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

Name: El Salvador
Address: SV

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,122 per month in Mexico vs $894 in El Salvador, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,785 per month in Mexico vs $1,279 in El Salvador, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,447 per month in Mexico vs $1,664 in El Salvador, rent included.

The cost of living in Mexico is about 26% higher than in El Salvador on average – the gap runs across housing, groceries, transport, and services.

Both Mexico and El Salvador are more affordable than the global median – Mexico 16% lower, El Salvador 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$183

$7.69 $7.69

36.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.43 MX$740

$30.59 $30.59

38.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$134

$7.04 $7.04

9.38%

Cappuccino

$3.44 MX$60.0

$3.43 $3.43

0.29%

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

$1.26 MX$22.00

$1.13 $1.13

11.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.84

$0.84 $0.84

8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.09

$2.03 $2.03

16.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.9

$3.11 $3.11

38.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.79

$1.92 $1.92

-22.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.51

$1.97 $1.97

29.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.75

$1.62 $1.62

5.56%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$41.17

$2.66 $2.66

-11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.79 MX$153

$7.29 $7.29

20.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.56 MX$132

$5.67 $5.67

33.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.02 MX$192

$9.49 $9.49

16.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.95

$3.36 $3.36

-19.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.06

$1.84 $1.84

-21.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.85

$2.59 $2.59

-25.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.32

$2.77 $2.77

-33.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.32

$2.32 $2.32

-15.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.05

$2.13 $2.13

-5.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 MX$23.07

$0.96 $0.96

37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.45

$1.13 $1.13

-11.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$3.93 $3.93

4.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 MX$199

$11.70 $11.70

-2.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.74

$1.69 $1.69

-2.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 MX$53.1

$2.47 $2.47

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.51

$0.36 $0.36

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.28 MX$458

$28.68 $28.68

-8.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 MX$46.88

$6.36 $6.36

-57.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 MX$34.84

$3.04 $3.04

-34.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.63 MX$185

$19.81 $19.81

-46.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.30

$0.99 $0.99

29.29%

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

$20.6K MX$359.9K

$24.9K $24.9K

-16.99%

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

$23.2K MX$405.4K

$27.0K $27.0K

-13.82%

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

$63.5 MX$1,107

$90.3 $90.3

-29.65%

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

$23.01 MX$401

$20.17 $20.17

14.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MX$490

$40.74 $40.74

-30.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.83 MX$625

$30.31 $30.31

18.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 MX$324

$19.04 $19.04

-2.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$82.2

$5.08 $5.08

-7.28%

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

$248 MX$4,332

$139 $139

78.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,644 MX$98.4K

$4,230 $4,230

33.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 MX$921

$56.2 $56.2

-6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.62 MX$726

$40.14 $40.14

3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.7 MX$1,617

$109 $109

-15.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.3 MX$1,522

$96.4 $96.4

-9.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.2K

$699 $699

-7.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$439 MX$7,660

$650 $650

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 MX$21.0K

$1,081 $1,081

11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.1K

$847 $847

2.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,595 MX$45.3K

$2,689 $2,689

-3.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,569 MX$27.4K

$1,580 $1,580

-0.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$807 MX$14.1K

$445 $445

81.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

9.05

26.52%

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

Last update for Mexico: July 28, 2026

Last update for El Salvador: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $530 in Mexico vs $298 in El Salvador. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,014 in Mexico City and $841 in San Salvador.

Average salary: $761 in Mexico vs $570 in El Salvador. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 78% higher in Mexico.

Dining out costs 44% more in Mexico.

Public transport is 38% more expensive in Mexico.

Salaries are 34% higher in Mexico.

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

El Salvador is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 70% lower on average. The gap is consistent across housing, groceries, transport, and entertainment.

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

Groceries, transport, and utilities all cost less in El Salvador, contributing to the overall 70% price gap. The savings show up everywhere – from supermarket receipts to monthly bills.

$3,000 buys a comfortable lifestyle in El Salvador, but in Mexico 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.