Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Tecla and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Tecla: $1,355 a month against $1,617 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ilopango outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

66

Cost of Living Index in Santa Tecla
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Santa Tecla Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Santa Tecla

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,355

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,617

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Tecla and in Ilopango

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,355 in Santa Tecla versus $1,617 in Ilopango.

Santa Tecla $1,355
Ilopango $1,617

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,006 in Santa Tecla versus $1,873 in Ilopango.

Santa Tecla $2,006
Ilopango $1,873

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,657 in Santa Tecla versus $2,130 in Ilopango.

Santa Tecla $2,657
Ilopango $2,130

Living in Santa Tecla costs roughly 16% less than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Tecla 0% above, Ilopango 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.56 $6.56

$3.23 $3.23

103.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.20 $44.20

$45.43 $45.43

-2.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 $6.82

$4.87 $4.87

40.04%

Cappuccino

$3.50 $3.50

$2.83 $2.83

23.67%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$0.93 $0.93

23.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.97 $0.97

-11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.98 $0.98

102.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.74 $1.74

108.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.22 $3.22

-45.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.49 $1.49

43.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.96 $2.96

-51.69%

Eggs

$2.30 $2.30

$3.04 $3.04

-24.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$5.08 $5.08

48.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$5.94 $5.94

-6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$9.90 $9.90

3.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.08 $3.08

6.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.98 $1.98

-30.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.03 $2.03

30.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.05 $2.05

72.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.94 $1.94

53.61%

Onion (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.98 $1.98

69.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.98 $0.98

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.99 $0.99

-1.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.90 $3.90

1.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$12.12 $12.12

-0.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.03 $1.03

113.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.98 $1.98

48.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.89 $0.89

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.65 $34.65

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 $6.16

$6.86 $6.86

-10.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.24 $2.24

36.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.27 $20.27

$4.76 $4.76

325.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.67 $0.67

85.07%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$20.5K $20.5K

24.02%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$25.8K $25.8K

4.57%

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

$132 $132

$34.65 $34.65

280.52%

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

$20.92 $20.92

$10.10 $10.10

107.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 $42.31

$40.68 $40.68

4.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.72 $24.72

$40.21 $40.21

-38.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.11 $10.11

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$5.10 $5.10

-1.37%

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

$160 $160

$106 $106

50.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,809 $4,809

$1,900 $1,900

153.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$20.10 $20.10

233.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.85 $46.85

$30.26 $30.26

54.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$74.8 $74.8

55.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$59.2 $59.2

94.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 $765

$665 $665

14.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 $548

$1,001 $1,001

-45.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,200 $1,200

$598 $598

100.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$887 $887

$642 $642

38.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,739 $1,739

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$967 $967

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$406 $406

$979 $979

-58.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

41.67%

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

Last update for Santa Tecla: October 13, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Tecla

$548 40.4%

Ilopango

$1K 61.9% 82.6% $453

Groceries & Markets

Santa Tecla

$260 19.2%

Ilopango

$250 15.5% 3.7% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Tecla

$195 14.4%

Ilopango

$85 5.3% 56.2% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Tecla

$155 11.5%

Ilopango

$83 5.1% 46.6% $72

Eating Out

Santa Tecla

$140 10.4%

Ilopango

$90 5.6% 35.5% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Tecla

$35 2.6%

Ilopango

$50 3.1% 45% $16

Getting Around

Santa Tecla

$21 * 1.6%

Ilopango

$56 3.5% 162% $35

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 $765 in Santa Tecla and $665 in Ilopango. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ilopango pays 141% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $44.00 in Santa Tecla vs $45.00 in Ilopango. Groceries flip the comparison at $260 vs $250, with Ilopango cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Santa Tecla

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

03:29 3:29 AM

Same time as Santa Tecla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,695

38,890

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Santa Tecla Ilopango 26 km

From you

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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 Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Tecla is cheaper overall, especially in leisure and transport. The 19% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 141% lower in Ilopango. 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: $765 in Santa Tecla versus $665 in Ilopango. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $160 in Santa Tecla versus $106 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $1,355 in Santa Tecla versus $1,617 in Ilopango, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Tecla but tight or insufficient in Ilopango. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Tecla 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 Ilopango 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 Santa Tecla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Ilopango. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.