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: $1,259 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,212 in Roatan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,881 in San Pedro Sula versus $1,980 in Roatan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,504 in San Pedro Sula versus $2,749 in Roatan.

Living in San Pedro Sula is roughly 4% more expensive than in Roatan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Pedro Sula 6% lower, Roatan 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.80 HNL 209

$7.35 HNL 197

6.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.22 HNL 808

$40.22 HNL 1,076

-24.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.57 HNL 229

$8.89 HNL 238

-3.60%

Cappuccino

$2.23 HNL 59.6

$3.69 HNL 98.8

-39.57%

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

$1.34 HNL 35.71

$1.24 HNL 33.19

8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 HNL 29.63

$0.70 HNL 18.74

58.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 HNL 50.4

$2.22 HNL 59.5

-14.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 HNL 85.7

$4.12 HNL 110

-22.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 HNL 41.06

$1.30 HNL 34.79

18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.06 HNL 55.1

$3.24 HNL 86.7

-36.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 HNL 40.07

$2.14 HNL 57.3

-29.91%

Eggs

$2.62 HNL 70.1

$1.98 HNL 53.0

32.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.27 HNL 248

$10.82 HNL 289

-14.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 HNL 166

$6.77 HNL 181

-8.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.20 HNL 299

$17.97 HNL 481

-37.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 HNL 114

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 HNL 41.72

$1.13 HNL 30.11

38.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 HNL 104

$1.09 HNL 29.10

257.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 HNL 56.6

$0.58 HNL 15.38

263.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 HNL 60.1

$1.07 HNL 28.56

110.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 HNL 67.4

$1.08 HNL 28.86

133.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 HNL 23.59

$1.02 HNL 27.41

-13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 HNL 43.37

$2.94 HNL 78.8

-44.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 HNL 83.0

$2.98 HNL 79.6

4.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.93 HNL 346

$7.54 HNL 202

71.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 HNL 30.96

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 HNL 42.12

$4.10 HNL 110

-61.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 HNL 16.66

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.19 HNL 995

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 HNL 101

$2.04 HNL 54.5

85.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 HNL 39.92

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 HNL 190

$9.91 HNL 265

-28.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 HNL 29.45

$1.05 HNL 28.10

4.76%

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

$21.3K HNL 568.9K

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

$16.6K HNL 444.6K

$30.3K HNL 809.8K

-45.10%

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

$133 HNL 3,547

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

$9.99 HNL 267

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.96 HNL 1,336

$98.4 HNL 2,633

-49.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.31 HNL 1,025

$60.4 HNL 1,614

-36.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.78 HNL 556

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 HNL 149

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

$145 HNL 3,878

$425 HNL 11.4K

-65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,189 HNL 85.3K

$4,118 HNL 110.1K

-22.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 HNL 1,385

$40.11 HNL 1,073

29.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.69 HNL 1,008

$20.18 HNL 540

86.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 HNL 2,253

$39.47 HNL 1,056

113.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.5 HNL 2,528

$50.9 HNL 1,361

85.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 HNL 15.0K

$844 HNL 22.6K

-33.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 HNL 11.2K

$550 HNL 14.7K

-24.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$890 HNL 23.8K

$741 HNL 19.8K

20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 HNL 19.3K

$1,248 HNL 33.4K

-42.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,003 HNL 26.8K

$1,873 HNL 50.1K

-46.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$440 HNL 11.8K

$1,335 HNL 35.7K

-67.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$614 HNL 16.4K

$492 HNL 13.2K

24.78%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Roatan: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $561 in San Pedro Sula and $844 in Roatan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Pedro Sula pays 25% 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: $30.00 in San Pedro Sula vs $40.00 in Roatan. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $264, 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 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 25% higher in San Pedro Sula, 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: $561 in San Pedro Sula versus $844 in Roatan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $145 in San Pedro Sula versus $425 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 $30.00 in San Pedro Sula. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,212 in Roatan versus $1,259 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 4% less than in San Pedro Sula. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.