Managua vs San Salvador - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated: March 11, 2026

	Managua	San Salvador
🚶 Cost of living one person	$796	$1274
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family	$1965	$2896
🏠 One person rent	$306	$731
🏘️ Family rent	$508	$1288
🍽️ Food expenses	$343	$363
🚐 Transport expenses	$46.3	$80.9
💳 Monthly salary after tax	$192	$374
😷 Air quality	Moderate	Moderate
✈️ Airport proximity	11 km	8 km
🎓 Higher education	33	41
😀 Quality of life	44	58
🏙️ Population	937K	331K

The cost of living in Managua is 37% less expensive than in San Salvador. Cities ranked 6766th and 4626th ($796 vs $1274) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 3rd 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 0.2 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 7366th and 6148th among best cities to live in the world.

Salary adjustment calculator
the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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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	$4.88	$7.12
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2	$40	$36.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's	$7.3	$7.29
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.37	$2.01
☕ Cappuccino	$2.32	$3.75
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz	$0.81	$1.15
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$263	$745
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2	$197	$597
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$481	$1344
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2	$353	$1100
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$59.7	$66
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.	$92.5	$101
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited	$36.6	$38.1
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years	10.27%	8.51%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$1227	$2752
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2	$507	$1817
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket	$0.14	$0.35
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport	$6.06	$17.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi	$6.79	$25.8
⛽ Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal	$1.33	$1.01
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt	$1.23	$1.88
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb	$2.42	$2.14
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.75	$1.25
🥚 Eggs, x12	$2.27	$2.72
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$11.6	$7.78
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$6.38	$6.25
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$7.34	$9.44
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.88	$3.97
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$0.87	$1.89
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$1.8	$2.97
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.23	$2.61
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$3.92	$2.4
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb	$2.22	$2.44
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt	$0.69	$0.69
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz	$1.45	$1.99
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle	$14.6	$11.5
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz	$1.44	$1.98
🚬 Cigarette pack	$2.67	$4.03
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week	$6.24	$6.18
🧴 Hair Shampoo	$5.23	$6.94
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls	$2.9	$2.81
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube	$1.6	$2.21
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month	$35.4	$31.7
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person	$8	$5.32
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit	$21	$38.7
💇 Haircut, simple	$4.81	$8.02
👖 Brand Jeans	$76.7	$63.3
👟 Brand Sneakers	$133	$119
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month	$142	$162
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year	$6061	$5551

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	$812
42 km or 26 mi	Granada	$699
74 km or 46 mi	Leon	$754
93 km or 58 mi	Matagalpa	$679
95 km or 59 mi	Juigalpa	$782
104 km or 65 mi	Esteli	$687
108 km or 67 mi	Chinandega	$787
108 km or 67 mi	Jinotega	$470
109 km or 68 mi	San Juan del Sur	$840
192 km or 119 mi	Liberia	$957
211 km or 131 mi	Tamarindo	$1832
239 km or 148 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
255 km or 159 mi	San Miguel	$1120
272 km or 169 mi	Usulutan	$1109
288 km or 179 mi	Puntarenas	$825
297 km or 185 mi	Comayagua	$705
303 km or 188 mi	Santa Teresa	$1273
326 km or 203 mi	Alajuela	$1323
335 km or 208 mi	Heredia	$1378
343 km or 213 mi	San Jose	$1454
345 km or 214 mi	Yoro	$737
361 km or 224 mi	Soyapango	$1246
361 km or 224 mi	San Salvador	$1274
361 km or 224 mi	Cartago	$1290
365 km or 227 mi	Mejicanos	$1237
365 km or 227 mi	Apopa	$1221
369 km or 229 mi	Santa Tecla	$1178
398 km or 247 mi	El Progreso	$804
400 km or 248 mi	Villanueva	$823
406 km or 252 mi	La Lima	$815
408 km or 253 mi	La Ceiba	$626
408 km or 254 mi	Santa Ana	$734
412 km or 256 mi	Sonsonate	$897
418 km or 260 mi	San Pedro Sula	$1015
427 km or 265 mi	Limon	$1332
430 km or 267 mi	Choloma	$668
435 km or 270 mi	Ahuachapan	$1470
453 km or 282 mi	Puerto Cortes	$739
489 km or 304 mi	Jalapa	$1062
533 km or 331 mi	San Miguel Petapa	$1065

Cities near San Salvador

Distance	City	Cost of living
5.2 km or 3.2 mi	Mejicanos	$1237
6.1 km or 3.8 mi	Soyapango	$1246
11 km or 6.8 mi	Santa Tecla	$1178
11 km or 7 mi	Apopa	$1221
49 km or 30 mi	Santa Ana	$734
57 km or 35 mi	Sonsonate	$897
75 km or 46 mi	Ahuachapan	$1470
89 km or 55 mi	Usulutan	$1109
112 km or 69 mi	San Miguel	$1120
135 km or 84 mi	Jalapa	$1062
172 km or 107 mi	San Miguel Petapa	$1065
176 km or 109 mi	Guatemala City	$1168
185 km or 115 mi	Mixco	$720
187 km or 116 mi	Comayagua	$705
219 km or 136 mi	Tegucigalpa	$863
220 km or 137 mi	Villanueva	$823
235 km or 146 mi	Coban	$936
236 km or 147 mi	San Pedro Sula	$1015
237 km or 147 mi	La Lima	$815
241 km or 150 mi	Panajachel	$900
241 km or 150 mi	El Progreso	$804
250 km or 156 mi	Choloma	$668
253 km or 157 mi	Chinandega	$787
266 km or 165 mi	Mazatenango	$938
273 km or 170 mi	Yoro	$737
277 km or 172 mi	Puerto Cortes	$739
281 km or 174 mi	Quetzaltenango	$847
282 km or 175 mi	Momostenango	$934
287 km or 178 mi	Leon	$754
315 km or 196 mi	Esteli	$687
347 km or 216 mi	La Ceiba	$626
352 km or 219 mi	Jinotega	$470
357 km or 222 mi	Tapachula	$761
361 km or 224 mi	Managua	$796
365 km or 227 mi	Matagalpa	$679
367 km or 228 mi	Flores	$990
385 km or 239 mi	San Ignacio	$1054
387 km or 240 mi	Masaya	$812
397 km or 247 mi	Belmopan	$1007
402 km or 250 mi	Granada	$699