Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in San Salvador: $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 San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,906

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY 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 New York, NY and in San Salvador actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,906 per month in New York, NY vs $1,622 in San Salvador, rent included.

New York, NY $4,906
San Salvador $1,622

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,452 in San Salvador, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
San Salvador $2,452

A family of three spends $9,641 per month in New York, NY vs $3,283 in San Salvador, rent included.

New York, NY $9,641
San Salvador $3,283

New York, NY costs about 202% more than San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both New York, NY and San Salvador sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, San Salvador by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.93 $26.93

$6.70 $6.70

301.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 $117

$45.70 $45.70

155.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.60 $14.60

$6.87 $6.87

112.52%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$3.53 $3.53

85.27%

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

$3.86 $3.86

$1.12 $1.12

244.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$0.80 $0.80

268.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.08 $8.08

$1.95 $1.95

314.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$3.63 $3.63

171.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.81 $1.81

-27.62%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.84 $2.84

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$1.37 $1.37

462.04%

Eggs

$6.09 $6.09

$3.09 $3.09

97.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.55 $19.55

$7.52 $7.52

159.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.59 $17.59

$7.02 $7.02

150.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.26 $20.26

$10.45 $10.45

93.88%

Apples (1kg)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.99 $4.99

40.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.41 $1.41

56.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$2.57 $2.57

161.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.12 $7.12

$3.51 $3.51

102.85%

Potato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.86 $2.86

61.19%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$3.30 $3.30

44.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.95 $0.95

202.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.92 $0.92

192.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.14 $19.14

$4.05 $4.05

372.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.63 $19.63

$12.07 $12.07

62.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.28 $2.28

45.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.87 $2.87

45.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$0.29 $0.29

941.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$15.05 $15.05

825.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$5.85 $5.85

-48.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.93 $2.93

-24.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$20.22 $20.22

104.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.31 $1.31

-13.74%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$24.7K $24.7K

39.21%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.7K $27.7K

-6.64%

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

$232 $232

$130 $130

78.51%

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

$71.0 $71.0

$21.09 $21.09

236.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.7 $67.7

$41.77 $41.77

61.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$115 $115

$29.78 $29.78

287.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$76.8 $76.8

$21.91 $21.91

250.57%

Cinema Ticket

$22.41 $22.41

$4.87 $4.87

360.16%

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

$3,606 $3,606

$161 $161

2139.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$68.7K $68.7K

$6,704 $6,704

924.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.3 $79.3

$68.0 $68.0

16.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$46.36 $46.36

10.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$120 $120

0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$118 $118

19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,555 $4,555

$910 $910

400.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,040 $3,040

$767 $767

296.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,742 $9,742

$1,835 $1,835

431.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,331 $5,331

$1,370 $1,370

289.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.2K $18.2K

$2,817 $2,817

546.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,685 $6,685

$1,855 $1,855

260.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,096 $5,096

$380 $380

1241.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.89

8.5

-18.94%

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 San Salvador: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3K 62%

San Salvador

$767 47.3% 74.8% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$567 11.6%

San Salvador

$286 17.6% 49.6% $281

Eating Out

New York, NY

$425 8.7%

San Salvador

$141 8.7% 66.8% $284

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$371 7.6%

San Salvador

$193 11.9% 48% $178

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$176 3.6%

San Salvador

$158 9.8% 10.2% $18

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.4%

San Salvador

$37 2.3% 77.8% $129

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$160 3.3%

San Salvador

$40 2.4% 75.3% $121

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,555 in New York, NY versus $910 in San Salvador. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in New York, NY are about 13 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $117 in New York, NY versus $46 in San Salvador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $567 vs $286 – making San Salvador the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

10:32 10:32 AM

09:32 9:32 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
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

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

New York, NY costs about 202% more than San Salvador, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,358 per month in New York, NY and $2,434 in San Salvador. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Salvador, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $910 there versus $4,555 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,606 per month in New York, NY and $161 in San Salvador. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 98% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Salvador, where all-in costs run around $1,622, than in New York, NY at $4,906. In San Salvador it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Salvador – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Salvador. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.