Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,222 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,222

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,222 in Sao Paulo versus $145 in El Progreso.

Sao Paulo $1,222
El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,044 in Sao Paulo versus $285 in El Progreso.

Sao Paulo $2,044
El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,867 in Sao Paulo versus $426 in El Progreso.

Sao Paulo $2,867
El Progreso $426

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 743% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 10% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.71 R$44.15

$4.87 HNL 131

78.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.61 R$246

$24.69 HNL 663

96.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.03 R$45.77

$7.92 HNL 213

14.02%

Cappuccino

$2.55 R$12.94

$1.51 HNL 40.58

68.87%

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

$1.35 R$6.83

$0.83 HNL 22.18

62.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 R$4.63

$0.97 HNL 26.17

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.07 R$15.55

$1.53 HNL 41.02

100.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 R$22.21

$2.03 HNL 54.6

115.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 R$6.05

$1.27 HNL 34.19

-6.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 R$9.14

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 R$7.51

$1.08 HNL 28.94

37.04%

Eggs

$2.82 R$14.31

$1.62 HNL 43.48

74.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 R$63.9

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.40 R$27.36

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 R$54.6

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 R$14.28

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 R$9.25

$1.48 HNL 39.74

22.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 R$8.14

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R$10.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 R$7.40

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 R$6.35

$1.63 HNL 43.87

-23.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R$6.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 R$4.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 R$15.18

$2.66 HNL 71.4

12.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 R$49.22

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 R$9.32

$1.35 HNL 36.22

36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R$12.80

$1.37 HNL 36.92

83.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 R$5.41

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.26 R$240

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 R$9.16

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R$5.14

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.24 R$51.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R$6.52

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

$23.5K R$119.3K

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

$34.5K R$174.9K

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

$104 R$527

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

$16.60 R$84.1

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.04 R$112

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 R$185

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.29 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$9.69 R$49.12

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

$573 R$2,906

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K R$85.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.3 R$336

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.1 R$310

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 R$501

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.4 R$463

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$654 R$3,316

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 R$2,120

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 R$7,724

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 R$5,028

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,670 R$13.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,019 R$10.2K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$900 R$4,563

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: 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

Sao Paulo

$418 34.2%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$243 19.9%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$161 13.1%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.7%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$58 4.8%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.6%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

17:26 5:26 PM

3 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

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 20, 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 20, 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

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Between locations

Sao Paulo El Progreso 6,230 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
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

Sao Paulo vs El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 743% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,833 in Sao Paulo 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 439% higher in Sao Paulo. 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 $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,222 in Sao Paulo, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. 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 Sao Paulo, 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 743% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.