Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilopango and San Salvador

For one person, living costs are similar in Ilopango and in San Salvador: $1,619 and $1,646 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
Learn more

Ilopango Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
Learn more

San Salvador Living Index

Jump to prices

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,619

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilopango and in San Salvador

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 San Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,619 in Ilopango versus $1,646 in San Salvador.

Ilopango $1,619
San Salvador $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,863 in Ilopango versus $2,498 in San Salvador.

Ilopango $1,863
San Salvador $2,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,107 in Ilopango versus $3,350 in San Salvador.

Ilopango $2,107
San Salvador $3,350

Living in Ilopango costs roughly 2% less than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilopango 19% above, San Salvador 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.23 $3.23

$6.68 $6.68

-51.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.80 $44.80

$45.12 $45.12

-0.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.97 $4.97

$6.94 $6.94

-28.39%

Cappuccino

$2.96 $2.96

$3.59 $3.59

-17.55%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$1.11 $1.11

-21.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.87 $0.87

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.95 $1.95

-52.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.59 $3.59

-51.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.20 $3.20

$1.89 $1.89

69.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.90 $2.90

-48.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.39 $1.39

120.14%

Eggs

$2.95 $2.95

$3.09 $3.09

-4.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$7.92 $7.92

-37.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 $5.91

$7.09 $7.09

-16.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.20 $10.20

$10.45 $10.45

-2.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$5.03 $5.03

-40.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.38 $1.38

41.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.63 $2.63

-25.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.48 $3.48

-41.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.89 $2.89

-30.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$3.28 $3.28

-37.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.95 $0.95

-2.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.94 $0.94

9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.03 $4.03

-2.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.18 $12.18

-2.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.28 $2.28

-57.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.93 $2.93

-30.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.36 $0.36

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.26 $35.26

$37.98 $37.98

-7.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.86 $6.86

$6.06 $6.06

13.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.02 $3.02

-26.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.66 $4.66

$19.92 $19.92

-76.61%

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

-20.72%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.9K $26.9K

-5.82%

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

$35.69 $35.69

$129 $129

-72.42%

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

$9.91 $9.91

$21.21 $21.21

-53.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.70 $40.70

$42.29 $42.29

-3.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.29 $40.29

$31.66 $31.66

27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.07 $10.07

$21.56 $21.56

-53.29%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 $5.14

$4.97 $4.97

3.42%

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

$103 $103

$163 $163

-36.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,882 $1,882

$4,629 $4,629

-59.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.18 $20.18

$68.2 $68.2

-70.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.10 $30.10

$47.50 $47.50

-36.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.3 $74.3

$120 $120

-37.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 $59.0

$116 $116

-49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

$901 $901

-25.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$761 $761

31.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

$1,797 $1,797

-67.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 $619

$1,379 $1,379

-55.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,689 $1,689

$2,807 $2,807

-39.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$953 $953

$1,843 $1,843

-48.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,010 $1,010

$384 $384

163.08%

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 San Salvador: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ilopango

$1K 61.9%

San Salvador

$761 46.2% 24% $241

Groceries & Markets

Ilopango

$249 15.4%

San Salvador

$290 17.6% 16.1% $40

Eating Out

Ilopango

$92 5.7%

San Salvador

$142 8.6% 54.9% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilopango

$86 5.3%

San Salvador

$193 11.7% 124% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Ilopango

$83 5.1%

San Salvador

$158 9.6% 91.6% $76

Getting Around

Ilopango

$57 3.5%

San Salvador

$61 3.7% 6.8% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Ilopango

$51 3.1%

San Salvador

$42 2.5% 17.8% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $672 in Ilopango and $901 in San Salvador. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Ilopango vs $45 in San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $290 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

05:25 5:25 AM

Same time as Ilopango

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,890

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ilopango San Salvador 16 km

From you

Ilopango
San Salvador

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 San Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilopango is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, eating out, and groceries. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Ilopango is about 2.6 times higher, 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 $901 in San Salvador. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $103 in Ilopango versus $163 in San Salvador. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Ilopango runs roughly 7% less than in San Salvador. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Ilopango 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.