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: $1,240 in Roatan versus $1,677 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,030 in Roatan versus $2,608 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,820 in Roatan versus $3,540 in Mexico City.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 26% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Roatan is 10% below, Mexico City is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.91 HNL 212

$12.14 MX$206

-34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.62 HNL 1,091

$53.9 MX$914

-24.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.73 HNL 234

$11.09 MX$188

-21.28%

Cappuccino

$4.44 HNL 119

$4.10 MX$69.5

8.29%

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

$1.01 HNL 27.04

$1.68 MX$28.53

-39.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 HNL 23.22

$1.39 MX$23.55

-38.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.51 HNL 67.5

$3.33 MX$56.5

-24.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.11 HNL 137

$5.88 MX$99.7

-13.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 HNL 38.68

$1.85 MX$31.41

-22.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.22 HNL 86.6

$3.17 MX$53.8

1.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 HNL 68.3

$2.07 MX$35.13

22.71%

Eggs

$2.04 HNL 54.7

$2.93 MX$49.67

-30.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 HNL 296

$12.59 MX$214

-12.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.44 HNL 173

$10.11 MX$172

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 HNL 469

$16.09 MX$273

8.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 MX$57.5

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 29.12

$2.08 MX$35.26

-48.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.09 HNL 29.14

$2.12 MX$35.97

-48.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 HNL 15.05

$2.41 MX$40.95

-76.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 HNL 44.10

$2.13 MX$36.11

-23.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 HNL 39.86

$2.01 MX$34.02

-26.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 HNL 31.45

$1.55 MX$26.21

-24.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 HNL 78.8

$1.36 MX$23.15

115.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.91 HNL 78.2

$5.77 MX$97.8

-49.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.83 HNL 210

$17.74 MX$301

-55.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 HNL 35.78

$2.07 MX$35.11

-35.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 HNL 70.1

$4.61 MX$78.3

-43.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 MX$6.21

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.18 MX$359

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 HNL 55.0

$2.05 MX$34.84

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.58 MX$9.79

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.12 HNL 272

$6.07 MX$103

66.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 HNL 28.85

$1.55 MX$26.34

-30.97%

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

$22.9K MX$388.1K

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

$29.6K HNL 796.0K

$27.2K MX$462.0K

8.85%

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

$67.4 MX$1,144

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

$30.62 MX$520

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.5 HNL 2,644

$37.24 MX$632

164.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 HNL 1,580

$61.5 MX$1,043

-4.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.12 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 MX$121

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

$499 HNL 13.4K

$456 MX$7,739

9.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K MX$232.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.90 HNL 1,072

$74.2 MX$1,259

-46.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.67 HNL 528

$57.0 MX$967

-65.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.79 HNL 1,095

$115 MX$1,958

-64.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.65 HNL 1,333

$122 MX$2,061

-59.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 HNL 22.8K

$1,148 MX$19.5K

-26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 HNL 14.8K

$709 MX$12.0K

-22.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 HNL 53.4K

$2,577 MX$43.7K

-22.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,229 HNL 33.0K

$1,295 MX$22.0K

-5.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,907 HNL 51.2K

$4,005 MX$67.9K

-52.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,338 HNL 35.9K

$2,130 MX$36.1K

-37.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$495 HNL 13.3K

$1,082 MX$18.4K

-54.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

59.29%

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

Last update for Roatan: September 7, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $848 in Roatan and $1,148 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: $41.00 in Roatan vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $345 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 35% in total monthly costs ($1,240 vs $1,677 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: $848 in Roatan versus $1,148 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $499 in Roatan versus $456 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 $41.00 versus $54.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,240 in Roatan versus $1,677 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 35% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.