Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and Rio de Janeiro

For one person, living is cheaper in Rio de Janeiro: $1,285 a month against $1,625 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ilopango outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Rio de Janeiro
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Rio de Janeiro Living Index

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Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,625

/mo nomad

Rio de Janeiro

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilopango and in Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Ilopango versus $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro.

Ilopango $1,625
Rio de Janeiro $1,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Ilopango versus $1,888 in Rio de Janeiro.

Ilopango $1,858
Rio de Janeiro $1,888

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,090 in Ilopango versus $2,491 in Rio de Janeiro.

Ilopango $2,090
Rio de Janeiro $2,491

Living in Ilopango is roughly 26% more expensive than in Rio de Janeiro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ilopango is 21% above, Rio de Janeiro is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.16 $3.16

$9.98 R$49.83

-68.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.12 $44.12

$40.34 R$201

9.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.04 $5.04

$8.48 R$42.35

-40.57%

Cappuccino

$2.94 $2.94

$2.36 R$11.80

24.58%

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

$0.93 $0.93

$1.63 R$8.13

-42.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.01 R$5.06

-3.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.44 R$12.19

-62.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.69 R$18.43

-52.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.15 R$5.72

185.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.07 R$10.34

-30.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.29 R$6.42

137.98%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$2.27 R$11.32

28.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$11.00 R$54.9

-54.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.31 R$21.51

35.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.74 R$48.63

1.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.83 R$14.12

3.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.84 R$9.17

9.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.60 R$7.96

26.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.80 R$9.00

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.26 R$6.28

60.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.07 R$5.34

84.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.75 R$3.75

24.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.66 R$3.29

46.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.95 $3.95

$3.05 R$15.21

29.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.18 $12.18

$8.18 R$40.84

48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.19 R$5.92

-17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.39 R$11.92

-13.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.01 R$5.06

-12.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.67 $35.67

$50.2 R$250

-28.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.27 R$6.33

463.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.90 R$4.51

140.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.71 $4.71

$9.44 R$47.13

-50.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.67 $0.67

$1.33 R$6.65

-49.62%

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

$19.9K $19.9K

$23.4K R$117.0K

-14.89%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$33.6K R$167.6K

-22.35%

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

$34.38 $34.38

$134 R$666

-74.25%

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

$9.97 $9.97

$12.23 R$61.0

-18.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.70 $39.70

$22.65 R$113

75.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.80 $39.80

$31.56 R$158

26.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 $10.04

$30.87 R$154

-67.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 $4.97

$8.23 R$41.07

-39.61%

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

$104 $104

$603 R$3,011

-82.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,904 $1,904

$13.2K R$66.1K

-85.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$41.62 R$208

-51.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.95 $29.95

$49.94 R$249

-40.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 $75.4

$75.0 R$375

0.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 $58.9

$68.3 R$341

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 $677

$905 R$4,519

-25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,038 $1,038

$527 R$2,633

96.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$1,346 R$6,720

-56.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 $640

$774 R$3,865

-17.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,747 $1,747

$3,981 R$19.9K

-56.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$949 $949

$1,562 R$7,798

-39.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$976 $976

$643 R$3,210

51.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.93

-49.71%

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

Last update for Ilopango: October 3, 2026

Last update for Rio de Janeiro: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 62.9%

Rio de Janeiro

$527 41% 49.2% $511

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$248 15%

Rio de Janeiro

$215 16.7% 13.6% $34

Eating Out

Ilopango

$91 5.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$164 12.7% 79.3% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$84 5.1%

Rio de Janeiro

$168 13.1% 100% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5%

Rio de Janeiro

$106 8.2% 27.4% $23

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

Rio de Janeiro

$60 4.7% 5% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$50 3%

Rio de Janeiro

$48 3.7% 3.5% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $677 in Ilopango and $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Ilopango vs $40.00 in Rio de Janeiro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 vs $215 per month, with Rio de Janeiro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇧🇷 Rio de Janeiro

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

07:14 7:14 AM

3 h ahead of Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

6,211,223

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

BRL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ilopango Rio de Janeiro 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ilopango
Rio de Janeiro

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 Rio de Janeiro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rio de Janeiro is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $677 in Ilopango versus $905 in Rio de Janeiro. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $104 in Ilopango versus $603 in Rio de Janeiro. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Ilopango. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,285 in Rio de Janeiro versus $1,625 in Ilopango, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rio de Janeiro but tight or insufficient in Ilopango. The gap between the two cities makes Rio de Janeiro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Rio de Janeiro is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ilopango, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Rio de Janeiro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Ilopango. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.