Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Buenos Aires
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,646
/mo nomad
El Progreso
🇭🇳 Honduras
$145
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in El Progreso

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenos Aires and in El Progreso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Buenos Aires versus $145 in El Progreso.

  • Buenos Aires $1,646
  • El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,680 in Buenos Aires versus $285 in El Progreso.

  • Buenos Aires $2,680
  • El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,714 in Buenos Aires versus $426 in El Progreso.

  • Buenos Aires $3,714
  • El Progreso $426

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 1035% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 21% above, El Progreso is 89% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.81 ARS 27.0K
$4.87 HNL 131
265.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.2 ARS 98.9K
$24.69 HNL 663
163.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.12 ARS 19.9K
$7.92 HNL 213
65.66%
Cappuccino
$3.86 ARS 5,863
$1.51 HNL 40.58
155.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 ARS 3,133
$0.83 HNL 22.18
148.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 ARS 2,542
$0.97 HNL 26.17
73.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.10 ARS 6,218
$1.53 HNL 41.02
167.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.73 ARS 7,181
$2.03 HNL 54.6
133.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 ARS 2,285
$1.27 HNL 34.19
18.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.60 ARS 3,950
-
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 ARS 2,380
$1.08 HNL 28.94
45.37%
Eggs
$2.73 ARS 4,144
$1.62 HNL 43.48
68.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.86 ARS 16.5K
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.07 ARS 15.3K
-
-
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.22 ARS 20.1K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.80 ARS 4,255
-
-
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 ARS 3,170
$1.48 HNL 39.74
41.22%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.45 ARS 2,194
-
-
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 ARS 3,040
-
-
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,826
-
-
Onion (1kg)
$1.20 ARS 1,821
$1.63 HNL 43.87
-26.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 ARS 2,569
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 ARS 2,711
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 ARS 6,074
$2.66 HNL 71.4
50.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.53 ARS 8,388
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.12 ARS 3,219
$1.35 HNL 36.22
57.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.78 ARS 4,212
$1.37 HNL 36.92
102.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 ARS 1,049
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.90 ARS 42.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.63 ARS 2,471
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.97 ARS 1,478
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.89 ARS 12.0K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 ARS 2,156
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.3K ARS 35.4M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K ARS 48.5M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$199 ARS 302.7K
-
-
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.36 ARS 35.4K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.44 ARS 47.7K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.81 ARS 75.6K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.63 ARS 25.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.80 ARS 16.4K
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$462 ARS 701.7K
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,790 ARS 13.3M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$120 ARS 181.6K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$94.6 ARS 143.6K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$116 ARS 176.4K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$137 ARS 208.6K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 ARS 1.1M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$514 ARS 780.5K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,567 ARS 2.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 ARS 1.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,632 ARS 4.0M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,874 ARS 2.8M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Buenos Aires
El Progreso
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$924 ARS 1.4M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
57.25
0
-

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Buenos Aires
$514
El Progreso
–
Groceries & Markets
Buenos Aires
$285
El Progreso
–
Eating Out
Buenos Aires
$273
El Progreso
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Buenos Aires
$254
El Progreso
–
Clothing & Footwear
Buenos Aires
$211
El Progreso
–
Sport & Entertainment
Buenos Aires
$71
El Progreso
–
Getting Around
Buenos Aires
$37
El Progreso
–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Buenos Aires vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Buenos Aires
🇭🇳 El Progreso
🕒 Local time
20:25 8:25 PM
17:25 5:25 PM
3 h behind Buenos Aires
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,891,082 Capital
100,810
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Buenos Aires El Progreso 6,370 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Buenos Aires
  • El Progreso

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Buenos Aires vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Buenos Aires and in El Progreso?
Buenos Aires and El Progreso differ by about 1035% in total monthly costs ($1,646 vs $145 including rent). El Progreso is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Buenos Aires compared to El Progreso?
You'd need roughly $2,468 in Buenos Aires and $217 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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $65.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more expensive overall: Buenos Aires or El Progreso?
All in, you'll spend $1,646 per month in Buenos Aires versus $145 in El Progreso – a 1035% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Buenos Aires and El Progreso?
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.
Is Buenos Aires or El Progreso safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Buenos Aires 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.
Where should expats move: Buenos Aires or El Progreso?
Expats usually find El Progreso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1035% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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