Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Antiguo Cuscatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan: $808 a month against $1,622 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 Antiguo Cuscatlan
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Antiguo Cuscatlan Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

Antiguo Cuscatlan

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$808

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Salvador and in Antiguo Cuscatlan

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 Antiguo Cuscatlan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,622 per month in San Salvador vs $808 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

San Salvador $1,622
Antiguo Cuscatlan $808

A couple spends around $2,452 per month in San Salvador vs $1,297 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

San Salvador $2,452
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,297

A family of three spends $3,283 per month in San Salvador vs $1,785 in Antiguo Cuscatlan, rent included.

San Salvador $3,283
Antiguo Cuscatlan $1,785

San Salvador costs about 101% more than Antiguo Cuscatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

San Salvador sits 20% above the global median, while Antiguo Cuscatlan is 40% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 $6.70

$6.71 $6.71

-0.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 $45.70

$44.18 $44.18

3.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 $6.87

$7.10 $7.10

-3.24%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$3.46 $3.46

2.02%

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

$1.12 $1.12

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.79 $0.79

1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.56 $3.56

1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.86 $1.86

-2.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.79 $2.79

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.40 $1.40

-2.14%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.77 $7.77

-3.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$6.96 $6.96

0.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$10.08 $10.08

3.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.15 $5.15

-3.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.44 $1.44

-2.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.54 $2.54

1.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.43 $3.43

2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.95 $2.95

-3.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.21 $3.21

2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.96 $0.96

-1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.93 $0.93

-1.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.04 $4.04

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.15 $12.15

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.27 $2.27

0.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.82 $2.82

1.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.05 $15.05

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.86 $5.86

-0.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.95 $2.95

-0.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.22 $20.22

$19.95 $19.95

1.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.24 $1.24

5.65%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$24.5K $24.5K

0.89%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$26.7K $26.7K

3.59%

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

$130 $130

-0.15%

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

$21.09 $21.09

$21.32 $21.32

-1.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.77 $41.77

$42.92 $42.92

-2.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 $29.78

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.91 $21.91

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 $4.87

$4.95 $4.95

-1.62%

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

$161 $161

$160 $160

0.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,704 $6,704

$4,730 $4,730

41.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$65.8 $65.8

3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 $46.36

$46.54 $46.54

-0.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$116 $116

3.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$117 $117

0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$612 $612

48.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 $767

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,855 $1,855

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$380 $380

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: November 1, 2026

Last update for Antiguo Cuscatlan: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Salvador

$767 47.3%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$286 17.6%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$286 35.4% 0.1% $0.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$193 11.9%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$195 24.1% 0.8% $1.6

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.8%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$156 19.3% 1.9% $2.9

Eating Out

San Salvador

$141 8.7%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$141 17.5% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$9.9 * 1.2% 74.9% $30

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

Antiguo Cuscatlan

$21 * 2.6% 43.9% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $910 in San Salvador versus $612 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46 in San Salvador versus $44 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. Groceries tell a different story – $286 in San Salvador vs $286 in Antiguo Cuscatlan – so San Salvador wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇸🇻 Antiguo Cuscatlan

🕒 Local time

23:24 11:24 PM

Same time as San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

33,767

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Salvador Antiguo Cuscatlan 6 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 Antiguo Cuscatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,622 in San Salvador, $808 in Antiguo Cuscatlan – Antiguo Cuscatlan comes out roughly 50% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,434 per month in San Salvador and $1,211 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Antiguo Cuscatlan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $612 there versus $910 in San Salvador.

Kindergarten costs $161 per month in San Salvador and $160 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,622 in San Salvador and $808 in Antiguo Cuscatlan. That makes Antiguo Cuscatlan about 50% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Antiguo Cuscatlan, where all-in costs run around $808, than in San Salvador at $1,622. In Antiguo Cuscatlan it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Antiguo Cuscatlan has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $808 in Antiguo Cuscatlan to $1,622 in San Salvador. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.