Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in San Salvador: $1,666 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in San Salvador

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in San Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,666 in San Salvador.

Austin, TX $2,704
San Salvador $1,666

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,465 in San Salvador.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Salvador $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,263 in San Salvador.

Austin, TX $5,562
San Salvador $3,263

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 62% more expensive than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, San Salvador 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$6.72 $6.72

200.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$45.39 $45.39

87.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.07 $7.07

74.68%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.53 $3.53

54.96%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.13 $1.13

238.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.85 $0.85

194.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.04 $2.04

295.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.51 $3.51

156.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.87 $1.87

-39.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.89 $2.89

30.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.40 $1.40

132.14%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.09 $3.09

33.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.88 $7.88

65.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.93 $6.93

106.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.05 $10.05

58.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.08 $5.08

-13.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.39 $1.39

4.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.53 $2.53

79.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.40 $3.40

23.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.87 $2.87

-8.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.28 $3.28

-28.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.97 $0.97

81.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.97 $0.97

122.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.07 $4.07

141.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.21 $12.21

20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.19 $2.19

26.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.86 $2.86

21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.34 $0.34

338.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$37.66 $37.66

7.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$6.04 $6.04

-55.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.03 $3.03

-47.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$20.11 $20.11

75.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 $1.29

-23.26%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

44.65%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$27.0K $27.0K

0.75%

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

$219 $219

$130 $130

68.06%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$21.57 $21.57

168.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$43.03 $43.03

58.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$31.99 $31.99

80.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$21.57 $21.57

-31.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.06 $5.06

179.25%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$165 $165

815.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,640 $4,640

362.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$68.2 $68.2

-24.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$46.79 $46.79

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$120 $120

-29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$117 $117

-9.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$906 $906

113.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$755 $755

68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,804 $1,804

103.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,343 $1,343

87.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,813 $2,813

170.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,845 $1,845

73.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$372 $372

1271.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.5

-20.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

San Salvador

$755 46.1% 40.6% $517

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

San Salvador

$287 17.5% 28.9% $116

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 59.1% $206

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

San Salvador

$195 11.9% 43.6% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 22.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

San Salvador

$42 2.6% 51.1% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

San Salvador

$60 3.7% 5.6% $3.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $906 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1271% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $45.00 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $287 per month, with San Salvador cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

00:51 12:51 AM

23:51 11:51 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Salvador 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Salvador

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

Austin, TX vs San Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Salvador wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Salvador the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1271% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $906 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,666 in San Salvador – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Salvador runs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,666 in San Salvador versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Salvador but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Salvador 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.

Expats usually find San Salvador gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.