Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Progreso and Playa del Carmen

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $144 a month against $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Playa del Carmen
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Playa del Carmen Living Index

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El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Progreso and in Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $144 in El Progreso versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen.

El Progreso $144
Playa del Carmen $1,204

Estimated couple costs with rent: $283 in El Progreso versus $2,082 in Playa del Carmen.

El Progreso $283
Playa del Carmen $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $422 in El Progreso versus $2,959 in Playa del Carmen.

El Progreso $422
Playa del Carmen $2,959

Living in El Progreso costs roughly 88% less than in Playa del Carmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Progreso 89% lower, Playa del Carmen 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.89 HNL 131

$10.92 MX$204

-55.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.46 HNL 657

$43.37 MX$808

-43.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 HNL 212

$11.78 MX$220

-33.02%

Cappuccino

$1.51 HNL 40.69

$3.81 MX$71.0

-60.37%

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

$0.88 HNL 23.77

$1.28 MX$23.90

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 HNL 26.03

$0.78 MX$14.59

24.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.45 HNL 38.96

$3.17 MX$59.0

-54.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 HNL 54.2

$4.93 MX$92.0

-59.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 HNL 33.66

$1.41 MX$26.22

-11.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.33

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 HNL 28.82

$1.42 MX$26.42

-24.65%

Eggs

$1.58 HNL 42.36

$2.52 MX$47.03

-37.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$135

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$143

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$51.9

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 HNL 39.91

$1.37 MX$25.50

8.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.55

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.58

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.13

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 HNL 41.49

$1.89 MX$35.16

-18.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.37

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$21.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.62 HNL 70.5

$4.30 MX$80.1

-39.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$185

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 HNL 34.65

$1.58 MX$29.52

-18.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 HNL 36.43

$2.67 MX$49.79

-49.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.6

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.1

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$99.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.92

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

$20.7K MX$385.2K

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

$23.5K MX$437.4K

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

$84.8 MX$1,581

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

$23.41 MX$436

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$534

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,063

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$539

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$95.8

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

$207 MX$3,851

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$808

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$772

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,383

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,664

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,099

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.8K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$114.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$13.7K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

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

Last update for El Progreso: October 26, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

Groceries & Markets

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

Eating Out

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

Getting Around

El Progreso

–

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $24 in El Progreso vs $43 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $44 vs $255 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🕒 Local time

06:07 6:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

1 h ahead of El Progreso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

100,810

149,923

💱 Currency

Honduran Lempira HNL L

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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 = 29.9 HNL (100 HNL = 3.34 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to HNL in detail →

On the map

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El Progreso Playa del Carmen 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

El Progreso
Playa del Carmen

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 737% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $216 in El Progreso and $1,806 in Playa del Carmen 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 475% higher in Playa del Carmen. 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 $43 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $144 in El Progreso versus $1,204 in Playa del Carmen, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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.