Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,484 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Roatan versus $2,342 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,786 in Roatan versus $3,199 in Mexico City.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 18% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roatan is 10% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.66 HNL 204

$13.29 MX$231

-42.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.15 HNL 1,066

$53.8 MX$933

-25.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 HNL 237

$9.29 MX$161

-3.88%

Cappuccino

$3.77 HNL 100

$3.61 MX$62.6

4.43%

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

$1.20 HNL 31.91

$1.56 MX$27.03

-23.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 HNL 19.91

$1.12 MX$19.46

-33.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 HNL 60.9

$3.13 MX$54.3

-26.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$4.71 MX$81.7

-16.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 HNL 34.71

$1.70 MX$29.54

-22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 HNL 89.8

$2.77 MX$48.03

22.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 HNL 59.5

$1.96 MX$34.05

14.29%

Eggs

$1.98 HNL 52.6

$2.60 MX$45.21

-23.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 HNL 290

$9.94 MX$173

9.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 HNL 176

$8.10 MX$141

-18.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 HNL 476

$11.50 MX$200

55.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$49.84

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.56

$1.73 MX$30.07

-37.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.63

$2.00 MX$34.73

-46.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 HNL 15.08

$2.04 MX$35.38

-72.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.62

$2.08 MX$36.14

-48.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 HNL 29.61

$2.20 MX$38.12

-49.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 HNL 26.24

$1.45 MX$25.24

-31.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$1.07 MX$18.63

175.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$4.27 MX$74.2

-30.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 HNL 202

$14.32 MX$249

-46.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.62

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$3.70 MX$64.2

6.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.35 MX$6.12

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.19 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 HNL 52.4

$1.34 MX$23.18

47.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 HNL 262

$5.33 MX$92.6

84.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.13

$1.34 MX$23.27

-20.90%

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

$19.1K MX$332.0K

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

$30.5K HNL 810.6K

$23.9K MX$414.5K

27.81%

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

$39.86 MX$692

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

$26.78 MX$465

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 HNL 2,703

$29.36 MX$510

246.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 HNL 1,618

$53.4 MX$927

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.09 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$111

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

$422 HNL 11.2K

$440 MX$7,647

-4.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,274 HNL 113.5K

$10.8K MX$186.6K

-60.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$57.6 MX$1,000

-29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.38 HNL 541

$45.02 MX$781

-54.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$104 MX$1,801

-60.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.22 HNL 1,307

$108 MX$1,874

-54.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 HNL 22.3K

$1,013 MX$17.6K

-17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 HNL 14.4K

$630 MX$10.9K

-13.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 HNL 19.4K

$2,162 MX$37.5K

-66.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 HNL 32.6K

$1,222 MX$21.2K

0.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 HNL 50.7K

$3,793 MX$65.8K

-49.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 HNL 35.5K

$2,332 MX$40.5K

-42.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 HNL 13.5K

$1,075 MX$18.7K

-52.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

58.73%

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

Last update for Roatan: April 12, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: April 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $838 in Roatan and $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 112% 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: $40 in Roatan vs $54 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $285 per month, with Roatan 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

Roatan vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roatan and Mexico City differ by about 22% in total monthly costs ($1,213 vs $1,484 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 112% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $838 in Roatan versus $1,013 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Roatan versus $440 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Roatan – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,484 in Mexico City, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roatan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes Roatan 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.

Safety-wise, Roatan and Mexico City are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Roatan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.