Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canada and El Salvador

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

For one person, living is cheaper in El Salvador: $1,482 a month against $2,310 in Canada, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Canada
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Canada Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
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El Salvador Living Index

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🇨🇦 Canada

$2,310

/mo nomad

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Canada and in El Salvador

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

A single person spends $2,310 per month in Canada vs $1,482 in El Salvador, rent included.

Canada $2,310
El Salvador $1,482

A couple spends around $3,356 per month in Canada vs $2,112 in El Salvador, rent included.

Canada $3,356
El Salvador $2,112

A family of three spends $4,403 per month in Canada vs $2,742 in El Salvador, rent included.

Canada $4,403
El Salvador $2,742

The regional cost range is wider in Canada ($889–$3,737) than in El Salvador ($207–$1,812), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Canada is about 56% higher than in El Salvador on average.

Both Canada and El Salvador are pricier than the global median – Canada by 70%, El Salvador by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 CA$25.39

$6.92 $6.92

162.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.2 CA$99.5

$45.49 $45.49

56.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 CA$15.11

$6.84 $6.84

58.04%

Cappuccino

$3.78 CA$5.28

$3.57 $3.57

5.88%

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

$2.11 CA$2.96

$1.14 $1.14

85.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 CA$2.32

$0.85 $0.85

95.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.62 CA$7.85

$2.04 $2.04

175.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.72 CA$8.00

$3.60 $3.60

58.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.04

$1.84 $1.84

17.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$2.28 $2.28

14.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 CA$5.11

$1.58 $1.58

131.01%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.07

$2.74 $2.74

32.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.04

$7.30 $7.30

47.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 CA$16.63

$5.99 $5.99

98.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 CA$21.56

$9.16 $9.16

68.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.03 CA$5.63

$3.83 $3.83

5.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.70 $1.70

-18.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.42

$2.90 $2.90

33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 CA$5.71

$2.86 $2.86

42.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 CA$3.59

$2.91 $2.91

-11.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 CA$3.46

$2.35 $2.35

5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.65 CA$3.70

$0.97 $0.97

173.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$1.00 $1.00

71.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.32 CA$20.01

$3.96 $3.96

261.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.49 CA$18.85

$11.76 $11.76

14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 CA$3.97

$1.93 $1.93

47.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 CA$4.62

$2.80 $2.80

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 CA$3.57

$0.36 $0.36

608.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.9 CA$101

$31.83 $31.83

125.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 CA$4.44

$6.57 $6.57

-51.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 CA$2.15

$2.93 $2.93

-47.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.69 CA$37.30

$19.66 $19.66

35.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$1.22 $1.22

1.64%

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

$27.9K CA$39.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

10.94%

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

$21.1K CA$29.4K

$28.1K $28.1K

-24.92%

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

$147 CA$206

$115 $115

27.66%

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

$41.80 CA$58.4

$22.61 $22.61

84.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.2 CA$84.2

$40.70 $40.70

47.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.01 CA$54.5

$29.90 $29.90

30.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.06 CA$26.64

$17.02 $17.02

11.99%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 CA$15.67

$5.14 $5.14

118.09%

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

$721 CA$1,008

$168 $168

329.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K CA$20.7K

$4,369 $4,369

239.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CA$77.3

$62.9 $62.9

-12.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 CA$54.4

$48.82 $48.82

-20.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 CA$122

$119 $119

-26.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 CA$142

$105 $105

-3.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 CA$1,804

$745 $745

73.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 CA$1,579

$652 $652

73.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,036 CA$2,846

$1,269 $1,269

60.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,419

$882 $882

96.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,769 CA$6,665

$2,727 $2,727

74.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,730 CA$5,213

$1,550 $1,550

140.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,070 CA$4,290

$433 $433

608.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.87

8.48

-42.57%

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

Last update for Canada: October 26, 2026

Last update for El Salvador: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canada

$1.1K 48.9%

El Salvador

$652 44% 42.3% $478

Groceries & Markets

Canada

$371 16.1%

El Salvador

$261 17.6% 29.6% $110

Eating Out

Canada

$278 12%

El Salvador

$144 9.7% 48.1% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canada

$249 10.8%

El Salvador

$179 12.1% 28.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Canada

$127 5.5%

El Salvador

$151 10.2% 19% $24

Getting Around

Canada

$93 4%

El Salvador

$55 3.7% 41.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Canada

$61 2.7%

El Salvador

$40 2.7% 34.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,250 in Canada vs $619 in El Salvador. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,434 in Ottawa and $893 in San Salvador.

Average salary: $2,968 in Canada vs $571 in El Salvador. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 102% higher in Canada.

Dining out costs 52% more in Canada.

Public transport is 154% more expensive in Canada.

Salaries are about 5.2 times higher in Canada, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Canada.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Canada

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🕒 Local time

20:56 8:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

1 h behind Canada

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,991,981

6,029,976

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.715 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.715 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Canada El Salvador 3,750 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Canada
El 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

Canada vs El Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Salvador is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 36% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Canada: a central one-bedroom averages $1,250 versus $619 in El Salvador.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in El Salvador – part of why living there is about 36% cheaper overall.

El Salvador is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.