Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,014 in Lima, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$1,014

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lima 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 Lima and in El Progreso actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,014 in Lima versus $145 in El Progreso.

Lima $1,014
El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,613 in Lima versus $285 in El Progreso.

Lima $1,613
El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,211 in Lima versus $426 in El Progreso.

Lima $2,211
El Progreso $426

Living in Lima is roughly 600% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lima 25% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.42 PEN 15.19

$4.87 HNL 131

-9.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.56 PEN 119

$24.69 HNL 663

39.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.80 PEN 23.37

$7.92 HNL 213

-14.14%

Cappuccino

$3.30 PEN 11.34

$1.51 HNL 40.58

118.54%

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

$1.06 PEN 3.64

$0.83 HNL 22.18

27.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 PEN 2.26

$0.97 HNL 26.17

-31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.54 PEN 8.71

$1.53 HNL 41.02

66.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 PEN 14.55

$2.03 HNL 54.6

108.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 PEN 5.43

$1.27 HNL 34.19

24.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 PEN 8.97

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 PEN 4.60

$1.08 HNL 28.94

24.07%

Eggs

$2.93 PEN 10.08

$1.62 HNL 43.48

80.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.45 PEN 32.45

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 PEN 19.75

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 PEN 33.29

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 PEN 6.95

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 PEN 3.66

$1.48 HNL 39.74

-27.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 PEN 4.70

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 PEN 5.05

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 PEN 3.25

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 PEN 3.14

$1.63 HNL 43.87

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 PEN 3.10

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.74 PEN 19.71

$2.66 HNL 71.4

115.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.21 PEN 31.64

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 PEN 6.31

$1.35 HNL 36.22

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 PEN 10.67

$1.37 HNL 36.92

127.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 PEN 2.46

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 PEN 89.4

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 PEN 12.17

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 PEN 7.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 PEN 26.62

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.71 PEN 5.86

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

$21.6K PEN 74.1K

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

$28.6K PEN 98.2K

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

$68.2 PEN 234

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

$15.73 PEN 54.0

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.48 PEN 90.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.94 PEN 117

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.10 PEN 69.0

Cinema Ticket

$7.22 PEN 24.80

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

$201 PEN 689

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K PEN 44.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 PEN 184

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.88 PEN 123

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.8 PEN 288

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 PEN 271

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$729 PEN 2,505

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 PEN 1,197

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 PEN 4,073

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 PEN 2,391

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,360 PEN 8,105

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,356 PEN 4,657

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 PEN 2,278

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.78

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

Last update for Lima: October 17, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima

$349 34.4%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Lima

$227 22.4%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Lima

$123 12.2%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lima

$113 11.2%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima

$110 10.9%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lima

$48 4.8%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Lima

$43 4.2%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $35.00 in Lima vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Lima

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

17:36 5:36 PM

16:36 4:36 PM

1 h behind Lima

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,989,369 Capital

100,810

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 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).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima El Progreso 3,280 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lima
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

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

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 600% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Lima 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 403% higher in Lima. 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 $25.00 versus $35.00 in Lima. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,014 in Lima, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Lima. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, El Progreso is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lima, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find El Progreso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 600% less than in Lima. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.