Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $1,012 a month against $1,229 in Roatan, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Roatan
🇭🇳 Honduras
$1,229
/mo nomad
Lima
🇵🇪 Peru
$1,012
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Roatan and in Lima

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Roatan and in Lima actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,229 in Roatan versus $1,012 in Lima.

  • Roatan $1,229
  • Lima $1,012

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,019 in Roatan versus $1,589 in Lima.

  • Roatan $2,019
  • Lima $1,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,809 in Roatan versus $2,167 in Lima.

  • Roatan $2,809
  • Lima $2,167

Living in Roatan is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roatan 9% lower, Lima 25% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.20 HNL 220
$4.40 PEN 15.11
86.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$39.42 HNL 1,059
$35.17 PEN 121
12.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.53 HNL 229
$6.89 PEN 23.67
23.80%
Cappuccino
$4.41 HNL 119
$3.26 PEN 11.21
35.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 HNL 27.02
$1.12 PEN 3.84
-9.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 HNL 22.04
$0.62 PEN 2.11
32.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.55 HNL 68.5
$2.65 PEN 9.10
-3.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.02 HNL 135
$4.41 PEN 15.16
13.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 HNL 38.32
$1.63 PEN 5.62
-12.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.24 HNL 87.0
$2.56 PEN 8.78
26.56%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.52 HNL 67.6
$1.35 PEN 4.65
86.67%
Eggs
$2.02 HNL 54.3
$2.90 PEN 9.96
-30.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.89 HNL 293
$8.85 PEN 30.40
23.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.75 HNL 181
$5.98 PEN 20.53
12.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.90 HNL 481
$9.78 PEN 33.62
83.03%
Apples (1kg)
-
$2.05 PEN 7.03
-
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 HNL 28.70
$1.06 PEN 3.66
0.94%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.12 HNL 30.08
$1.35 PEN 4.64
-17.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.53 HNL 14.25
$1.50 PEN 5.16
-64.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.62 HNL 43.57
$0.88 PEN 3.03
84.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.50 HNL 40.22
$0.92 PEN 3.15
63.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 HNL 31.78
$0.89 PEN 3.07
32.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.05 HNL 81.8
$0.90 PEN 3.11
238.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.93 HNL 78.6
$5.90 PEN 20.29
-50.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.54 HNL 203
$8.52 PEN 29.28
-11.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 HNL 35.78
$1.88 PEN 6.45
-29.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 HNL 67.6
$3.22 PEN 11.05
-21.74%
🚌 Getting Around
Roatan
Lima
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$0.68 PEN 2.34
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$26.86 PEN 92.3
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.96 HNL 52.6
$3.81 PEN 13.10
-48.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.02 PEN 6.94
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.99 HNL 268
$7.11 PEN 24.43
40.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 HNL 27.97
$1.72 PEN 5.91
-39.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$22.3K PEN 76.7K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$29.7K HNL 796.6K
$25.5K PEN 87.6K
16.28%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
-
$73.1 PEN 251
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$16.35 PEN 56.2
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$98.5 HNL 2,645
$27.47 PEN 94.4
258.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$60.5 HNL 1,625
$31.90 PEN 110
89.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.41 PEN 66.7
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$7.05 PEN 24.24
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$491 HNL 13.2K
$182 PEN 627
169.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$13.0K PEN 44.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.22 HNL 1,081
$53.8 PEN 185
-25.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$19.63 HNL 527
$34.32 PEN 118
-42.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$40.14 HNL 1,078
$82.8 PEN 285
-51.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.83 HNL 1,339
$78.2 PEN 269
-36.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Roatan
Lima
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$840 HNL 22.6K
$721 PEN 2,478
16.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$552 HNL 14.8K
$343 PEN 1,180
60.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,971 HNL 52.9K
$1,219 PEN 4,189
61.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,269 HNL 34.1K
$651 PEN 2,236
95.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,854 HNL 49.8K
$2,414 PEN 8,298
-23.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,332 HNL 35.8K
$1,357 PEN 4,664
-1.84%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Roatan
Lima
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$491 HNL 13.2K
$648 PEN 2,227
-24.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
18
8.94
101.34%

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

Last update for Roatan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Roatan
$552
Lima
$343 37.8% $208
Groceries & Markets
Roatan
$274 *
Lima
$226 17.6% $48
Eating Out
Roatan
$174
Lima
$124 28.8% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Roatan
$98 *
Lima
$117 18.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Roatan
$67
Lima
$112 66.3% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Roatan
$61 *
Lima
$46 24% $15
Getting Around
Roatan
$2 *
Lima
$43 2118% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $840 in Roatan and $721 in Lima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Roatan vs $35.00 in Lima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $274 vs $226 per month, with Lima cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇭🇳 Roatan
🇵🇪 Lima
🕒 Local time
07:00 7:00 AM
08:00 8:00 AM
1 h ahead of Roatan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
17,425
9,989,369 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to HNL – Honduran Lempira Converter

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.13 HNL (100 HNL = 3.32 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.85 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Roatan Lima 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Roatan
  • Lima

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Roatan vs Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Roatan and in Lima?
Roatan and Lima differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($1,229 vs $1,012 including rent). Lima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Lima. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Roatan and in Lima?
Rent for a central apartment: $840 in Roatan versus $721 in Lima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Roatan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Roatan or Lima?
All in, you'll spend $1,229 per month in Roatan versus $1,012 in Lima – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,012 in Lima versus $1,229 in Roatan, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lima but tight or insufficient in Roatan. The gap between the two cities makes Lima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Roatan and Lima?
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.
Is Roatan or Lima safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Roatan and Lima are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Roatan or Lima?
Expats usually find Lima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Roatan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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