Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Salvador and Costa Rica

Name: Costa Rica
Address: CR

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.

71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
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El Salvador Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Costa Rica
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Costa Rica Living Index

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🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in El Salvador and in Costa Rica

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 El Salvador is roughly 19% lower than in Costa Rica on average.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 $6.92

$11.26 ₡5,065

-38.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.49 $45.49

$54.5 ₡24.5K

-16.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.84 $6.84

$11.02 ₡4,956

-37.93%

Cappuccino

$3.57 $3.57

$4.43 ₡1,991

-19.41%

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

$1.14 $1.14

$2.34 ₡1,051

-51.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.84 ₡825

-53.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.26 ₡1,467

-37.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$4.55 ₡2,046

-20.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.45 ₡1,101

-24.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 $2.28

$3.56 ₡1,602

-35.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.76 ₡1,240

-42.75%

Eggs

$2.74 $2.74

$3.97 ₡1,787

-30.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 $7.30

$10.47 ₡4,710

-30.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$9.98 ₡4,490

-39.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.16 $9.16

$13.91 ₡6,254

-34.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$5.06 ₡2,274

-24.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.69 ₡761

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.45 ₡1,552

-15.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.23 ₡1,454

-11.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.44 ₡1,549

-15.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.25 ₡1,460

-27.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.09 ₡490

-11.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

$2.67 ₡1,199

-62.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 $3.96

$5.38 ₡2,418

-26.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.76 $11.76

$15.50 ₡6,969

-24.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.75 ₡1,237

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.30 ₡1,483

-15.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 $0.36

$1.13 ₡507

-68.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.83 $31.83

$65.5 ₡29.5K

-51.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 $6.57

$2.17 ₡975

202.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.02 ₡909

45.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.66 $19.66

$8.94 ₡4,020

119.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.61 ₡723

-24.22%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.5K ₡15.5M

-27.15%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$37.4K ₡16.8M

-24.90%

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

$115 $115

$94.9 ₡42.7K

21.60%

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

$22.61 $22.61

$31.42 ₡14.1K

-28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$58.6 ₡26.3K

-30.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.90 $29.90

$65.7 ₡29.5K

-54.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 $17.02

$22.20 ₡9,981

-23.33%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$8.10 ₡3,642

-36.54%

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

$168 $168

$722 ₡324.7K

-76.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,369 $4,369

$12.9K ₡5.8M

-66.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.9 $62.9

$75.5 ₡33.9K

-16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.82 $48.82

$56.4 ₡25.4K

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$128 ₡57.7K

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$108 ₡48.6K

-2.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$745 $745

$960 ₡431.7K

-22.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$652 $652

$708 ₡318.4K

-7.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,749 ₡786.3K

-27.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 $882

$1,215 ₡546.4K

-27.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 $2,727

$2,656 ₡1.2M

2.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 $1,550

$1,839 ₡826.8K

-15.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$433 $433

$1,058 ₡476.0K

-59.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.48

9.56

-11.30%

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

Last update for El Salvador: October 25, 2026

Last update for Costa Rica: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Salvador

$652 44%

Costa Rica

$708 38.9% 8.6% $56

Groceries & Markets

El Salvador

$261 17.6%

Costa Rica

$380 20.9% 45.6% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Salvador

$179 12.1%

Costa Rica

$185 10.2% 3.4% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

El Salvador

$151 10.2%

Costa Rica

$166 9.1% 9.4% $14

Eating Out

El Salvador

$144 9.7%

Costa Rica

$218 12% 51.6% $74

Getting Around

El Salvador

$55 3.7%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 51% $28

Sport & Entertainment

El Salvador

$40 2.7%

Costa Rica

$82 4.5% 104% $42

Cost Breakdown

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

Average salary: $571 in El Salvador vs $1,087 in Costa Rica. 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

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🕒 Local time

18:09 6:09 PM

Same time as El Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,029,976

5,044,197

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 450 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

El Salvador
Costa Rica

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

El Salvador vs Costa Rica: 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.