Data
El Salvador cost of living data
Tracked prices in El Salvador — rent, groceries, utilities, transport and healthcare — compiled quarterly from market surveys in San Salvador and the coast.
Single person, monthly, outside the capital
$1,320
Measured in USD. Updated quarterly.
Last checked · updated quarterly
| Item | San Salvador | Santa Ana | Coast |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-bed flat, local standard | $450 | $300 | $500 |
| One-bed flat, foreigner standard | $950 | $600 | $900 |
| Electricity, monthly | $70 | $45 | $120 |
| Fibre internet, 100Mbps | $40 | $35 | $45 |
| Market basket, weekly | $55 | $45 | $60 |
| Supermarket basket, weekly | $85 | $70 | $95 |
| Lunch out | $8 | $5 | $10 |
| Private GP visit | $55 | $40 | $50 |
| Health insurance, 40yo | $85 | $75 | $85 |
| Petrol, per gallon | $4.05 | $4.05 | $4.15 |
Prices are surveyed quarterly across three markets: the capital, a highland city, and the Surf City coast. They cover what a foreign resident actually pays, which is not always what the national statistics show.
The three markets are genuinely different
The coast is the most expensive place to live in El Salvador for anything imported or air-conditioned, and the cheapest for fish. Santa Ana is 30–40% below the capital on housing at a similar standard. San Salvador has the widest spread between local and foreigner pricing.
Electricity is the surprise
Air conditioning on the coast is the largest single utility line for most foreign residents and routinely doubles the bill people budgeted for.
Full monthly budgets by household size are in the cost of living guide.
Source: AH El Salvador quarterly price survey. Compiled by AH El Salvador and last checked September 1, 2026. Free to reproduce with a link.