Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Progreso and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $144 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Progreso and in Medellin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $144 in El Progreso versus $1,639 in Medellin.

El Progreso $144
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $283 in El Progreso versus $2,413 in Medellin.

El Progreso $283
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $422 in El Progreso versus $3,186 in Medellin.

El Progreso $422
Medellin $3,186

Living in El Progreso costs roughly 91% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Progreso is 89% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 HNL 131

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-39.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.46 HNL 657

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-48.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 HNL 212

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-16.95%

Cappuccino

$1.51 HNL 40.69

$3.01 COP 9,485

-49.83%

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

$0.88 HNL 23.77

$1.80 COP 5,660

-51.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 HNL 26.03

$1.41 COP 4,443

-31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 HNL 38.96

$3.18 COP 9,990

-54.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 HNL 54.2

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-64.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 HNL 33.66

$1.51 COP 4,751

-17.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 HNL 28.82

$1.77 COP 5,573

-39.55%

Eggs

$1.58 HNL 42.36

$2.89 COP 9,093

-45.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 HNL 39.91

$1.55 COP 4,883

-3.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 HNL 41.49

$1.59 COP 5,000

-3.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 HNL 70.5

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-33.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 HNL 34.65

$1.66 COP 5,221

-22.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 HNL 36.43

$2.26 COP 7,103

-39.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for El Progreso: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

El Progreso

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in El Progreso vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $44 vs $297 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h ahead of El Progreso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,810

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Honduran Lempira HNL L

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to HNL – Honduran Lempira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇭🇳 Honduran Lempira (L)

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 26.87 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 29.91 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to HNL in detail →

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El Progreso Medellin 1,670 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

El Progreso
Medellin

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

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

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 1039% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $216 in El Progreso and $2,459 in Medellin 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 571% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $24 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $144 in El Progreso versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Medellin. 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.