Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Ilopango and in Mexico City: $1,619 and $1,548 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

Jump to prices

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilopango and in Mexico City

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Ilopango versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Ilopango $1,619
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Ilopango versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Ilopango $1,863
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,107 in Ilopango versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Ilopango $2,107
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Ilopango is roughly 5% more expensive than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilopango 19% above, Mexico City 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 $3.23

$11.02 MX$206

-70.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 $44.80

$48.68 MX$911

-7.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$10.90 MX$204

-54.40%

Cappuccino

$2.96 $2.96

$3.68 MX$68.9

-19.57%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.63 MX$30.57

-46.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.25 MX$23.36

-20.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 $0.92

$3.25 MX$60.8

-71.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$5.53 MX$104

-68.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.70 MX$31.90

88.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.02 MX$56.5

-50.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.92 MX$35.99

59.38%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$2.73 MX$51.2

8.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$11.77 MX$220

-57.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$9.53 MX$178

-37.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$14.41 MX$270

-29.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.02 MX$56.5

-1.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.89 MX$35.46

3.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.99 MX$37.17

-2.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.19 MX$40.90

-6.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.92 MX$35.88

5.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.87 MX$34.94

9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.44 MX$26.96

-35.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.27 MX$23.69

-18.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.22 MX$97.7

-25.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$16.17 MX$303

-26.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.90 MX$35.48

-48.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.22 MX$79.0

-51.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.34 MX$6.38

158.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 $35.26

$19.65 MX$368

79.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$2.00 MX$37.37

243.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.52 MX$9.80

326.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$5.34 MX$100.0

-12.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.68 $0.68

$1.52 MX$28.50

-55.26%

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

$19.8K $19.8K

$22.1K MX$413.2K

-10.17%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$24.5K MX$458.7K

3.37%

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

$35.69 $35.69

$61.1 MX$1,143

-41.56%

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

$9.91 $9.91

$28.58 MX$535

-65.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$34.47 MX$645

18.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 $40.29

$56.4 MX$1,055

-28.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 $10.07

$24.88 MX$466

-59.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$6.66 MX$125

-22.82%

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

$103 $103

$427 MX$7,993

-75.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,882 $1,882

$11.6K MX$217.8K

-83.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$67.8 MX$1,269

-70.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$52.0 MX$973

-42.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 $74.3

$106 MX$1,984

-29.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$113 MX$2,106

-47.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$1,025 MX$19.2K

-34.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$654 MX$12.2K

53.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

$2,308 MX$43.2K

-74.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$1,242 MX$23.2K

-50.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 $1,689

$3,613 MX$67.6K

-53.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 $953

$1,936 MX$36.2K

-50.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 $1,010

$964 MX$18.0K

4.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

-46.90%

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

Last update for Ilopango: October 20, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 61.9%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 34.7% $347

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$249 15.4%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 27.5% $69

Eating Out

Ilopango

$92 5.7%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 122% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$86 5.3%

Mexico City

$124 8% 43.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5.1%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 84.3% $70

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 54.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$51 3.1%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 37.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Ilopango and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 5% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $45 in Ilopango vs $49 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $318 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

04:31 4:31 AM

Same time as Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ilopango Mexico City 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilopango
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City is cheaper overall, especially in transport. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Ilopango, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $672 in Ilopango versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Ilopango versus $427 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ilopango pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Mexico City gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Mexico City wins on affordability, Ilopango on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.