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: $1,212 in Roatan versus $1,481 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,980 in Roatan versus $2,352 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,749 in Roatan versus $3,222 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 9% below, Mexico City is 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.35 HNL 197

$13.16 MX$230

-44.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.22 HNL 1,076

$53.6 MX$937

-24.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 HNL 238

$9.55 MX$167

-6.91%

Cappuccino

$3.69 HNL 98.8

$3.72 MX$65.1

-0.81%

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

$1.24 HNL 33.19

$1.57 MX$27.42

-21.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 HNL 18.74

$1.16 MX$20.22

-39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.22 HNL 59.5

$3.18 MX$55.7

-30.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 HNL 110

$4.63 MX$81.1

-11.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 HNL 34.79

$1.71 MX$29.83

-23.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.24 HNL 86.7

$2.62 MX$45.77

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 HNL 57.3

$1.89 MX$33.04

13.23%

Eggs

$1.98 HNL 53.0

$2.60 MX$45.40

-23.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.82 HNL 289

$9.91 MX$173

9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.77 HNL 181

$8.22 MX$144

-17.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.97 HNL 481

$11.78 MX$206

52.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$52.4

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 HNL 30.11

$1.80 MX$31.48

-37.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 HNL 29.10

$2.07 MX$36.27

-47.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 HNL 15.38

$1.97 MX$34.41

-70.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 HNL 28.56

$2.07 MX$36.24

-48.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.86

$2.17 MX$38.04

-50.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 HNL 27.41

$1.40 MX$24.54

-27.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 HNL 78.8

$1.07 MX$18.80

174.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.98 HNL 79.6

$4.12 MX$72.0

-27.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.54 HNL 202

$17.42 MX$305

-56.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.31

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 HNL 110

$3.65 MX$63.8

12.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.65

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.71 MX$327

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 HNL 54.5

$1.33 MX$23.25

53.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.30

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.91 HNL 265

$5.51 MX$96.4

79.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 HNL 28.10

$1.31 MX$22.84

-19.85%

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

$19.2K MX$335.3K

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

$30.3K HNL 809.8K

$23.7K MX$415.4K

27.48%

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

$41.14 MX$720

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

$27.74 MX$485

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.4 HNL 2,633

$30.13 MX$527

226.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 HNL 1,614

$53.7 MX$940

12.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.98 MX$454

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MX$114

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

$425 HNL 11.4K

$437 MX$7,638

-2.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,118 HNL 110.1K

$10.5K MX$182.9K

-60.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.11 HNL 1,073

$58.3 MX$1,020

-31.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.18 HNL 540

$45.86 MX$802

-56.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.47 HNL 1,056

$101 MX$1,775

-61.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 HNL 1,361

$107 MX$1,863

-52.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 HNL 22.6K

$1,005 MX$17.6K

-16.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 HNL 14.7K

$634 MX$11.1K

-13.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 HNL 19.8K

$2,148 MX$37.6K

-65.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 HNL 33.4K

$1,247 MX$21.8K

0.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,873 HNL 50.1K

$3,859 MX$67.5K

-51.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,335 HNL 35.7K

$2,085 MX$36.5K

-35.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 HNL 13.2K

$1,072 MX$18.8K

-54.10%

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: July 19, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $844 in Roatan and $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 118% 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: $40.00 in Roatan vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 vs $291 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 ($1,212 vs $1,481 including rent). Roatan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 118% lower in Mexico City. 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: $844 in Roatan versus $1,005 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $425 in Roatan versus $437 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 $1,212 in Roatan versus $1,481 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.