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

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

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

Living in San Pedro Sula is roughly 2% more expensive than Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.85 HNL 209

$7.65 HNL 204

2.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.70 HNL 818

$39.35 HNL 1,049

-21.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 HNL 229

$8.85 HNL 236

-3.16%

Cappuccino

$2.21 HNL 58.8

$3.58 HNL 95.3

-38.27%

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

$1.34 HNL 35.68

$1.24 HNL 33.03

8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HNL 29.58

$0.74 HNL 19.74

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 HNL 49.73

$2.18 HNL 58.2

-14.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 HNL 89.5

$3.93 HNL 105

-14.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 HNL 39.27

$1.31 HNL 34.87

12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 HNL 52.2

$3.38 HNL 90.0

-42.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 HNL 41.64

$2.15 HNL 57.2

-27.44%

Eggs

$2.59 HNL 69.0

$2.03 HNL 54.2

27.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.18 HNL 245

$10.87 HNL 290

-15.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 HNL 159

$6.51 HNL 174

-8.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 HNL 292

$17.33 HNL 462

-36.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 HNL 115

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 HNL 42.12

$1.11 HNL 29.59

42.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.78 HNL 101

$1.08 HNL 28.70

250.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 HNL 56.2

$0.57 HNL 15.10

270.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 HNL 58.1

$1.07 HNL 28.53

103.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 HNL 67.5

$1.08 HNL 28.74

134.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 HNL 23.90

$1.02 HNL 27.10

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 HNL 43.86

$3.07 HNL 81.9

-46.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 HNL 83.8

$2.99 HNL 79.6

5.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 HNL 347

$7.77 HNL 207

67.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 HNL 30.87

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 HNL 43.27

$4.08 HNL 109

-60.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 HNL 16.91

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.97 HNL 959

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.74 HNL 99.8

$1.97 HNL 52.5

89.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 HNL 39.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.03 HNL 187

$10.05 HNL 268

-30.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 HNL 28.01

$1.06 HNL 28.27

-0.94%

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)

$16.6K HNL 442.5K

$30.6K HNL 814.4K

-45.67%

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)

$48.73 HNL 1,299

$101 HNL 2,698

-51.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.79 HNL 1,007

$60.1 HNL 1,603

-37.15%

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)

$147 HNL 3,929

$422 HNL 11.3K

-65.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,244 HNL 86.5K

$4,238 HNL 113.0K

-23.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 HNL 1,374

$39.47 HNL 1,052

30.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.58 HNL 1,002

$19.91 HNL 531

88.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.7 HNL 2,178

$39.64 HNL 1,057

106.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.8 HNL 2,474

$50.3 HNL 1,342

84.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$569 HNL 15.2K

$860 HNL 22.9K

-33.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$422 HNL 11.2K

$556 HNL 14.8K

-24.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 HNL 23.8K

$722 HNL 19.3K

23.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 HNL 19.2K

$1,264 HNL 33.7K

-42.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,000 HNL 26.7K

$1,878 HNL 50.1K

-46.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$437 HNL 11.7K

$1,346 HNL 35.9K

-67.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$605 HNL 16.1K

$492 HNL 13.1K

22.90%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Roatan: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $569 in San Pedro Sula and $860 in Roatan. 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: $31.00 in San Pedro Sula vs $39.00 in Roatan. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 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 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

San Pedro Sula pays 23% 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: $569 in San Pedro Sula versus $860 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 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 $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, 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 2% less than in San Pedro Sula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.