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: $1,218 in Roatan versus $1,237 in San Pedro Sula.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,007 in Roatan versus $1,873 in San Pedro Sula.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,797 in Roatan versus $2,509 in San Pedro Sula.

Living in Roatan costs roughly 2% less than in San Pedro Sula, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Roatan 9% lower, San Pedro Sula 8% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 HNL 204

$7.85 HNL 209

-2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.35 HNL 1,049

$30.70 HNL 818

28.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 HNL 236

$8.57 HNL 229

3.27%

Cappuccino

$3.58 HNL 95.3

$2.21 HNL 58.8

61.99%

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

$1.24 HNL 33.03

$1.34 HNL 35.68

-7.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 HNL 19.74

$1.11 HNL 29.58

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 HNL 58.2

$1.87 HNL 49.73

16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 HNL 105

$3.36 HNL 89.5

16.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 HNL 34.87

$1.47 HNL 39.27

-10.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 HNL 90.0

$1.96 HNL 52.2

72.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 HNL 57.2

$1.56 HNL 41.64

37.82%

Eggs

$2.03 HNL 54.2

$2.59 HNL 69.0

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 HNL 290

$9.18 HNL 245

18.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 HNL 174

$5.96 HNL 159

9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.33 HNL 462

$10.97 HNL 292

57.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 HNL 115

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 HNL 29.59

$1.58 HNL 42.12

-29.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.70

$3.78 HNL 101

-71.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 HNL 15.10

$2.11 HNL 56.2

-72.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 HNL 28.53

$2.18 HNL 58.1

-50.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 HNL 28.74

$2.53 HNL 67.5

-57.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 HNL 27.10

$0.90 HNL 23.90

13.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 HNL 81.9

$1.65 HNL 43.86

86.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 HNL 79.6

$3.14 HNL 83.8

-4.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.77 HNL 207

$13.01 HNL 347

-40.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 HNL 30.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 HNL 109

$1.62 HNL 43.27

151.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.97 HNL 959

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 HNL 52.5

$3.74 HNL 99.8

-47.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 HNL 39.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.05 HNL 268

$7.03 HNL 187

42.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.27

$1.05 HNL 28.01

0.95%

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

$21.4K HNL 570.1K

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

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

$16.6K HNL 442.5K

84.05%

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

$135 HNL 3,588

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

$9.70 HNL 258

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$101 HNL 2,698

$48.73 HNL 1,299

107.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.1 HNL 1,603

$37.79 HNL 1,007

59.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.81 HNL 555

Cinema Ticket

$5.38 HNL 143

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

$422 HNL 11.3K

$147 HNL 3,929

186.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

$3,244 HNL 86.5K

30.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.47 HNL 1,052

$51.6 HNL 1,374

-23.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.91 HNL 531

$37.58 HNL 1,002

-47.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$39.64 HNL 1,057

$81.7 HNL 2,178

-51.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.3 HNL 1,342

$92.8 HNL 2,474

-45.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$860 HNL 22.9K

$569 HNL 15.2K

51.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$556 HNL 14.8K

$422 HNL 11.2K

31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 HNL 19.3K

$891 HNL 23.8K

-18.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

$721 HNL 19.2K

75.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

$1,000 HNL 26.7K

87.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

$437 HNL 11.7K

207.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$492 HNL 13.1K

$605 HNL 16.1K

-18.64%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for San Pedro Sula: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Roatan and $569 in San Pedro Sula. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 23% 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 $31.00 in San Pedro Sula. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $268, 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, San Pedro Sula earns 23% 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 $569 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 $147 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 $39.00 versus $31.00 in San Pedro Sula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,218 in Roatan versus $1,237 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 2% less than in San Pedro Sula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.