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 $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,218 in Roatan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,126 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,007 in Roatan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,980 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $2,797 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 5% lower, Roatan 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$207

$7.65 HNL 204

55.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$749

$39.35 HNL 1,049

9.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$186

$8.85 HNL 236

20.34%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$60.2

$3.58 HNL 95.3

-3.63%

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

$1.50 MX$26.27

$1.24 HNL 33.03

20.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.57

$0.74 HNL 19.74

28.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.9

$2.18 HNL 58.2

38.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$80.5

$3.93 HNL 105

17.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.31 HNL 34.87

5.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$32.27

$3.38 HNL 90.0

-45.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$28.14

$2.15 HNL 57.2

-25.12%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$45.30

$2.03 HNL 54.2

27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$144

$10.87 HNL 290

-24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$146

$6.51 HNL 174

28.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$186

$17.33 HNL 462

-38.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.93

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.99

$1.11 HNL 29.59

34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.53

$1.08 HNL 28.70

77.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.44

$0.57 HNL 15.10

266.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.44

$1.07 HNL 28.53

73.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.50

$1.08 HNL 28.74

109.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.56

$1.02 HNL 27.10

3.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$19.00

$3.07 HNL 81.9

-64.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$72.5

$2.99 HNL 79.6

38.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$182

$7.77 HNL 207

33.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$30.12

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$45.64

$4.08 HNL 109

-36.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$471

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.6

$1.97 HNL 52.5

58.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.85

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$55.0

$10.05 HNL 268

-68.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.27

$1.06 HNL 28.27

19.81%

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

$30.4K MX$530.6K

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

$23.6K MX$411.7K

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

-22.87%

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

$83.0 MX$1,450

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

$22.71 MX$397

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$515

$101 HNL 2,698

-70.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$891

$60.1 HNL 1,603

-15.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$320

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$86.0

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

$197 MX$3,447

$422 HNL 11.3K

-53.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$92.2K

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

24.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$645

$39.47 HNL 1,052

-6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$697

$19.91 HNL 531

100.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,398

$39.64 HNL 1,057

101.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,563

$50.3 HNL 1,342

77.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.7K

$860 HNL 22.9K

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,334

$556 HNL 14.8K

-14.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.8K

$722 HNL 19.3K

127.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.4K

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

-3.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$68.4K

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

108.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$112.8K

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

379.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.7K

$492 HNL 13.1K

35.50%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Roatan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $860 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 35% 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 $43.00 in Playa del Carmen versus $39.00 in Roatan. Groceries tell a different story – $250 in Playa del Carmen vs $265 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 $1,906 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,827 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 $1,271 in Playa del Carmen and $1,218 in Roatan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $197 per month in Playa del Carmen and $422 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 $1,218, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,271. 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.