Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Progreso Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and El Progreso

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Barcelona versus $565 in El Progreso.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Barcelona versus $896 in El Progreso.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,601 in Barcelona versus $1,227 in El Progreso.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 310% more expensive than in El Progreso, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 73% above, El Progreso is 58% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 €15.10

$5.87 HNL 157

192.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €62.2

$24.96 HNL 667

183.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 €12.32

$7.76 HNL 208

80.67%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.44

$1.46 HNL 39.03

90.41%

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

$2.78 €2.44

$1.00 HNL 26.70

178.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.80

$0.98 HNL 26.18

109.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.52 €3.97

$1.17 HNL 31.19

286.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 €4.11

$1.99 HNL 53.1

134.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.33 HNL 35.57

-3.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.10 HNL 56.1

1.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 €1.70

$1.22 HNL 32.66

58.20%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.06

$2.10 HNL 56.2

66.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.52 €16.28

$4.28 HNL 114

332.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.38

$3.69 HNL 98.7

158.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 €16.61

$7.77 HNL 208

143.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.31

$3.00 HNL 80.4

-12.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 €2.05

$1.46 HNL 38.94

60.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.83

$1.44 HNL 38.46

44.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.50

$1.59 HNL 42.45

79.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$1.62 HNL 43.19

20.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.63

$1.36 HNL 36.43

36.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.35

$0.83 HNL 22.28

84.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$1.71 HNL 45.83

-47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.77 €5.95

$2.44 HNL 65.3

177.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.79 €6.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.29 HNL 34.46

6.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 €2.04

$1.80 HNL 48.27

28.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.00 €2.63

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.62 €25.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €4.02

$4.25 HNL 114

7.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.87

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 €25.97

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.80 €1.58

$1.08 HNL 28.81

66.67%

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

$38.5K €33.8K

$19.5K HNL 521.1K

97.35%

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

$33.3K €29.2K

$19.0K HNL 508.5K

74.95%

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

$185 €162

$81.4 HNL 2,176

127.25%

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

$22.68 €19.93

$8.78 HNL 235

158.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.78 €32.32

$40.49 HNL 1,083

-9.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 €50.8

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.19 €18.62

Cinema Ticket

$10.83 €9.51

$5.93 HNL 159

82.63%

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

$727 €639

$246 HNL 6,584

195.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K €12.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.6 €76.9

$45.70 HNL 1,222

91.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.37 €32.83

$35.35 HNL 945

5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €90.7

$109 HNL 2,923

-5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$104 HNL 2,791

13.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 €1,371

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 €1,073

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,742 €2,410

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,750

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,489 €6,581

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,207 €4,575

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,355 €2,069

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-71.75%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 21, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $71.0 in Barcelona vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $181 per month, with El Progreso 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

Barcelona vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and El Progreso differ by about 310% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $565 including rent). El Progreso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Barcelona and $848 in El Progreso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $727 in Barcelona versus $246 in El Progreso. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $71.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $565 in El Progreso versus $2,316 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and El Progreso 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 El Progreso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.