Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza, El Salvador and Ilopango

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,651 in Ilopango, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ilopango outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
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Zaragoza Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Ilopango
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Ilopango Living Index

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Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Ilopango

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza and in Ilopango actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,651 in Ilopango.

Zaragoza $635
Ilopango $1,651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,036 in Zaragoza versus $1,885 in Ilopango.

Zaragoza $1,036
Ilopango $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,437 in Zaragoza versus $2,119 in Ilopango.

Zaragoza $1,437
Ilopango $2,119

Living in Zaragoza costs roughly 62% less than in Ilopango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zaragoza is 53% below, Ilopango is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 $6.95

$3.11 $3.11

123.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 $29.51

$45.31 $45.31

-34.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 $6.96

$5.05 $5.05

37.82%

Cappuccino

$1.54 $1.54

$2.82 $2.82

-45.39%

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

$1.11 $1.11

$0.87 $0.87

27.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.93 $0.93

-12.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.94 $0.94

31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.67 $1.67

26.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.17 $3.17

-43.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.43 $1.43

58.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.98 $2.98

-67.45%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.93 $2.93

-14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$5.14 $5.14

45.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$6.12 $6.12

-35.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$10.08 $10.08

-46.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$3.07 $3.07

29.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.94 $1.94

-26.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.94 $1.94

32.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.02 $2.02

5.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.05 $2.05

44.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.99 $1.99

-8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.99 $0.99

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.02 $1.02

-22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.11 $4.11

-8.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$11.83 $11.83

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.03 $1.03

55.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.96 $1.96

12.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.92 $0.92

60.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.14 $35.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$7.16 $7.16

-31.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.15 $2.15

36.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$4.70 $4.70

327.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.64 $0.64

75.00%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$20.5K $20.5K

21.01%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$25.3K $25.3K

-2.78%

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

$46.09 $46.09

$35.26 $35.26

30.71%

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

$21.21 $21.21

$9.87 $9.87

114.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 $35.34

$39.61 $39.61

-10.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.94 $34.94

$40.56 $40.56

-13.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.92 $9.92

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$5.07 $5.07

-0.79%

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

$150 $150

$107 $107

40.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,759 $4,759

$1,902 $1,902

150.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 $67.3

$19.99 $19.99

236.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.68 $46.68

$30.34 $30.34

53.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$75.6 $75.6

47.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 $69.5

$59.7 $59.7

16.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 $672

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 $1,036

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 $592

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 $633

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,748 $1,748

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$964 $964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 $991

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 Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Last update for Ilopango: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zaragoza

$217 34.1%

Ilopango

$250 15.1% 15.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Zaragoza

$133 20.9%

Ilopango

$84 5.1% 37.1% $49

Eating Out

Zaragoza

$113 17.8%

Ilopango

$89 5.4% 21.2% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaragoza

$103 16.2%

Ilopango

$85 5.1% 17.4% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Zaragoza

$45 7.1%

Ilopango

$51 3.1% 12.7% $5.7

Getting Around

Zaragoza

$25 * 4%

Ilopango

$57 3.4% 123% $31

Accommodation & Living

Zaragoza

- * 0%

Ilopango

$1K 62.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $30 in Zaragoza vs $45 in Ilopango for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $250 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🇸🇻 Ilopango

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

Same time as Zaragoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,749

38,890

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Zaragoza Ilopango 28 km

From you

Zaragoza
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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

Zaragoza vs Ilopango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $953 in Zaragoza and $2,477 in Ilopango 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 $150 in Zaragoza versus $107 in Ilopango. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $30 versus $45 in Ilopango. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,651 in Ilopango, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Ilopango. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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.