Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and Ayutuxtepeque

For one person, living is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque: $958 a month against $1,622 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Ayutuxtepeque
Learn more

Ayutuxtepeque Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

Ayutuxtepeque

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$958

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,622 in San Salvador versus $958 in Ayutuxtepeque.

San Salvador $1,622
Ayutuxtepeque $958

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,452 in San Salvador versus $1,399 in Ayutuxtepeque.

San Salvador $2,452
Ayutuxtepeque $1,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,283 in San Salvador versus $1,840 in Ayutuxtepeque.

San Salvador $3,283
Ayutuxtepeque $1,840

Living in San Salvador is roughly 69% more expensive than in Ayutuxtepeque, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Salvador is 20% above, Ayutuxtepeque is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 $6.70

$6.61 $6.61

1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 $45.70

$29.49 $29.49

54.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 $6.87

$4.86 $4.86

41.36%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$3.60 $3.60

-1.94%

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

$1.12 $1.12

$0.62 $0.62

80.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

$0.48 $0.48

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.27 $1.27

53.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.02 $3.02

20.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.37 $1.37

32.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.52 $1.52

86.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.02 $1.02

34.31%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$2.47 $2.47

25.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.68 $7.68

-2.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$5.41 $5.41

29.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$9.07 $9.07

15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.23 $3.23

54.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.36 $1.36

3.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 $2.22

15.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.49 $3.49

0.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.62 $1.62

76.54%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.25 $2.25

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.67 $0.67

41.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.94 $0.94

-2.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$4.01 $4.01

1.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.16 $6.16

95.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.47 $1.47

55.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.46 $2.46

16.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

$0.36 $0.36

-19.44%

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

$2.97 $2.97

-1.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.22 $20.22

$19.96 $19.96

1.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.23 $1.23

6.50%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$25.2K $25.2K

-1.65%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

0.87%

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

$130 $130

$95.4 $95.4

36.51%

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

$21.09 $21.09

$20.08 $20.08

5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.77 $41.77

$35.34 $35.34

18.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 $29.78

$15.01 $15.01

98.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.91 $21.91

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 $4.87

$4.88 $4.88

-0.20%

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

$161 $161

$166 $166

-2.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,704 $6,704

$2,943 $2,943

127.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$24.72 $24.72

174.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 $46.36

$30.38 $30.38

52.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

-0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$73.8 $73.8

59.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

$147 $147

518.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 $767

$302 $302

153.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$403 $403

355.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$406 $406

237.52%

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

$423 $423

-10.21%

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 Ayutuxtepeque: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Salvador

$767 47.3%

Ayutuxtepeque

$302 31.6% 60.6% $465

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$286 17.6%

Ayutuxtepeque

$219 22.8% 23.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$193 11.9%

Ayutuxtepeque

$151 15.7% 21.9% $42

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.8%

Ayutuxtepeque

$112 11.7% 29.2% $46

Eating Out

San Salvador

$141 8.7%

Ayutuxtepeque

$127 13.3% 9.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

Ayutuxtepeque

$25 2.6% 37.3% $15

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

Ayutuxtepeque

$22 * 2.3% 39.7% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $910 in San Salvador and $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ayutuxtepeque pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46 in San Salvador vs $29 in Ayutuxtepeque for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $219 per month, with Ayutuxtepeque cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇸🇻 Ayutuxtepeque

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

Same time as San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

60,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Salvador Ayutuxtepeque 4 km

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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

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

Ayutuxtepeque wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in San Salvador. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ayutuxtepeque the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in San Salvador. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $910 in San Salvador versus $147 in Ayutuxtepeque. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in San Salvador versus $166 in Ayutuxtepeque. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ayutuxtepeque – a meal for two runs $29 versus $46 in San Salvador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Ayutuxtepeque 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.