Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilopango: $1,622 a month against $4,906 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $39,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

234

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Ilopango

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,906 in New York, NY versus $1,622 in Ilopango.

New York, NY $4,906
Ilopango $1,622

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,273 in New York, NY versus $1,874 in Ilopango.

New York, NY $7,273
Ilopango $1,874

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,641 in New York, NY versus $2,127 in Ilopango.

New York, NY $9,641
Ilopango $2,127

Living in New York, NY is roughly 202% more expensive than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 263% above, Ilopango 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$3.24 $3.24

731.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$44.87 $44.87

160.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$4.88 $4.88

199.18%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$2.86 $2.86

128.67%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$0.93 $0.93

315.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.91 $0.91

224.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$0.92 $0.92

778.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$1.66 $1.66

493.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$3.28 $3.28

-60.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$1.41 $1.41

252.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$2.93 $2.93

162.80%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$2.92 $2.92

108.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$5.14 $5.14

280.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$6.12 $6.12

187.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$9.81 $9.81

106.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.08 $3.08

126.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.05 $2.05

7.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$1.98 $1.98

239.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$2.02 $2.02

252.48%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.05 $2.05

124.88%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$2.06 $2.06

132.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.92 $0.92

211.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.01 $1.01

166.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$4.06 $4.06

371.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$11.76 $11.76

66.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.02 $1.02

225.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.05 $2.05

104.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.89 $0.89

239.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$35.20 $35.20

295.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$6.96 $6.96

-56.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.16 $2.16

1.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$4.94 $4.94

736.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.67 $0.67

68.66%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$19.9K $19.9K

73.32%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$25.4K $25.4K

1.73%

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

$232 $232

$35.33 $35.33

557.66%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$9.91 $9.91

616.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$39.26 $39.26

72.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$40.73 $40.73

183.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$10.05 $10.05

664.28%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$4.90 $4.90

357.35%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$107 $107

3266.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$1,884 $1,884

3546.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$20.30 $20.30

290.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$29.50 $29.50

74.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$75.0 $75.0

61.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$60.7 $60.7

131.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$675 $675

574.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$1,006 $1,006

202.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$590 $590

1550.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$640 $640

733.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$1,736 $1,736

949.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$960 $960

596.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$1,014 $1,014

402.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

14.83%

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

Last update for New York, NY: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

Ilopango

$1K 62.1% 66.9% $2K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

Ilopango

$250 15.4% 55.9% $317

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

Ilopango

$90 5.6% 78.8% $335

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

Ilopango

$85 5.2% 77.2% $287

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

Ilopango

$83 5.1% 52.7% $93

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

Ilopango

$57 3.5% 65.9% $109

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

Ilopango

$51 3.1% 68.5% $110

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,555 in New York, NY and $675 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays about 5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $117 in New York, NY vs $45 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $567 vs $250 per month, with Ilopango cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

14:31 2:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

38,890

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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New York, NY Ilopango 3,330 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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New York, NY
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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

New York, NY vs Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilopango is about 67% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in New York, NY is about 5 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: $4,555 in New York, NY versus $675 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,606 in New York, NY versus $107 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 127% higher in New York, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,622 in Ilopango versus $4,906 in New York, NY, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ilopango but tight or insufficient in New York, NY. The gap between the two cities makes Ilopango the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Ilopango gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.