454

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 MX$56.2

$2.04 HNL 54.5

57.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 MX$43.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$9.91 HNL 265

-67.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.98

$1.05 HNL 28.10

20.00%

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

$29.7K MX$519.3K

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

$23.7K MX$414.3K

$30.3K HNL 809.8K

-21.77%

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

$82.0 MX$1,435

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

$22.73 MX$398

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.42 MX$515

$98.4 HNL 2,633

-70.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.2 MX$913

$60.4 HNL 1,614

-13.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.3

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

$202 MX$3,530

$425 HNL 11.4K

-52.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,217 MX$91.3K

$4,118 HNL 110.1K

26.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.93 MX$629

$40.11 HNL 1,073

-10.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$706

$20.18 HNL 540

99.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 MX$1,397

$39.47 HNL 1,056

102.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,562

$50.9 HNL 1,361

75.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.6K

$844 HNL 22.6K

12.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$465 MX$8,140

$550 HNL 14.7K

-15.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 MX$28.5K

$741 HNL 19.8K

120.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,193 MX$20.9K

$1,248 HNL 33.4K

-4.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,933 MX$68.8K

$1,873 HNL 50.1K

110.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,428 MX$112.4K

$1,335 HNL 35.7K

381.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$658 MX$11.5K

$492 HNL 13.2K

33.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

-36.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 20, 2026

Last update for Roatan: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $948 in Playa del Carmen versus $844 in Roatan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 34% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $40.00 in Roatan. Groceries tell a different story – $252 in Playa del Carmen vs $264 in Roatan – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Playa del Carmen vs Roatan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 4%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,888 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,818 in Roatan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roatan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,259 in Playa del Carmen and $1,212 in Roatan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $202 per month in Playa del Carmen and $425 in Roatan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Roatan, where all-in costs run around $1,212, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,259. In Roatan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Roatan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Roatan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.