Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and Costa Rica Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $881 per month in El Salvador vs $1,536 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,271 per month in El Salvador vs $2,320 in Costa Rica, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,660 per month in El Salvador vs $3,104 in Costa Rica, rent included.

El Salvador is roughly 43% cheaper than Costa Rica on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

El Salvador sits 34% below the global median, while Costa Rica is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 $7.62

$9.69 ₡4,413

-21.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.37 $30.37

$59.8 ₡27.2K

-49.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.08 $7.08

$9.65 ₡4,398

-26.63%

Cappuccino

$3.44 $3.44

$3.99 ₡1,817

-13.78%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$2.18 ₡993

-47.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.64 ₡745

-48.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.05 ₡1,387

-32.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.42 ₡2,012

-29.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.05 ₡934

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 $1.95

$3.21 ₡1,464

-39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$2.49 ₡1,133

-36.95%

Eggs

$2.56 $2.56

$3.29 ₡1,497

-22.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.51 $7.51

$9.11 ₡4,148

-17.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$9.70 ₡4,417

-39.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.42 $9.42

$13.19 ₡6,010

-28.58%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.53 ₡2,063

-25.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.57 ₡715

22.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.20 ₡1,460

-18.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.94 ₡1,339

-10.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.99 ₡1,361

-19.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.71 ₡1,235

-18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.03 ₡469

-4.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.50 ₡1,138

-54.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.05 ₡2,300

-18.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.08 $11.08

$16.18 ₡7,372

-31.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.39 ₡1,091

-29.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.77 ₡1,260

-13.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.95 ₡431

-61.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.84 $28.84

$48.97 ₡22.3K

-41.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.31 $6.31

$1.86 ₡848

239.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.01 ₡915

46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.77 $19.77

$7.75 ₡3,532

155.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.50 ₡684

-34.00%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$36.8K ₡16.8M

-31.04%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$35.5K ₡16.2M

-25.39%

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

$90.1 $90.1

$87.5 ₡39.8K

2.98%

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

$19.53 $19.53

$25.82 ₡11.8K

-24.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.51 $41.51

$54.5 ₡24.8K

-23.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.69 $30.69

$56.4 ₡25.7K

-45.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.18 $19.18

$29.13 ₡13.3K

-34.16%

Cinema Ticket

$4.91 $4.91

$9.14 ₡4,164

-46.28%

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

$143 $143

$555 ₡252.8K

-74.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,287 $4,287

$9,828 ₡4.5M

-56.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 $56.0

$73.9 ₡33.7K

-24.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.31 $40.31

$54.2 ₡24.7K

-25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$119 ₡54.0K

-6.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 $98.4

$102 ₡46.5K

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 $694

$822 ₡374.6K

-15.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 $649

$549 ₡250.1K

18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,089 $1,089

$1,469 ₡669.1K

-25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$870 $870

$1,023 ₡466.2K

-14.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,694 $2,694

$2,327 ₡1.1M

15.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,573 $1,573

$1,612 ₡734.5K

-2.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$442 $442

$1,076 ₡490.3K

-58.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.05

10.53

-14.06%

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

Last update for El Salvador: April 26, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $296 in El Salvador vs $776 in Costa Rica. For reference, capital cities sit at $844 in San Salvador and $872 in San Jose.

Average salary: $571 in El Salvador vs $1,110 in Costa Rica. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 162% higher in Costa Rica.

Dining out costs 89% more in Costa Rica.

Public transport is 63% more expensive in Costa Rica.

Salaries are 94% higher in Costa Rica.

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

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

El Salvador is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 82% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Costa Rica, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Costa Rica consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in El Salvador, contributing to the overall 82% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in El Salvador, but in Costa Rica it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

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