Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Aguilares

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguilares: $813 a month against $1,629 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aguilares
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Aguilares Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,629

/mo nomad

Aguilares

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Salvador and in Aguilares

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,629 in San Salvador versus $813 in Aguilares.

San Salvador $1,629
Aguilares $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,449 in San Salvador versus $1,306 in Aguilares.

San Salvador $2,449
Aguilares $1,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,269 in San Salvador versus $1,799 in Aguilares.

San Salvador $3,269
Aguilares $1,799

Living in San Salvador is roughly 100% more expensive than in Aguilares, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 20% above, Aguilares is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 $6.58

$6.94 $6.94

-5.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.57 $44.57

$44.31 $44.31

0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 $7.06

$7.11 $7.11

-0.70%

Cappuccino

$3.62 $3.62

$3.50 $3.50

3.43%

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

$1.13 $1.13

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.84 $0.84

-5.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.03 $2.03

-2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.64 $3.64

-3.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.89 $1.89

-5.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.81 $2.81

3.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.39 $1.39

-1.44%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$2.97 $2.97

0.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.85 $7.85

-0.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.92 $6.92

$7.10 $7.10

-2.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$10.08 $10.08

-0.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$5.02 $5.02

-1.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.64 $2.64

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.40 $3.40

4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.96 $2.96

0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.31 $3.31

-1.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.01 $1.01

-5.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.98 $0.98

-5.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.98 $3.98

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.77 $11.77

$12.02 $12.02

-2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.25 $2.25

1.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.98 $2.98

-2.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.31 $0.31

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.77 $14.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.91 $5.91

1.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.08 $3.08

-1.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.88 $19.88

$19.91 $19.91

-0.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.30 $1.30

-3.85%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$25.1K $25.1K

1.64%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

-2.76%

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

$129 $129

$128 $128

0.42%

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

$20.87 $20.87

$21.65 $21.65

-3.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.10 $42.10

$43.30 $43.30

-2.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.34 $29.34

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.36 $21.36

Cinema Ticket

$5.13 $5.13

$4.91 $4.91

4.48%

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

$161 $161

$160 $160

0.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,729 $4,729

$4,795 $4,795

-1.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$65.9 $65.9

0.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.50 $47.50

$47.25 $47.25

0.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

-0.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$116 $116

1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 $776

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 $1,839

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 $376

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

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

Last update for San Salvador: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aguilares: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Salvador

$776 47.7%

Aguilares

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$285 17.5%

Aguilares

$287 35.4% 0.9% $2.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$192 11.8%

Aguilares

$193 23.8% 0.8% $1.4

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.7%

Aguilares

$157 19.3% 0.6% $0.9

Eating Out

San Salvador

$142 8.7%

Aguilares

$144 17.7% 1.7% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

Aguilares

$9.8 * 1.2% 75.2% $30

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

Aguilares

$21 * 2.6% 42.7% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45 in San Salvador vs $44 in Aguilares. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $287, with San Salvador cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇸🇻 Aguilares

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

Same time as San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

21,445

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Salvador Aguilares 29 km

From you

San Salvador
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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

San Salvador vs Aguilares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguilares wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in San Salvador. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Aguilares the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,444 in San Salvador and $1,220 in Aguilares to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $161 in San Salvador versus $160 in Aguilares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,629 per month in San Salvador versus $813 in Aguilares – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Aguilares is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.