Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and San Pedro Sula Cost of Living Comparison Between Roatan and San Pedro Sula

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,251 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,999 in Roatan versus $1,864 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,786 in Roatan versus $2,477 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 3% less than in San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roatan 10% lower, San Pedro Sula 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.66 HNL 204

$7.46 HNL 198

2.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.15 HNL 1,066

$31.06 HNL 825

29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 HNL 237

$8.53 HNL 226

4.69%

Cappuccino

$3.77 HNL 100

$2.15 HNL 57.2

75.35%

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

$1.20 HNL 31.91

$1.38 HNL 36.62

-13.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 HNL 19.91

$1.09 HNL 28.96

-31.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.29 HNL 60.9

$1.98 HNL 52.5

15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$3.25 HNL 86.4

21.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 HNL 34.71

$1.49 HNL 39.55

-12.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 HNL 89.8

$1.96 HNL 52.2

72.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 HNL 59.5

$1.57 HNL 41.72

42.68%

Eggs

$1.98 HNL 52.6

$2.60 HNL 69.2

-23.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.91 HNL 290

$8.79 HNL 233

24.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.63 HNL 176

$6.16 HNL 164

7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.91 HNL 476

$11.35 HNL 301

57.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 HNL 117

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.56

$1.50 HNL 39.73

-28.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.63

$3.73 HNL 99.0

-71.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 HNL 15.08

$2.01 HNL 53.3

-71.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.62

$2.20 HNL 58.3

-50.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 HNL 29.61

$2.57 HNL 68.2

-56.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 HNL 26.24

$0.87 HNL 23.12

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$1.70 HNL 45.20

73.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 HNL 78.3

$3.04 HNL 80.7

-2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 HNL 202

$13.24 HNL 352

-42.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 HNL 30.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 HNL 105

$1.56 HNL 41.54

152.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 HNL 17.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.11 HNL 959

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 HNL 52.4

$3.65 HNL 96.9

-46.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 HNL 38.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.86 HNL 262

$6.97 HNL 185

41.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.13

$1.04 HNL 27.59

1.92%

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

$21.4K HNL 569.1K

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

$30.5K HNL 810.6K

$16.3K HNL 432.9K

87.24%

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

$135 HNL 3,590

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

$9.67 HNL 257

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 HNL 2,703

$49.67 HNL 1,319

104.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 HNL 1,618

$38.93 HNL 1,034

56.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.90 HNL 555

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 HNL 147

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

$422 HNL 11.2K

$146 HNL 3,871

189.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,274 HNL 113.5K

$3,267 HNL 86.8K

30.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$50.9 HNL 1,351

-20.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.38 HNL 541

$38.06 HNL 1,011

-46.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.69 HNL 1,081

$83.1 HNL 2,207

-51.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.22 HNL 1,307

$93.1 HNL 2,472

-47.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 HNL 22.3K

$557 HNL 14.8K

50.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 HNL 14.4K

$409 HNL 10.9K

32.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 HNL 19.4K

$912 HNL 24.2K

-20.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 HNL 32.6K

$735 HNL 19.5K

66.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,910 HNL 50.7K

$780 HNL 20.7K

144.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,336 HNL 35.5K

$522 HNL 13.9K

156.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 HNL 13.5K

$596 HNL 15.8K

-14.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

60.14%

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

Last update for Roatan: April 12, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $838 in Roatan and $557 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 18% 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 $31 in San Pedro Sula. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $269, with Roatan cheaper for home cooking.

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 San Pedro Sula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roatan is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Pedro Sula earns 18% 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 $557 in San Pedro Sula. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $422 in Roatan versus $146 in San Pedro Sula. 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 $31.00 in San Pedro Sula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,213 in Roatan versus $1,251 in San Pedro Sula, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Roatan but tight or insufficient in San Pedro Sula. The gap between the two cities makes Roatan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Roatan is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Pedro Sula, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Roatan and San Pedro Sula 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 3% less than in San Pedro Sula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.