San Salvador at a glance
- San Salvador is the most expensive of El Salvador's 3 priced cities: $1,303 a month in essentials, 89% above Santa Ana at $689.
- The average net salary of $380 covers that 0.3×.
- 87.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at unit level.
- PM2.5 averages 12.8 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 El Salvador cities we track, so every row says whether San Salvador is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,303 | $953 | 1.37× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $770 | $538 | 1.43× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $899 | $736 | $164 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $153 | $153 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $170 | $170 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $172 | $172 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $38 | $28 | 1.36× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $380 | $399 | $19 |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $1,360 | $864 | 1.57× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,810 | $1,100 | 1.65× as much |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in San Salvador, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $7.00 | $7.00 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $43.50 | $43.50 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.00 | $7.00 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.62 | $3.60 | $0.02 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.00 | $2.00 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.50 | $3.50 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.10 | $1.10 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.83 | $0.83 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.82 | $1.82 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.85 | $2.85 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.41 | $1.41 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $3.08 | $3.08 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $7.71 | $7.71 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $6.97 | $6.97 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $4.67 | $4.67 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.50 | $1.50 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.97 | $2.97 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.40 | $2.40 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $2.49 | $2.49 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.95 | $0.95 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.35 | $0.35 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $37.50 | ||
| Taxi start | $6.00 | $6.00 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $3.00 | $3.00 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.19 | $1.19 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $129.92 | $129.92 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $42.50 | $42.50 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $21.25 | $21.25 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $31.60 | $30.18 | $1.43 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $5.00 | $5.00 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
San Salvador has 87.9 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (unit level). That is the 6th-highest of 7 El Salvador cities we track. El Salvador's national figure is 100.2, so San Salvador runs 12 below the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How San Salvador ranks against every city we track
San Salvador sits ahead of 94% of the 892 cities we track on women aged 20–39. On cost of living it is ahead of 42% of 542. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 2% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where San Salvador sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Frankjh, CC BY-SA 3.0.
