Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, El Salvador and Aguilares

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguilares: $813 a month against $1,026 in Santa Ana, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aguilares
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Aguilares Living Index

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Santa Ana

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,026

/mo nomad

Aguilares

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$813

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana and in Aguilares actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,026 in Santa Ana versus $813 in Aguilares.

Santa Ana $1,026
Aguilares $813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Santa Ana versus $1,306 in Aguilares.

Santa Ana $1,626
Aguilares $1,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,227 in Santa Ana versus $1,799 in Aguilares.

Santa Ana $2,227
Aguilares $1,799

Living in Santa Ana is roughly 26% more expensive than in Aguilares, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Ana 25% lower, Aguilares 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.58 $6.58

$6.94 $6.94

-5.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.88 $44.88

$44.31 $44.31

1.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.88 $6.88

$7.11 $7.11

-3.23%

Cappuccino

$3.52 $3.52

$3.50 $3.50

0.57%

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

$1.17 $1.17

$1.13 $1.13

3.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 $0.84

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.03 $2.03

0.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.64 $3.64

-0.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.89 $1.89

-4.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.81 $2.81

-1.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.39 $1.39

-0.72%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$2.97 $2.97

4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$7.85 $7.85

-3.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$7.10 $7.10

-0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$10.08 $10.08

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$5.02 $5.02

3.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.42 $1.42

1.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.64 $2.64

-3.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$3.40 $3.40

4.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.96 $2.96

1.69%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.31 $3.31

-3.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.01 $1.01

-0.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.98 $0.98

-5.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.98 $3.98

1.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.78 $11.78

$12.02 $12.02

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.25 $2.25

-4.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.98 $2.98

-5.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 $0.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 $6.05

$5.91 $5.91

2.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.08 $3.08

-0.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.18 $20.18

$19.91 $19.91

1.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.30 $1.30

-22.31%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$25.1K $25.1K

-7.71%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.5K $27.5K

-1.72%

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

$39.79 $39.79

$128 $128

-68.99%

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

$21.39 $21.39

$21.65 $21.65

-1.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.95 $38.95

$43.30 $43.30

-10.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.94 $34.94

Cinema Ticket

$4.99 $4.99

$4.91 $4.91

1.63%

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

$161 $161

$160 $160

0.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,790 $4,790

$4,795 $4,795

-0.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.7 $66.7

$65.9 $65.9

1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.28 $47.28

$47.25 $47.25

0.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

0.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$116 $116

0.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$653 $653

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 $274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$994 $994

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 $451

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$450 $450

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

-41.18%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: October 26, 2026

Last update for Aguilares: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana

$286 27.9%

Aguilares

$287 35.4% 0.4% $1.2

Accommodation & Living

Santa Ana

$274 26.7%

Aguilares

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana

$158 15.4%

Aguilares

$157 19.3% 0.6% $0.9

Eating Out

Santa Ana

$141 13.7%

Aguilares

$144 17.7% 2.2% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana

$100 9.8%

Aguilares

$193 23.8% 93% $93

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana

$45 4.4%

Aguilares

$9.8 * 1.2% 78.2% $35

Getting Around

Santa Ana

$22 * 2.2%

Aguilares

$21 * 2.6% 5.2% $1.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45 in Santa Ana vs $44 in Aguilares. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $287, with Santa Ana cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Santa Ana

🇸🇻 Aguilares

🕒 Local time

10:04 10:04 AM

Same time as Santa Ana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

167,200

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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Santa Ana Aguilares 40 km

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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

Santa Ana vs Aguilares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Aguilares wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Santa Ana. 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 $1,540 in Santa Ana 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 Santa Ana 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 $1,026 per month in Santa Ana versus $813 in Aguilares – a 26% 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.