Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Berlin and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilopango: $1,625 a month against $2,545 in Berlin, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Berlin
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Berlin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Berlin

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,545

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Berlin and in Ilopango

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

A single person spends $2,545 per month in Berlin vs $1,625 in Ilopango, rent included.

Berlin $2,545
Ilopango $1,625

A couple spends around $3,901 per month in Berlin vs $1,858 in Ilopango, rent included.

Berlin $3,901
Ilopango $1,858

A family of three spends $5,257 per month in Berlin vs $2,090 in Ilopango, rent included.

Berlin $5,257
Ilopango $2,090

Berlin costs about 57% more than Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Berlin and Ilopango sit above the global median – Berlin by 90%, Ilopango by 21%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.81 €15.00

$3.16 $3.16

431.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.6 €71.0

$44.12 $44.12

80.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.94

$5.04 $5.04

165.48%

Cappuccino

$4.27 €3.81

$2.94 $2.94

45.24%

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

$3.40 €3.03

$0.93 $0.93

265.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 €2.79

$0.97 $0.97

221.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 €4.89

$0.91 $0.91

502.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 €4.07

$1.75 $1.75

160.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.13

$3.28 $3.28

-61.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.44 $1.44

70.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 €2.94

$3.07 $3.07

7.49%

Eggs

$4.45 €3.97

$2.92 $2.92

52.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.10 €15.26

$5.02 $5.02

240.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.88

$5.86 $5.86

108.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.30 €16.33

$9.86 $9.86

85.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 €3.19

$2.92 $2.92

22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-1.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 €2.92

$2.03 $2.03

61.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 €3.40

$1.95 $1.95

95.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$2.02 $2.02

5.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$1.97 $1.97

12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.33

$0.93 $0.93

60.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 €0.90

$0.97 $0.97

4.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.49 €9.37

$3.95 $3.95

165.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$12.18 $12.18

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$0.98 $0.98

36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.87

$2.06 $2.06

1.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.37 €3.90

$0.88 $0.88

396.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 €63.3

$35.67 $35.67

98.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.29 €4.72

$7.16 $7.16

-26.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.05 €2.73

$2.16 $2.16

41.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.30 €32.39

$4.71 $4.71

670.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.67 $0.67

240.30%

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

$33.2K €29.7K

$19.9K $19.9K

66.68%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

49.80%

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

$379 €339

$34.38 $34.38

1003.34%

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

$19.31 €17.23

$9.97 $9.97

93.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.41 €43.20

$39.70 $39.70

21.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.31 €35.97

$39.80 $39.80

1.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.51 €31.69

$10.04 $10.04

253.69%

Cinema Ticket

$15.53 €13.86

$4.97 $4.97

212.47%

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

$144 €128

$104 $104

37.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K €14.1K

$1,904 $1,904

727.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.6 €84.5

$20.18 $20.18

368.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.33 €41.34

$29.95 $29.95

54.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.2

$75.4 $75.4

37.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €126

$58.9 $58.9

140.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,328

$677 $677

119.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 €980

$1,038 $1,038

5.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 €2,378

$585 $585

355.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,080 €1,856

$640 $640

225.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,578 €7,655

$1,747 $1,747

390.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,438 €4,853

$949 $949

473.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,487 €3,112

$976 $976

257.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

-36.67%

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

Last update for Berlin: October 3, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Berlin

$1.1K 43.3%

Ilopango

$1K 62.9% 5.4% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Berlin

$447 17.6%

Ilopango

$84 5.1% 81.2% $363

Groceries & Markets

Berlin

$351 13.8%

Ilopango

$248 15% 29.1% $102

Eating Out

Berlin

$289 11.4%

Ilopango

$91 5.5% 68.3% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Berlin

$174 6.8%

Ilopango

$83 5% 52.2% $91

Getting Around

Berlin

$109 4.3%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 47.6% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Berlin

$71 2.8%

Ilopango

$50 3% 30.3% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,488 in Berlin versus $677 in Ilopango. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 257% higher in Berlin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Berlin versus $44.00 in Ilopango. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $248 – making Ilopango the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Berlin

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

23:03 11:03 PM

8 h behind Berlin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,769,962 Capital

38,890

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Berlin Ilopango 9,620 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Berlin vs Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berlin is pricier by about 57%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,818 per month in Berlin and $2,437 in Ilopango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ilopango, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,545 in Berlin and $1,625 in Ilopango. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 99% less in Ilopango. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ilopango, where all-in costs run around $1,625, than in Berlin at $2,545. In Ilopango it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berlin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ilopango – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ilopango. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Berlin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.