Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Tecla and Aguilares

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguilares: $811 a month against $1,355 in Santa Tecla, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Tecla outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Santa Tecla
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Santa Tecla Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aguilares
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Aguilares Living Index

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Santa Tecla

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,355

/mo nomad

Aguilares

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$811

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,355 in Santa Tecla versus $811 in Aguilares.

Santa Tecla $1,355
Aguilares $811

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Santa Tecla versus $1,306 in Aguilares.

Santa Tecla $2,006
Aguilares $1,306

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,657 in Santa Tecla versus $1,802 in Aguilares.

Santa Tecla $2,657
Aguilares $1,802

Living in Santa Tecla is roughly 67% more expensive than in Aguilares, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Tecla is 0% above, Aguilares is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 $6.56

$6.55 $6.55

0.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.20 $44.20

$45.15 $45.15

-2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 $6.82

$7.21 $7.21

-5.41%

Cappuccino

$3.50 $3.50

$3.56 $3.56

-1.69%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.79 $0.79

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.96 $1.96

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$3.50 $3.50

3.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.88 $1.88

-6.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.88 $2.88

-25.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

Eggs

$2.30 $2.30

$3.11 $3.11

-26.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$7.84 $7.84

-4.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$7.17 $7.17

-22.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$10.36 $10.36

-1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$5.15 $5.15

-36.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.44 $1.44

-4.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.56 $2.56

3.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.44 $3.44

2.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.97 $2.97

0.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.36 $3.36

-0.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.97 $0.97

-1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.94 $0.94

4.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.99 $3.99

-1.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$12.15 $12.15

-0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.17 $2.17

1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.85 $2.85

3.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.03 $6.03

2.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.01 $3.01

1.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 $20.27

$19.98 $19.98

1.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$25.3K $25.3K

0.56%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

-0.81%

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

$132 $132

$129 $129

2.50%

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

$20.92 $20.92

$21.45 $21.45

-2.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 $42.31

$42.08 $42.08

0.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.72 $24.72

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$5.12 $5.12

-1.76%

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

$160 $160

$162 $162

-1.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,809 $4,809

$4,715 $4,715

1.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$66.8 $66.8

0.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.85 $46.85

$47.44 $47.44

-1.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$117 $117

-0.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$117 $117

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 $765

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 $887

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$406 $406

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 Santa Tecla: October 13, 2026

Last update for Aguilares: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Tecla

$548 40.4%

Aguilares

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Tecla

$260 19.2%

Aguilares

$290 35.7% 11.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Tecla

$195 14.4%

Aguilares

$192 23.7% 1.5% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Tecla

$155 11.5%

Aguilares

$157 19.3% 0.7% $1.2

Eating Out

Santa Tecla

$140 10.4%

Aguilares

$141 17.4% 0.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Tecla

$35 2.6%

Aguilares

$10 * 1.3% 70.5% $25

Getting Around

Santa Tecla

$21 * 1.6%

Aguilares

$21 * 2.6% 1.7% $0.4

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in Santa Tecla vs $45.00 in Aguilares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $290 per month, with Santa Tecla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Santa Tecla

🇸🇻 Aguilares

🕒 Local time

02:49 2:49 AM

Same time as Santa Tecla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,695

21,445

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Tecla Aguilares 33 km

From you

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

Aguilares wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Santa Tecla. 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 $2,032 in Santa Tecla and $1,216 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 $160 in Santa Tecla versus $162 in Aguilares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Aguilares – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $44.00 in Santa Tecla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $811 in Aguilares versus $1,355 in Santa Tecla, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Aguilares but tight or insufficient in Santa Tecla. The gap between the two cities makes Aguilares 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.

Safety-wise, Santa Tecla and Aguilares are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Aguilares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Santa Tecla. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.