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

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

Living in San Pedro Sula is roughly 3% more expensive than Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.46 HNL 198

$7.66 HNL 204

-2.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.06 HNL 825

$40.15 HNL 1,066

-22.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.53 HNL 226

$8.93 HNL 237

-4.48%

Cappuccino

$2.15 HNL 57.2

$3.77 HNL 100

-42.97%

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

$1.38 HNL 36.62

$1.20 HNL 31.91

15.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 HNL 28.96

$0.75 HNL 19.91

45.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 HNL 52.5

$2.29 HNL 60.9

-13.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 HNL 86.4

$3.94 HNL 105

-17.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 HNL 39.55

$1.31 HNL 34.71

13.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 HNL 52.2

$3.38 HNL 89.8

-42.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 HNL 41.72

$2.24 HNL 59.5

-29.91%

Eggs

$2.60 HNL 69.2

$1.98 HNL 52.6

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 HNL 233

$10.91 HNL 290

-19.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 HNL 164

$6.63 HNL 176

-7.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 HNL 301

$17.91 HNL 476

-36.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.39 HNL 117

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 HNL 39.73

$1.08 HNL 28.56

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 HNL 99.0

$1.08 HNL 28.63

245.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.01 HNL 53.3

$0.57 HNL 15.08

252.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 HNL 58.3

$1.08 HNL 28.62

103.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.57 HNL 68.2

$1.11 HNL 29.61

131.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 HNL 23.12

$0.99 HNL 26.24

-12.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 HNL 45.20

$2.95 HNL 78.3

-42.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 HNL 80.7

$2.95 HNL 78.3

3.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 HNL 352

$7.60 HNL 202

74.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 HNL 30.56

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 HNL 41.54

$3.94 HNL 105

-60.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 HNL 17.01

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.11 HNL 959

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.65 HNL 96.9

$1.97 HNL 52.4

85.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 HNL 38.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.97 HNL 185

$9.86 HNL 262

-29.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 HNL 27.59

$1.06 HNL 28.13

-1.89%

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)

$16.3K HNL 432.9K

$30.5K HNL 810.6K

-46.59%

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)

$49.67 HNL 1,319

$102 HNL 2,703

-51.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.93 HNL 1,034

$60.9 HNL 1,618

-36.12%

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)

$146 HNL 3,871

$422 HNL 11.2K

-65.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,267 HNL 86.8K

$4,274 HNL 113.5K

-23.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 HNL 1,351

$40.69 HNL 1,081

24.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 HNL 1,011

$20.38 HNL 541

86.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 HNL 2,207

$40.69 HNL 1,081

104.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 HNL 2,472

$49.22 HNL 1,307

89.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$557 HNL 14.8K

$838 HNL 22.3K

-33.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 HNL 10.9K

$542 HNL 14.4K

-24.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 HNL 24.2K

$729 HNL 19.4K

25.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$735 HNL 19.5K

$1,226 HNL 32.6K

-40.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$780 HNL 20.7K

$1,910 HNL 50.7K

-59.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 HNL 13.9K

$1,336 HNL 35.5K

-60.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$596 HNL 15.8K

$507 HNL 13.5K

17.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

-37.56%

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

Last update for San Pedro Sula: April 13, 2026

Last update for Roatan: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $557 in San Pedro Sula and $838 in Roatan. 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: $31 in San Pedro Sula vs $40 in Roatan. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $265, 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

San Pedro Sula vs Roatan: 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.

San Pedro Sula pays 18% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $557 in San Pedro Sula versus $838 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in San Pedro Sula versus $422 in Roatan. 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, San Pedro Sula and Roatan 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.