Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rio de Janeiro and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
Learn more

Rio de Janeiro Living Index

Jump to prices

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,273

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro versus $145 in El Progreso.

Rio de Janeiro $1,273
El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,841 in Rio de Janeiro versus $285 in El Progreso.

Rio de Janeiro $1,841
El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,409 in Rio de Janeiro versus $426 in El Progreso.

Rio de Janeiro $2,409
El Progreso $426

Living in Rio de Janeiro is roughly 778% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Rio de Janeiro 6% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 R$47.54

$4.87 HNL 131

92.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.00 R$203

$24.69 HNL 663

62.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.34 R$42.28

$7.92 HNL 213

5.30%

Cappuccino

$2.29 R$11.62

$1.51 HNL 40.58

51.66%

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

$1.59 R$8.05

$0.83 HNL 22.18

91.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R$5.10

$0.97 HNL 26.17

4.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 R$10.85

$1.53 HNL 41.02

39.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 R$18.55

$2.03 HNL 54.6

80.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 R$5.72

$1.27 HNL 34.19

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.09 R$10.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.36

$1.08 HNL 28.94

15.74%

Eggs

$2.25 R$11.39

$1.62 HNL 43.48

38.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 R$55.3

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 R$22.10

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.60 R$48.66

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 R$14.46

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.16

$1.48 HNL 39.74

22.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 R$8.02

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 R$9.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 R$6.10

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.63 HNL 43.87

-34.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 R$3.45

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.94 R$14.90

$2.66 HNL 71.4

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 R$40.43

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 R$5.98

$1.35 HNL 36.22

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 R$12.26

$1.37 HNL 36.92

76.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 R$4.78

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.3 R$255

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 R$6.10

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 R$4.20

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.97 R$45.48

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.53

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

$22.8K R$115.5K

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

$34.0K R$172.1K

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

$134 R$681

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

$10.73 R$54.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.84 R$116

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.16 R$153

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.49 R$160

Cinema Ticket

$7.73 R$39.17

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

$584 R$2,960

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K R$64.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.12 R$208

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 R$250

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.7 R$373

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 R$334

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$900 R$4,561

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$527 R$2,673

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 R$6,754

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 R$3,790

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,990 R$20.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,560 R$7,908

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 R$3,246

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

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

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 18, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41.4%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Rio de Janeiro

$214 16.8%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.2%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Rio de Janeiro

$156 12.3%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Rio de Janeiro

$103 8.1%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Rio de Janeiro

$59 4.7%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Rio de Janeiro

$46 3.6%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

18:48 6:48 PM

3 h behind Rio de Janeiro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,211,223

100,810

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

USD to BRL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rio de Janeiro El Progreso 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Rio de Janeiro
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

Rio de Janeiro vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 778% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,910 in Rio de Janeiro 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 373% higher in Rio de Janeiro. 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 $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,273 in Rio de Janeiro, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Rio de Janeiro. 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 Rio de Janeiro, 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 778% less than in Rio de Janeiro. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.