Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro Sula and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro Sula and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,456 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,872 in San Pedro Sula versus $2,361 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,506 in San Pedro Sula versus $3,266 in Mexico City.

Living in San Pedro Sula costs roughly 15% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Pedro Sula is 7% below, Mexico City is 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.73 HNL 207

$13.07 MX$229

-40.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.80 HNL 823

$53.8 MX$943

-42.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.59 HNL 230

$9.68 MX$170

-11.26%

Cappuccino

$2.15 HNL 57.4

$3.74 MX$65.6

-42.51%

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

$1.34 HNL 35.70

$1.62 MX$28.34

-17.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 HNL 28.33

$1.16 MX$20.37

-8.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.96 HNL 52.4

$3.23 MX$56.6

-39.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 HNL 88.9

$4.74 MX$83.1

-29.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HNL 39.73

$1.65 MX$28.89

-9.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 HNL 52.9

$2.75 MX$48.30

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 HNL 40.27

$1.87 MX$32.87

-19.25%

Eggs

$2.53 HNL 67.7

$2.50 MX$43.86

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 HNL 244

$10.20 MX$179

-10.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 HNL 162

$8.25 MX$145

-26.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.25 HNL 301

$11.82 MX$207

-4.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 HNL 114

$3.01 MX$52.8

41.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 HNL 41.90

$1.81 MX$31.77

-13.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.72 HNL 99.4

$2.00 MX$35.07

86.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 HNL 53.8

$2.00 MX$35.00

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 HNL 60.3

$2.08 MX$36.56

8.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.61 HNL 69.9

$2.27 MX$39.85

14.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 HNL 22.70

$1.46 MX$25.55

-41.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 HNL 43.43

$1.08 MX$18.88

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 HNL 80.2

$4.35 MX$76.3

-31.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 HNL 351

$16.99 MX$298

-22.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 HNL 30.72

$1.73 MX$30.40

-33.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 HNL 41.48

$3.58 MX$62.7

-56.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.91

$0.39 MX$6.79

61.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.58 HNL 978

$18.69 MX$328

95.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 HNL 97.7

$1.33 MX$23.25

175.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 HNL 37.97

$0.28 MX$4.91

407.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.93 HNL 185

$5.25 MX$92.1

32.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 HNL 28.32

$1.34 MX$23.44

-20.90%

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

$21.4K HNL 573.4K

$19.4K MX$340.5K

10.50%

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

$16.6K HNL 443.9K

$23.8K MX$418.0K

-30.34%

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

$133 HNL 3,557

$40.69 MX$714

226.94%

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

$10.04 HNL 268

$26.87 MX$471

-62.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 HNL 1,336

$30.51 MX$535

63.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.74 HNL 1,036

$52.8 MX$926

-26.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.93 HNL 560

$26.65 MX$467

-21.46%

Cinema Ticket

$5.59 HNL 149

$6.51 MX$114

-14.13%

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

$145 HNL 3,864

$428 MX$7,508

-66.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,188 HNL 85.2K

$10.5K MX$184.2K

-69.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 HNL 1,394

$57.3 MX$1,004

-8.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 HNL 1,007

$45.50 MX$798

-17.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 HNL 2,258

$104 MX$1,825

-18.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 HNL 2,513

$108 MX$1,891

-12.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$552 HNL 14.8K

$1,003 MX$17.6K

-44.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 HNL 11.2K

$623 MX$10.9K

-33.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 HNL 23.8K

$2,109 MX$37.0K

-57.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 HNL 19.2K

$1,218 MX$21.4K

-40.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$999 HNL 26.7K

$3,885 MX$68.1K

-74.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$431 HNL 11.5K

$2,033 MX$35.7K

-78.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 HNL 15.9K

$1,038 MX$18.2K

-42.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

11.34

-0.88%

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

Last update for San Pedro Sula: July 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $552 in San Pedro Sula and $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 75% 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: $31.00 in San Pedro Sula vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $292 per month, with San Pedro Sula 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

San Pedro Sula vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Pedro Sula and Mexico City differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,239 vs $1,456 including rent). San Pedro Sula is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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: $552 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,003 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Pedro Sula runs roughly 96% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in San Pedro Sula versus $428 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,239 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Pedro Sula but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Pedro Sula 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.

Expats usually find San Pedro Sula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.