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: $1,218 in Roatan versus $1,447 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Roatan versus $2,310 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,797 in Roatan versus $3,174 in Mexico City.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 16% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roatan is 9% below, Mexico City is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 HNL 204

$12.98 MX$227

-41.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.35 HNL 1,049

$52.6 MX$919

-25.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 HNL 236

$9.43 MX$165

-6.15%

Cappuccino

$3.58 HNL 95.3

$3.57 MX$62.4

0.28%

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

$1.24 HNL 33.03

$1.61 MX$28.04

-22.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 HNL 19.74

$1.15 MX$20.16

-35.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 HNL 58.2

$3.15 MX$55.0

-30.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 HNL 105

$4.86 MX$84.9

-19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 HNL 34.87

$1.70 MX$29.69

-22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 HNL 90.0

$2.64 MX$46.03

28.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 HNL 57.2

$1.90 MX$33.25

13.16%

Eggs

$2.03 HNL 54.2

$2.54 MX$44.39

-20.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 HNL 290

$10.08 MX$176

7.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 HNL 174

$8.29 MX$145

-21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 HNL 462

$11.57 MX$202

49.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.03 MX$52.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 HNL 29.59

$1.71 MX$29.87

-35.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.70

$2.05 MX$35.79

-47.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 HNL 15.10

$2.06 MX$35.98

-72.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 HNL 28.53

$2.06 MX$36.06

-48.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.74

$2.17 MX$37.91

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 HNL 27.10

$1.40 MX$24.51

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 HNL 81.9

$1.12 MX$19.60

174.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 HNL 79.6

$4.29 MX$75.0

-30.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 HNL 207

$15.41 MX$269

-49.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$29.25

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 HNL 109

$3.69 MX$64.4

10.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.67

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.06 MX$333

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 HNL 52.5

$1.38 MX$24.12

42.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.83

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 HNL 268

$5.42 MX$94.6

85.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.27

$1.28 MX$22.37

-17.19%

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

$19.0K MX$331.6K

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

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

$23.5K MX$409.8K

30.23%

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

$41.02 MX$717

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

$26.92 MX$470

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 HNL 2,698

$29.69 MX$519

240.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 HNL 1,603

$52.3 MX$914

14.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 MX$108

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

$422 HNL 11.3K

$427 MX$7,461

-1.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

$10.7K MX$186.9K

-60.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.47 HNL 1,052

$56.8 MX$993

-30.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.91 HNL 531

$44.83 MX$783

-55.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.64 HNL 1,057

$105 MX$1,826

-62.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 HNL 1,342

$106 MX$1,851

-52.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 HNL 22.9K

$995 MX$17.4K

-13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 HNL 14.8K

$621 MX$10.9K

-10.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 HNL 19.3K

$2,126 MX$37.1K

-66.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

$1,254 MX$21.9K

0.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

$3,903 MX$68.2K

-51.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

$2,096 MX$36.6K

-35.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 HNL 13.1K

$1,107 MX$19.3K

-55.54%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Roatan and $995 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 125% 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: $39.00 in Roatan vs $53.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $288 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 19% in total monthly costs ($1,218 vs $1,447 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 125% 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: $860 in Roatan versus $995 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Roatan versus $427 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 $39.00 versus $53.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Roatan versus $1,447 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 19% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.