Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $144 a month against $1,608 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,608

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,608 in Mexico City versus $144 in El Progreso.

Mexico City $1,608
El Progreso $144

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,549 in Mexico City versus $283 in El Progreso.

Mexico City $2,549
El Progreso $283

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,490 in Mexico City versus $422 in El Progreso.

Mexico City $3,490
El Progreso $422

Living in Mexico City is roughly 1017% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 18% above, El Progreso is 89% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$198

$4.89 HNL 131

117.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.35 MX$901

$24.46 HNL 657

97.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 MX$193

$7.89 HNL 212

31.18%

Cappuccino

$3.69 MX$68.8

$1.51 HNL 40.69

144.37%

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

$1.67 MX$31.07

$0.88 HNL 23.77

89.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.59

$0.97 HNL 26.03

30.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$59.5

$1.45 HNL 38.96

120.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 MX$98.9

$2.02 HNL 54.2

162.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.15

$1.25 HNL 33.66

37.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.7

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.07 HNL 28.82

81.31%

Eggs

$2.89 MX$53.8

$1.58 HNL 42.36

82.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.97 MX$205

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.25 MX$172

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.13 MX$282

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MX$56.8

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.19

$1.49 HNL 39.91

30.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.75

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 MX$43.15

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$37.94

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$33.55

$1.54 HNL 41.49

16.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$27.58

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 MX$23.63

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 MX$98.9

$2.62 HNL 70.5

102.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.10 MX$300

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$36.97

$1.29 HNL 34.65

53.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.25 MX$79.3

$1.36 HNL 36.43

212.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 MX$5.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.73 MX$368

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 MX$34.25

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 MX$9.94

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.30 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$28.16

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

$21.8K MX$405.5K

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

$24.0K MX$447.1K

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

$63.0 MX$1,174

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

$27.39 MX$511

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.67 MX$665

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.9 MX$1,099

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.64 MX$441

Cinema Ticket

$6.40 MX$119

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

$432 MX$8,045

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K MX$212.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 MX$1,272

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 MX$990

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$2,009

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,186

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 MX$20.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$710 MX$13.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 MX$48.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 MX$26.2K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,631 MX$67.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,135 MX$39.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$946 MX$17.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

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

Last update for Mexico City: 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

Mexico City

$710 44.2%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$320 19.9%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Mexico City

$199 12.4%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$156 9.7%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$126 7.8%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.5%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.6%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48 in Mexico City vs $24 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $44 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

Same time as Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

100,810

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

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).

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 MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City El Progreso 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

Mexico City vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. The 1017% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,412 in Mexico City 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 621% higher in Mexico City. 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 $48 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $144 in El Progreso versus $1,608 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.