Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Ahuachapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilopango: $1,619 a month against $1,848 in Ahuachapan, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index
89

Cost of Living Index in Ahuachapan
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Ahuachapan Living Index

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Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Ahuachapan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,848

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilopango and in Ahuachapan

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

A single person spends $1,619 per month in Ilopango vs $1,848 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Ilopango $1,619
Ahuachapan $1,848

A couple spends around $1,863 per month in Ilopango vs $2,014 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Ilopango $1,863
Ahuachapan $2,014

A family of three spends $2,107 per month in Ilopango vs $2,180 in Ahuachapan, rent included.

Ilopango $2,107
Ahuachapan $2,180

Ilopango is about 12% cheaper than Ahuachapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Ilopango and Ahuachapan sit above the global median – Ilopango by 19%, Ahuachapan by 36%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 $3.23

$6.83 $6.83

-52.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 $44.80

$44.44 $44.44

0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.11 $7.11

-30.10%

Cappuccino

$2.96 $2.96

$3.61 $3.61

-18.01%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.12 $1.12

-22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.81 $0.81

22.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.98 $1.98

-53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.49 $3.49

-49.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.81 $1.81

76.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.81 $2.81

-46.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.39 $1.39

120.14%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$3.01 $3.01

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$7.58 $7.58

-34.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$6.83 $6.83

-13.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.36 $10.36

-1.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$4.95 $4.95

-39.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.55 $2.55

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.43 $3.43

-40.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.90 $2.90

-30.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.20 $3.20

-36.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.95 $0.95

-2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.91 $0.91

13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.88 $3.88

0.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$11.96 $11.96

-1.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.21 $2.21

-55.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.94 $2.94

-30.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 $35.26

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.05 $6.05

13.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.05 $3.05

-27.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$19.82 $19.82

-76.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.25 $1.25

-45.60%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$25.0K $25.0K

-20.69%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.50%

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

$35.69 $35.69

$131 $131

-72.78%

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

$9.91 $9.91

$21.53 $21.53

-53.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$42.30 $42.30

-3.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 $40.29

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 $10.07

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$4.94 $4.94

4.05%

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

$103 $103

$164 $164

-36.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,882 $1,882

$4,777 $4,777

-60.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$67.6 $67.6

-70.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$46.64 $46.64

-35.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 $74.3

$117 $117

-36.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$119 $119

-50.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$530 $530

26.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$1,038 $1,038

-3.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

$364 $364

62.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$389 $389

59.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 $1,689

$3,064 $3,064

-44.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 $953

$1,291 $1,291

-26.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 $1,010

$552 $552

82.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

-29.41%

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

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Last update for Ahuachapan: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 61.9%

Ahuachapan

$1K 56.2% 3.6% $36

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$249 15.4%

Ahuachapan

$283 15.3% 13.3% $33

Eating Out

Ilopango

$92 5.7%

Ahuachapan

$144 7.8% 56.7% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$86 5.3%

Ahuachapan

$195 10.6% 126% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5.1%

Ahuachapan

$158 8.5% 90.7% $75

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

Ahuachapan

$21 * 1.2% 62.5% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$51 3.1%

Ahuachapan

$9.9 * 0.5% 80.5% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $672 in Ilopango versus $530 in Ahuachapan. 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 83% higher in Ilopango, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Ilopango versus $44 in Ahuachapan. Groceries tell a different story – $249 in Ilopango vs $283 in Ahuachapan – so Ilopango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇸🇻 Ahuachapan

🕒 Local time

05:24 5:24 AM

Same time as Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

110,511

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Ilopango Ahuachapan 91 km

From you

Ilopango
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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

Ilopango vs Ahuachapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,619 in Ilopango, $1,848 in Ahuachapan – roughly 14% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,429 per month in Ilopango and $2,772 in Ahuachapan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ahuachapan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $530 there versus $672 in Ilopango.

Kindergarten costs $103 per month in Ilopango and $164 in Ahuachapan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,619 in Ilopango and $1,848 in Ahuachapan. That’s a gap of about 14%.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,619 in Ilopango and $1,848 in Ahuachapan, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.