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 $1,305 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,240 in Roatan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,334 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,030 in Roatan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,362 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,820 in Roatan, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 5% more than Roatan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Playa del Carmen and Roatan are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Roatan 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 MX$203

$7.91 HNL 212

51.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.38 MX$804

$40.62 HNL 1,091

16.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 MX$199

$8.73 HNL 234

34.59%

Cappuccino

$4.12 MX$70.0

$4.44 HNL 119

-7.21%

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

$1.40 MX$23.74

$1.01 HNL 27.04

38.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.48

$0.86 HNL 23.22

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$54.4

$2.51 HNL 67.5

27.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 MX$120

$5.11 HNL 137

38.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.44

$1.44 HNL 38.68

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$36.48

$3.22 HNL 86.6

-33.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.10

$2.54 HNL 68.3

-30.31%

Eggs

$2.82 MX$47.76

$2.04 HNL 54.7

38.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.20 MX$156

$11.03 HNL 296

-16.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.23 MX$157

$6.44 HNL 173

43.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 MX$214

$17.46 HNL 469

-27.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 MX$50.1

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$26.79

$1.08 HNL 29.12

46.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 MX$37.70

$1.09 HNL 29.14

103.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.09

$0.56 HNL 15.05

321.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.81

$1.64 HNL 44.10

21.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 MX$33.58

$1.48 HNL 39.86

33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 MX$21.04

$1.17 HNL 31.45

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.55

$2.93 HNL 78.8

-58.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.60 MX$78.1

$2.91 HNL 78.2

58.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.52 MX$178

$7.83 HNL 210

34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.33 HNL 35.78

27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.06

$2.61 HNL 70.1

6.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.70 MX$504

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 MX$88.8

$2.05 HNL 55.0

155.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.65 MX$61.9

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 MX$98.1

$10.12 HNL 272

-42.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.09

$1.07 HNL 28.85

43.93%

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

$22.8K MX$386.8K

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

$25.8K MX$437.9K

$29.6K HNL 796.0K

-12.92%

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

$90.7 MX$1,538

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

$25.19 MX$427

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.75 MX$539

$98.5 HNL 2,644

-67.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.8 MX$1,167

$58.9 HNL 1,580

16.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.37 MX$498

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$82.5

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

$226 MX$3,828

$499 HNL 13.4K

-54.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,194 MX$71.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.38 MX$804

$39.90 HNL 1,072

18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 MX$737

$19.67 HNL 528

120.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MX$1,361

$40.79 HNL 1,095

96.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 MX$1,550

$49.65 HNL 1,333

84.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,086 MX$18.4K

$848 HNL 22.8K

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 MX$6,933

$552 HNL 14.8K

-25.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 MX$33.5K

$1,990 HNL 53.4K

-0.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,281 MX$21.7K

$1,229 HNL 33.0K

4.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,046 MX$68.6K

$1,907 HNL 51.2K

112.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,704 MX$113.7K

$1,338 HNL 35.9K

401.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$13.1K

$495 HNL 13.3K

56.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

-36.39%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 7, 2026

Last update for Roatan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,086 in Playa del Carmen versus $848 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 56% 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 $47.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $41.00 in Roatan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 vs $272 – making Roatan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 5%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,958 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,859 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 $1,305 in Playa del Carmen and $1,240 in Roatan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Playa del Carmen and $499 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 $1,240, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,305. 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.