Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Progreso

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.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Medellin $1,639
El Progreso $144

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

Medellin $2,413
El Progreso $283

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

Medellin $3,186
El Progreso $422

Living in Medellin is roughly 1039% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.89 HNL 131

65.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$24.46 HNL 657

92.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.89 HNL 212

20.41%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.51 HNL 40.69

99.34%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.88 HNL 23.77

104.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.97 HNL 26.03

45.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.45 HNL 38.96

119.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.02 HNL 54.2

184.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.25 HNL 33.66

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.07 HNL 28.82

65.42%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.58 HNL 42.36

82.91%

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)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.49 HNL 39.91

4.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.54 HNL 41.49

3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.62 HNL 70.5

51.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.29 HNL 34.65

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.36 HNL 36.43

66.18%

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 Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

14:22 2:22 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

100,810

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Medellin
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

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

El Progreso is about 91% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

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