Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and El Progreso

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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Playa del Carmen

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,204

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$144

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Playa del Carmen $1,204
El Progreso $144

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

Playa del Carmen $2,082
El Progreso $283

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

Playa del Carmen $2,959
El Progreso $422

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 737% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.92 MX$204

$4.89 HNL 131

123.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.37 MX$810

$24.46 HNL 657

77.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 MX$220

$7.89 HNL 212

49.30%

Cappuccino

$3.81 MX$71.2

$1.51 HNL 40.69

152.32%

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

$1.28 MX$23.96

$0.88 HNL 23.77

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$14.63

$0.97 HNL 26.03

-19.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 MX$59.2

$1.45 HNL 38.96

118.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 MX$92.2

$2.02 HNL 54.2

144.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 MX$26.28

$1.25 HNL 33.66

12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 MX$41.43

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MX$26.48

$1.07 HNL 28.82

32.71%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.14

$1.58 HNL 42.36

59.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 MX$136

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 MX$144

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.69 MX$237

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 MX$52.0

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.56

$1.49 HNL 39.91

-8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MX$47.66

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$39.67

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$36.22

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$35.24

$1.54 HNL 41.49

22.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.42

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 MX$22.03

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$80.3

$2.62 HNL 70.5

64.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.95 MX$186

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 MX$29.59

$1.29 HNL 34.65

22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 MX$49.91

$1.36 HNL 36.43

96.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$10.34

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.62 MX$497

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 MX$92.9

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 MX$62.2

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.36 MX$100

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.98

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

$20.7K MX$386.2K

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

$23.5K MX$438.5K

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

$84.8 MX$1,584

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

$23.41 MX$437

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.66 MX$535

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 MX$1,066

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 MX$540

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 MX$96.0

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

$207 MX$3,860

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,927 MX$73.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.35 MX$810

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.44 MX$774

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 MX$1,386

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.3 MX$1,668

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$980 MX$18.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$7,116

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 MX$31.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,075 MX$20.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,943 MX$73.7K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,158 MX$115.1K

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 Playa del Carmen: 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

Playa del Carmen

$381 31.6%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Playa del Carmen

$255 21.2%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Playa del Carmen

$202 16.8%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa del Carmen

$137 11.4%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Playa del Carmen

$112 9.3%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Playa del Carmen

$67 5.6%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Playa del Carmen

$50 4.2%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

13:41 1:41 PM

12:41 12:41 PM

1 h behind Playa del Carmen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149,923

100,810

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 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 →

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

From you

Playa del Carmen
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

Playa del Carmen vs El Progreso: 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 $1,806 in Playa del Carmen 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 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.