Managua vs San Salvador - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 02, 2025

	Managua	San Salvador
🚶 Cost of living one person	$738	$1204
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$1935	$2687
🏠 One person rent	$273	$656
🏘️ Family rent	$566	$1067
🍽️ Food expenses	$325	$363
🚐 Transport expenses	$43.2	$85.4
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$416	$418
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	11 km	8 km
🎓 Higher education	33	42
😀 Quality of life	43	50
🏙️ Population	937K	316K

The cost of living in Managua is 39% less expensive than in San Salvador. Cities ranked 6728th and 4469th ($738 vs $1204) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 2nd and 2nd in Nicaragua and El Salvador, respectively. Check Nicaragua vs El Salvador comparison.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.6 months in Managua compared to 0.3 months in San Salvador. Managua ranked 1st best city to live in Nicaragua vs San Salvador ranked 1st in El Salvador, while ranked 6714th and 6219th among best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Managua vs San Salvador infographic

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Prices in Managua vs San Salvador

Prices for goods and services in Managua and San Salvador are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

	Managua	San Salvador
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu	$4.9	$9.72
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$29.5	$27.7
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$7.27	$7.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.3	$2.12
☕ Cappuccino	$2.17	$3.79
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.76	$1.16
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$232	$736
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$169	$512
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$435	$1236
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$449	$860
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$54.5	$62.9
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$83.1	$95.7
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$36.9	$36
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	11.3%	9.37%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$1162	$2408
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$441	$1341
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.14	$0.35
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$5.96	$22.2
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$5.98	$26.7
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.32	$1.14
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.16	$2.07
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$2.26	$1.67
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.7	$1.37
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.18	$3.1
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$8.8	$7.63
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$6.36	$6.38
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.86	$10.4
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$4.24	$3.12
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.95	$1.68
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.75	$2.57
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.22	$2.52
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.83	$2.18
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.21	$2.16
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.72	$0.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.29	$2.23
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$14.7	$15.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.35	$1.56
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.68	$4.03
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$5.58	$6.95
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$4	$6
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$2.64	$2.33
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.33	$1.68
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$36.1	$32.5
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$7.99	$5.88
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$21	$38.7
💇 Haircut, simple	$3.84	$8.88
👖 Brand Jeans	$76.8	$63
👟 Brand Sneakers	$119	$115
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$124	$161
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$5713	$5642

Cost of living in other countries

Cost of living

Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Managua

Distance	City	Cost of living
27 km or 17 mi	Masaya	$710
42 km or 26 mi	Granada	$701
74 km or 46 mi	Leon	$632
93 km or 58 mi	Matagalpa	$624
95 km or 59 mi	Juigalpa	$666
104 km or 65 mi	Esteli	$598
108 km or 67 mi	Chinandega	$638
108 km or 67 mi	Jinotega	$455
109 km or 68 mi	San Juan del Sur	$839
192 km or 119 mi	Liberia	$932
211 km or 131 mi	Tamarindo	$1710
239 km or 148 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
255 km or 159 mi	San Miguel	$1088
272 km or 169 mi	Usulutan	$1083
288 km or 179 mi	Puntarenas	$801
297 km or 185 mi	Comayagua	$753
303 km or 188 mi	Santa Teresa	$1213
326 km or 203 mi	Alajuela	$1269
335 km or 208 mi	Heredia	$1296
343 km or 213 mi	San Jose	$1324
345 km or 214 mi	Yoro	$755
361 km or 224 mi	Soyapango	$1182
361 km or 224 mi	San Salvador	$1204
361 km or 224 mi	Cartago	$1024
365 km or 227 mi	Mejicanos	$1175
365 km or 227 mi	Apopa	$1160
369 km or 229 mi	Santa Tecla	$1194
398 km or 247 mi	El Progreso	$903
400 km or 248 mi	Villanueva	$897
406 km or 252 mi	La Lima	$897
408 km or 253 mi	La Ceiba	$626
408 km or 254 mi	Santa Ana	$698
412 km or 256 mi	Sonsonate	$884
418 km or 260 mi	San Pedro Sula	$1047
427 km or 265 mi	Limon	$1225
430 km or 267 mi	Choloma	$719
435 km or 270 mi	Ahuachapan	$1449
453 km or 282 mi	Puerto Cortes	$788
489 km or 304 mi	Jalapa	$936
533 km or 331 mi	San Miguel Petapa	$941

Cities near San Salvador

Distance	City	Cost of living
5.2 km or 3.2 mi	Mejicanos	$1175
6.1 km or 3.8 mi	Soyapango	$1182
11 km or 6.8 mi	Santa Tecla	$1194
11 km or 7 mi	Apopa	$1160
49 km or 30 mi	Santa Ana	$698
57 km or 35 mi	Sonsonate	$884
75 km or 46 mi	Ahuachapan	$1449
89 km or 55 mi	Usulutan	$1083
112 km or 69 mi	San Miguel	$1088
135 km or 84 mi	Jalapa	$936
172 km or 107 mi	San Miguel Petapa	$941
176 km or 109 mi	Guatemala City	$1070
185 km or 115 mi	Mixco	$653
187 km or 116 mi	Comayagua	$753
219 km or 136 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
220 km or 137 mi	Villanueva	$897
235 km or 146 mi	Coban	$916
236 km or 147 mi	San Pedro Sula	$1047
237 km or 147 mi	La Lima	$897
241 km or 150 mi	Panajachel	$819
241 km or 150 mi	El Progreso	$903
250 km or 156 mi	Choloma	$719
253 km or 157 mi	Chinandega	$638
266 km or 165 mi	Mazatenango	$886
273 km or 170 mi	Yoro	$755
277 km or 172 mi	Puerto Cortes	$788
281 km or 174 mi	Quetzaltenango	$784
282 km or 175 mi	Momostenango	$881
287 km or 178 mi	Leon	$632
315 km or 196 mi	Esteli	$598
347 km or 216 mi	La Ceiba	$626
352 km or 219 mi	Jinotega	$455
357 km or 222 mi	Tapachula	$632
361 km or 224 mi	Managua	$738
365 km or 227 mi	Matagalpa	$624
367 km or 228 mi	Flores	$878
385 km or 239 mi	San Ignacio	$1034
387 km or 240 mi	Masaya	$710
397 km or 247 mi	Belmopan	$973
402 km or 250 mi	Granada	$701