Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zaragoza, El Salvador and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $1,629 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
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Zaragoza Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
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San Salvador Living Index

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Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,629

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,629 in San Salvador.

Zaragoza $635
San Salvador $1,629

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,036 in Zaragoza versus $2,449 in San Salvador.

Zaragoza $1,036
San Salvador $2,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,437 in Zaragoza versus $3,269 in San Salvador.

Zaragoza $1,437
San Salvador $3,269

Living in Zaragoza costs roughly 61% less than in San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Zaragoza is 53% below, San Salvador is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.95 $6.95

$6.58 $6.58

5.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.51 $29.51

$44.57 $44.57

-33.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 $6.96

$7.06 $7.06

-1.42%

Cappuccino

$1.54 $1.54

$3.62 $3.62

-57.46%

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

$1.11 $1.11

$1.13 $1.13

-1.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.79 $0.79

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.97 $1.97

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$3.50 $3.50

-39.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.79 $1.79

-0.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.91 $2.91

-21.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.37 $1.37

-29.20%

Eggs

$2.50 $2.50

$2.99 $2.99

-16.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.49 $7.49

$7.81 $7.81

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$6.92 $6.92

-43.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$10.07 $10.07

-46.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.93 $4.93

-19.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

Oranges (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.54 $3.54

-39.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.98 $2.98

-0.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$3.26 $3.26

-44.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.95 $0.95

1.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 $0.79

$0.93 $0.93

-15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.77 $3.77

$4.05 $4.05

-6.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$11.77 $11.77

-30.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.28 $2.28

-29.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.92 $2.92

-24.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.31 $0.31

377.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.77 $14.77

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$5.97 $5.97

-17.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.04 $3.04

-3.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.10 $20.10

$19.88 $19.88

1.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.25 $1.25

-10.40%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

-2.72%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.7K $26.7K

-7.81%

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

$46.09 $46.09

$129 $129

-64.23%

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

$21.21 $21.21

$20.87 $20.87

1.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.34 $35.34

$42.10 $42.10

-16.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.94 $34.94

$29.34 $29.34

19.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.36 $21.36

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 $5.03

$5.13 $5.13

-1.95%

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

$150 $150

$161 $161

-6.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,759 $4,759

$4,729 $4,729

0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.3 $67.3

$66.4 $66.4

1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.68 $46.68

$47.50 $47.50

-1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$120 $120

-7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 $69.5

$117 $117

-40.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$893 $893

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$776 $776

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,792 $1,792

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,366 $1,366

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,817 $2,817

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,839 $1,839

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$376 $376

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 Zaragoza: October 24, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Zaragoza

$217 34.1%

San Salvador

$285 17.5% 31.5% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Zaragoza

$133 20.9%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 19% $25

Eating Out

Zaragoza

$113 17.8%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 25.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zaragoza

$103 16.2%

San Salvador

$192 11.8% 86.9% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Zaragoza

$45 7.1%

San Salvador

$40 2.4% 12% $5.4

Getting Around

Zaragoza

$25 * 4%

San Salvador

$37 2.3% 46% $12

Accommodation & Living

Zaragoza

- * 0%

San Salvador

$776 47.7%

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 San Salvador for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $285 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

06:01 6:01 AM

Same time as Zaragoza

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,749

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Zaragoza San Salvador 16 km

From you

Zaragoza
San Salvador

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 San Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in San Salvador. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Zaragoza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $953 in Zaragoza and $2,444 in San Salvador 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 $161 in San Salvador. 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 San Salvador. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $1,629 in San Salvador, a $800 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in San Salvador. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.