Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and El Salvador Cost of Living Comparison Between Italy and El Salvador

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,796 per month in Italy vs $949 in El Salvador, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,739 per month in Italy vs $1,377 in El Salvador, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,682 per month in Italy vs $1,805 in El Salvador, rent included.

The cost of living in Italy is about 89% higher than in El Salvador on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Italy sits 30% above the global median, while El Salvador is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.24 €18.31

$6.83 $6.83

210.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 €69.7

$45.14 $45.14

79.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 €9.84

$7.15 $7.15

59.58%

Cappuccino

$2.08 €1.79

$3.63 $3.63

-42.70%

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

$3.05 €2.63

$1.15 $1.15

165.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.91 $0.91

51.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.79 €4.99

$2.04 $2.04

183.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.96

$3.60 $3.60

59.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.75 $1.75

-2.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.08

$2.36 $2.36

2.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.59 $1.59

89.31%

Eggs

$4.32 €3.72

$2.74 $2.74

57.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.93 €15.45

$7.35 $7.35

143.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.67 €10.92

$5.98 $5.98

111.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.57 €17.73

$8.96 $8.96

129.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.62 €2.26

$3.89 $3.89

-32.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.79 $1.79

20.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$2.88 $2.88

-2.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.32 €2.87

$2.89 $2.89

14.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 €1.81

$2.96 $2.96

-29.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$2.36 $2.36

-19.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.96 $0.96

61.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 €0.48

$0.95 $0.95

-41.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.16 €6.17

$3.89 $3.89

84.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.35 €6.33

$12.01 $12.01

-38.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.07

$2.85 $2.85

-15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.34 $0.34

467.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.24 €39.00

$34.50 $34.50

31.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.74 €4.95

$6.54 $6.54

-12.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.09 $3.09

-44.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.25 €30.38

$19.84 $19.84

77.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.04 €1.76

$1.16 $1.16

75.86%

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

$37.5K €32.3K

$24.8K $24.8K

51.37%

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

$37.1K €31.9K

$27.7K $27.7K

33.74%

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

$231 €199

$104 $104

122.42%

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

$12.34 €10.64

$22.39 $22.39

-44.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.17 €26.87

$40.24 $40.24

-22.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.2 €47.62

$31.40 $31.40

75.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.91 €21.47

$16.44 $16.44

51.52%

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 €9.59

$5.02 $5.02

121.71%

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

$568 €490

$168 $168

238.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K €10.8K

$4,493 $4,493

178.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €80.1

$62.9 $62.9

47.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.82 €34.32

$50.0 $50.0

-20.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €89.8

$116 $116

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €116

$103 $103

31.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 €734

$751 $751

13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 €556

$650 $650

-0.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 €1,249

$1,252 $1,252

15.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 €935

$861 $861

25.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,813 €3,287

$2,659 $2,659

43.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,357 €2,032

$1,559 $1,559

51.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,933 €1,666

$431 $431

347.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.57

8.48

-57.90%

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

Last update for Italy: September 5, 2026

Last update for El Salvador: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $755 in Italy vs $312 in El Salvador. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,247 in Rome and $905 in San Salvador.

Average salary: $1,964 in Italy vs $567 in El Salvador. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 142% higher in Italy.

Dining out costs 117% more in Italy.

Public transport is 760% more expensive in Italy.

Salaries are 246% higher in Italy, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Italy.

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

Italy vs El Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Salvador is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 109% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

Housing costs more in Italy, and the gap is biggest in capital cities. Regional towns show less difference, but Italy consistently has higher rents.

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in El Salvador, contributing to the overall 109% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in El Salvador, but in Italy it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

El Salvador is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.