Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico and El Salvador

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexico: $1,274 a month against $1,482 in El Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in El Salvador outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

61

Cost of Living Index in Mexico
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Mexico Living Index
71

Cost of Living Index in El Salvador
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El Salvador Living Index

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🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,274

/mo nomad

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,482

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexico and in El Salvador

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

A single person spends $1,274 per month in Mexico vs $1,482 in El Salvador, rent included.

Mexico $1,274
El Salvador $1,482

A couple spends around $2,010 per month in Mexico vs $2,112 in El Salvador, rent included.

Mexico $2,010
El Salvador $2,112

A family of three spends $2,746 per month in Mexico vs $2,742 in El Salvador, rent included.

Mexico $2,746
El Salvador $2,742

Cost ranges are similar: Mexico spans $730–$2,625, El Salvador $207–$1,812. City choice affects budget similarly in either country.

The cost of living in Mexico is roughly 14% lower than in El Salvador on average.

Mexico sits 6% below the global median, while El Salvador is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.63 MX$198

$6.92 $6.92

53.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.29 MX$807

$45.49 $45.49

-4.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 MX$167

$6.84 $6.84

30.70%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$67.2

$3.57 $3.57

1.12%

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

$1.48 MX$27.51

$1.14 $1.14

29.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$18.63

$0.85 $0.85

17.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$49.68

$2.04 $2.04

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 MX$81.4

$3.60 $3.60

21.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$29.55

$1.84 $1.84

-13.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 MX$49.86

$2.28 $2.28

17.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.35

$1.58 $1.58

6.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$47.04

$2.74 $2.74

-8.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$164

$7.30 $7.30

20.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 MX$149

$5.99 $5.99

33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.50 MX$214

$9.16 $9.16

25.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MX$51.4

$3.83 $3.83

-27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.41

$1.70 $1.70

-10.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 MX$36.44

$2.90 $2.90

-32.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.66

$2.86 $2.86

-31.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.58

$2.91 $2.91

-32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.81

$2.35 $2.35

-13.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.71

$0.97 $0.97

47.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$21.24

$1.00 $1.00

14.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.52 MX$84.3

$3.96 $3.96

14.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$203

$11.76 $11.76

-7.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 MX$32.91

$1.93 $1.93

-8.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$59.4

$2.80 $2.80

13.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.56

$0.36 $0.36

72.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.85 MX$556

$31.83 $31.83

-6.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$49.62

$6.57 $6.57

-59.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 MX$50.6

$2.93 $2.93

-7.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$198

$19.66 $19.66

-45.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$26.06

$1.22 $1.22

14.75%

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

$24.0K MX$446.8K

$25.1K $25.1K

-4.61%

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

$23.9K MX$445.8K

$28.1K $28.1K

-14.76%

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

$69.2 MX$1,290

$115 $115

-40.08%

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

$23.51 MX$438

$22.61 $22.61

3.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 MX$541

$40.70 $40.70

-28.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.74 MX$648

$29.90 $29.90

16.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 MX$325

$17.02 $17.02

2.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.24 MX$97.8

$5.14 $5.14

1.95%

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

$261 MX$4,857

$168 $168

55.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,999 MX$111.8K

$4,369 $4,369

37.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$1,041

$62.9 $62.9

-11.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 MX$775

$48.82 $48.82

-14.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.3 MX$1,796

$119 $119

-19.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.1 MX$1,679

$105 $105

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 MX$13.3K

$745 $745

-4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,891

$652 $652

-26.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 MX$25.3K

$1,269 $1,269

7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$906 MX$16.9K

$882 $882

2.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,597 MX$48.4K

$2,727 $2,727

-4.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,565 MX$29.2K

$1,550 $1,550

0.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$773 MX$14.4K

$433 $433

78.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.43

8.48

34.79%

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

Last update for Mexico: October 25, 2026

Last update for El Salvador: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexico

$477 37.4%

El Salvador

$652 44% 36.6% $175

Groceries & Markets

Mexico

$267 21%

El Salvador

$261 17.6% 2.2% $6

Eating Out

Mexico

$187 14.7%

El Salvador

$144 9.7% 23% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico

$128 10%

El Salvador

$151 10.2% 18.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico

$122 9.6%

El Salvador

$179 12.1% 46.9% $57

Getting Around

Mexico

$49 3.8%

El Salvador

$55 3.7% 12.2% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico

$45 3.6%

El Salvador

$40 2.7% 11.1% $5

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $624 in Mexico vs $619 in El Salvador. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,113 in Mexico City and $893 in San Salvador.

Average salary: $722 in Mexico vs $571 in El Salvador. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Public transport is 19% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 26% higher in Mexico, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Mexico.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico

🇸🇻 El Salvador

🕒 Local time

14:49 2:49 PM

Same time as Mexico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,777,324

6,029,976

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexico El Salvador 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexico
El 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

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

Mexico is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 14% lower on average.

Not necessarily. Overall, El Salvador costs about 16% more, but the gap varies by category, and some expenses can be lower in El Salvador. Compare the categories that matter most for your budget.

Mexico is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.