Outsourcing to Honduras: The Lowest-Cost Nearshore Option
Honduras offers the most competitive nearshore pricing in the Americas. Here's what you need to know about costs, talent, cities, and how to get started.
Honduras at a Glance
Why Companies Are Discovering Honduras
Honduras is Central America's emerging BPO destination. While smaller than Colombia or Mexico, it offers something neither can match: the lowest nearshore costs with US Central Time alignment.
Lowest Nearshore Costs
At $11-16/hr, Honduras is 10-30% cheaper than Colombia and 25-40% cheaper than Mexico. The lower cost of living in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa translates directly to lower BPO rates without sacrificing quality.
CST Timezone
Honduras operates on US Central Standard Time (UTC-6) year-round — same as Chicago, Dallas, and Houston. No daylight saving time changes. Perfect alignment for US business hours with zero night shift premiums.
Growing Bilingual Workforce
35% of Hondurans speak English, concentrated in San Pedro Sula where bilingual education programs have expanded significantly. Many Hondurans have family connections to the US, boosting cultural affinity and English fluency.
CAFTA-DR & ZOLI Benefits
The CAFTA-DR free trade agreement simplifies US-Honduras business. ZOLI (Zonas Libres) free trade zones offer tax holidays, duty-free equipment imports, and streamlined setup for BPO operations.
Honduras BPO Costs vs Other Nearshore Options
| Service | Honduras | Colombia | Mexico | USA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Support | $11-16/hr | $12-22/hr | $15-25/hr | $40-60/hr |
| Technical Support | $14-20/hr | $15-28/hr | $18-30/hr | $50-80/hr |
| Software Dev | $20-35/hr | $25-45/hr | $28-50/hr | $80-150/hr |
| Back Office | $11-15/hr | $12-18/hr | $14-22/hr | $35-55/hr |
| Sales / Outbound | $12-17/hr | $14-23/hr | $16-26/hr | $45-70/hr |
Includes salary, benefits, payroll taxes, office space, equipment, technology, and management.See full pricing breakdown →
BPO Cities in Honduras
San Pedro Sula — Honduras' BPO Capital
- Honduras' industrial and commercial capital
- Largest concentration of bilingual workers
- ZOLI free trade zone with BPO incentives
- Direct flights to Miami, Houston, Dallas
Cost: $11-16/hr (customer support)
Best for: Customer support, bilingual services, back-office
Talent pool: 800K+ metro, growing bilingual workforce
Tegucigalpa — The Capital
- National capital with government and university workforce
- Growing BPO sector, lower competition for talent
- UNAH and other universities produce qualified graduates
Cost: $10-15/hr (5-10% cheaper than SPS)
Best for: Back-office, data processing, smaller teams
Talent pool: 1.2M+ metro, smaller bilingual pool than SPS
Honduras Talent & Workforce
Language Skills
35% English proficiency nationally, concentrated in San Pedro Sula where rates are higher. Many Hondurans have lived in or have family in the US, providing natural cultural affinity. Spanish is native, making Honduras ideal for bilingual English-Spanish support serving US and Latin American markets simultaneously.
Young & Eager Workforce
65% of Honduras' 10M population is under 30. BPO jobs are considered premium employment, leading to high motivation and lower attrition than more saturated markets. Annual attrition in Honduras BPO runs 15-25% — significantly better than Philippines (40-60%) or India Tier-1 cities (30-40%).
Limitations to Consider
- Smaller English-speaking talent pool than Colombia or Mexico
- Limited technical/software development talent
- Less developed BPO infrastructure than top-tier markets
- Scale limited to 50-100 agents per city without heavy recruitment
When Honduras Is the Right Choice
Choose Honduras When:
- • Cost is a priority and you want nearshore ($11-16/hr)
- • You need CST timezone alignment
- • Team size is 10-50 agents
- • Bilingual English-Spanish support needed
- • Customer support or back-office is the primary function
- • Low attrition matters more than maximum scale
Consider Alternatives When:
- • You need 100+ agents → Colombia or Philippines
- • Complex technical support needed → India
- • You want the deepest bilingual talent pool → Colombia or Mexico
- • Software development is the primary need → Colombia, India
- • You need multiple locations for redundancy → multi-country approach
Getting Started with Honduras BPO
Partner with a BPO Provider
The fastest path. A BPO with Honduras operations handles entity, compliance, facilities, and hiring. You can be live in 4-6 weeks. No upfront capital required.
Start Small in San Pedro Sula
Begin with 10-15 agents for customer support or back-office. SPS has the deepest bilingual pool and most BPO infrastructure. Prove the model before scaling.
Leverage ZOLI Zones
If establishing your own entity, set up in a ZOLI free trade zone for tax holidays and duty-free equipment imports. Your BPO provider may already operate in a ZOLI.
Scale or Add Countries
Once proven, scale to 50+ agents or add a second location (Colombia for larger bilingual pool, Philippines for 24/7 coverage). Honduras works great as part of a multi-country strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does outsourcing to Honduras cost?
Honduras BPO costs $11-16/hr for customer support, $14-20/hr for tech support, and $20-35/hr for software development. These are the lowest nearshore rates — 10-30% cheaper than Colombia and 25-40% cheaper than Mexico. All-in rates including salary, benefits, office, and management.
Why outsource to Honduras?
Lowest nearshore costs ($11-16/hr), CST timezone (same as Chicago), growing bilingual workforce, CAFTA-DR benefits, ZOLI free zones with tax incentives, and a young motivated workforce. Ideal for cost-sensitive nearshore operations of 10-50 agents.
What cities in Honduras are best for BPO?
San Pedro Sula is the BPO capital — largest bilingual talent pool, most developed infrastructure, ZOLI zones. Tegucigalpa is growing with government/university talent at 5-10% lower costs. Choose SPS for customer-facing roles, Tegucigalpa for back-office.
How does Honduras compare to other nearshore countries?
10-30% cheaper than Colombia ($11-16 vs $12-22/hr), 25-40% cheaper than Mexico ($11-16 vs $15-25/hr). Trade-offs: smaller bilingual pool, less BPO infrastructure, fewer large providers. Best as part of a multi-country strategy or for cost-optimized teams of 10-50 agents.
About the Author
Vik Chadha
Founder & CEO, Globalify
Vik Chadha is the Founder & CEO of Globalify and CEO of HiveDesk, a workforce management platform for contact centers. He previously co-founded GlowTouch (now UnifyCX), a global BPO company he helped scale to operations across 6 countries. With over 15 years of experience in the CX industry, Vik combines deep operational knowledge with technology innovation to help companies build and optimize global teams.
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