Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Salvador and San Vicente

For one person, living is cheaper in San Vicente: $815 a month against $1,622 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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 San Vicente
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San Vicente Living Index

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San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,622

/mo nomad

San Vicente

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$815

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,622 in San Salvador versus $815 in San Vicente.

San Salvador $1,622
San Vicente $815

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,452 in San Salvador versus $1,310 in San Vicente.

San Salvador $2,452
San Vicente $1,310

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,283 in San Salvador versus $1,806 in San Vicente.

San Salvador $3,283
San Vicente $1,806

Living in San Salvador is roughly 99% more expensive than in San Vicente, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.70 $6.70

$6.87 $6.87

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.70 $45.70

$45.20 $45.20

1.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.89 $6.89

-0.29%

Cappuccino

$3.53 $3.53

$3.61 $3.61

-2.22%

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

$1.12 $1.12

$1.17 $1.17

-4.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 $0.80

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.06 $2.06

-5.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.59 $3.59

1.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.89 $1.89

-4.23%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.79 $2.79

1.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.39 $1.39

-1.44%

Eggs

$3.09 $3.09

$3.07 $3.07

0.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.54 $7.54

-0.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$7.08 $7.08

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$10.42 $10.42

0.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$5.02 $5.02

-0.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.43 $1.43

-1.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.55 $2.55

0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.35 $3.35

4.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.89 $2.89

-1.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.38 $3.38

-2.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 $0.95

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.00 $1.00

-8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.98 $3.98

1.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.03 $12.03

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.95 $2.95

-2.71%

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

$6.04 $6.04

-3.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.94 $2.94

-0.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.22 $20.22

$19.70 $19.70

2.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.25 $1.25

4.80%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-2.77%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

0.56%

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

$130 $130

$132 $132

-1.15%

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

$21.09 $21.09

$21.65 $21.65

-2.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.77 $41.77

$42.85 $42.85

-2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.78 $29.78

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.91 $21.91

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 $4.87

$5.04 $5.04

-3.37%

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

$161 $161

$165 $165

-2.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,704 $6,704

$4,759 $4,759

40.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 $68.0

$67.6 $67.6

0.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.36 $46.36

$46.84 $46.84

-1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$118 $118

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$116 $116

1.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 $910

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 San Vicente: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Salvador

$767 47.3%

San Vicente

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

San Salvador

$286 17.6%

San Vicente

$287 35.2% 0.4% $1.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Salvador

$193 11.9%

San Vicente

$196 24.1% 1.6% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

San Salvador

$158 9.8%

San Vicente

$157 19.2% 1.1% $1.7

Eating Out

San Salvador

$141 8.7%

San Vicente

$144 17.7% 2.2% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

San Salvador

$40 2.4%

San Vicente

$10 * 1.2% 74.5% $29

Getting Around

San Salvador

$37 2.3%

San Vicente

$21 * 2.5% 43.5% $16

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $46 in San Salvador vs $45 in San Vicente. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $287, with San Salvador cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🇸🇻 San Vicente

🕒 Local time

19:23 7:23 PM

Same time as San Salvador

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

316,090 Capital

41,504

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Salvador San Vicente 44 km

From you

San Salvador
San Vicente

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 San Vicente: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Vicente 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 San Vicente the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,434 in San Salvador and $1,223 in San Vicente 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 $165 in San Vicente. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

All in, you’ll spend $1,622 per month in San Salvador versus $815 in San Vicente – San Vicente is about 50% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $815 in San Vicente versus $1,622 in San Salvador, a $1,200 budget is realistic in San Vicente but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. The gap between the two cities makes San Vicente 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.