Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Rica and El Salvador

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

For one person, living is cheaper in El Salvador: $1,482 a month against $1,821 in Costa Rica, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
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El Salvador Living Index

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🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica and in El Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,821 per month in Costa Rica vs $1,482 in El Salvador, rent included.

Costa Rica $1,821
El Salvador $1,482

A couple spends around $2,773 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,112 in El Salvador, rent included.

Costa Rica $2,773
El Salvador $2,112

A family of three spends $3,725 per month in Costa Rica vs $2,742 in El Salvador, rent included.

Costa Rica $3,725
El Salvador $2,742

The regional cost range is wider in El Salvador ($207–$1,812) than in Costa Rica ($1,004–$2,114), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Costa Rica is about 23% higher than in El Salvador on average.

Both Costa Rica and El Salvador are pricier than the global median – Costa Rica by 34%, El Salvador by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.26 ₡5,085

$6.92 $6.92

62.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 ₡24.6K

$45.49 $45.49

19.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 ₡4,975

$6.84 $6.84

61.11%

Cappuccino

$4.43 ₡1,999

$3.57 $3.57

24.09%

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

$2.34 ₡1,055

$1.14 $1.14

105.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡829

$0.85 $0.85

116.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 ₡1,473

$2.04 $2.04

59.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.55 ₡2,054

$3.60 $3.60

26.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.45 ₡1,105

$1.84 $1.84

33.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 ₡1,608

$2.28 $2.28

56.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.76 ₡1,245

$1.58 $1.58

74.68%

Eggs

$3.97 ₡1,794

$2.74 $2.74

44.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.47 ₡4,728

$7.30 $7.30

43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ₡4,507

$5.99 $5.99

66.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.91 ₡6,278

$9.16 $9.16

51.86%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 ₡2,283

$3.83 $3.83

32.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 ₡764

$1.70 $1.70

-0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 ₡1,558

$2.90 $2.90

18.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.23 ₡1,460

$2.86 $2.86

12.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.44 ₡1,555

$2.91 $2.91

18.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.25 ₡1,465

$2.35 $2.35

38.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡492

$0.97 $0.97

12.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 ₡1,204

$1.00 $1.00

167.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.38 ₡2,427

$3.96 $3.96

35.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.50 ₡6,996

$11.76 $11.76

31.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.75 ₡1,241

$1.93 $1.93

42.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 ₡1,489

$2.80 $2.80

17.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 ₡509

$0.36 $0.36

213.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.5 ₡29.6K

$31.83 $31.83

105.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 ₡979

$6.57 $6.57

-66.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 ₡913

$2.93 $2.93

-31.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.94 ₡4,036

$19.66 $19.66

-54.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 ₡726

$1.22 $1.22

31.97%

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

$34.5K ₡15.6M

$25.1K $25.1K

37.28%

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

$37.4K ₡16.9M

$28.1K $28.1K

33.15%

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

$94.9 ₡42.9K

$115 $115

-17.77%

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

$31.42 ₡14.2K

$22.61 $22.61

38.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 ₡26.4K

$40.70 $40.70

43.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.7 ₡29.7K

$29.90 $29.90

119.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.20 ₡10.0K

$17.02 $17.02

30.43%

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 ₡3,656

$5.14 $5.14

57.59%

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

$722 ₡325.9K

$168 $168

329.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K ₡5.8M

$4,369 $4,369

195.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.5 ₡34.1K

$62.9 $62.9

19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.4 ₡25.5K

$48.82 $48.82

15.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 ₡57.9K

$119 $119

7.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 ₡48.8K

$105 $105

2.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡433.4K

$745 $745

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 ₡319.6K

$652 $652

8.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 ₡789.4K

$1,269 $1,269

37.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 ₡548.5K

$882 $882

37.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,656 ₡1.2M

$2,727 $2,727

-2.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 ₡830.1K

$1,550 $1,550

18.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 ₡477.8K

$433 $433

144.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

8.48

12.74%

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

Last update for Costa Rica: 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

Costa Rica

$708 38.9%

El Salvador

$652 44% 8% $56

Groceries & Markets

Costa Rica

$380 20.9%

El Salvador

$261 17.6% 31.3% $119

Eating Out

Costa Rica

$218 12%

El Salvador

$144 9.7% 34% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Rica

$185 10.2%

El Salvador

$179 12.1% 3.3% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Rica

$166 9.1%

El Salvador

$151 10.2% 8.6% $14

Getting Around

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

El Salvador

$55 3.7% 33.8% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Rica

$82 4.5%

El Salvador

$40 2.7% 50.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $855 in Costa Rica vs $619 in El Salvador. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,164 in San Jose and $893 in San Salvador.

Average salary: $1,087 in Costa Rica vs $571 in El Salvador. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 38% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 29% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 158% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 90% higher in Costa Rica, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Costa Rica.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

Same time as Costa Rica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,044,197

6,029,976

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 451 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 506 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Costa Rica El Salvador 700 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Costa Rica
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

Costa Rica vs El Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Salvador is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 19% lower on average.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica: a central one-bedroom averages $855 versus $619 in El Salvador.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in El Salvador – part of why living there is about 19% 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.