Central America is known for being one of the most budget-friendly travel regions of the world. Backpackers and digital nomads flock to these countries to take advantage of what most assume are very reasonable places to live and travel. But with El Salvador only recently blooming into a destination for tourists, many wonder if costs there are as cheap as its neighbors.
I spent one week in El Salvador, enough time to explore plenty of the country. From the beaches of El Tunco to the colonial towns of La Ruta de las Flores, I discovered how cheap El Salvador really is.
How Cheap Is El Salvador?
El Salvador is one of the most affordable countries in Central America for visitors. According to the World Travel Index’s Low Cost Index, El Salvador ranks as the 3rd-cheapest Central American country to visit, behind Honduras and Nicaragua.
The Backpacker Guru, who travels to countries on a budget and tracks costs, deemed El Salvador as the most affordable Central American country, with an average daily spend of $20-40 USD. Keep in mind that costs will be higher if you aren’t prioritizing cutting costs wherever possible like these types of travelers do. Still, a trip to El Salvador won’t do much damage on your wallet.
Breaking Down the Costs of My Trip to El Salvador
While I didn’t track every cost throughout my trip, I do have a lot of receipts!
Note that I do not consider myself a budget traveler, so these costs can easily be reduced. I largely prioritized staying at comfortable, but not over-the-top accommodations. I also took part in a couple more expensive activities and ate at a couple nice restaurants, though I also indulged in quite of bit of street food and local family restaurants.
Accommodations
I spent $205 for five nights in El Salvador, coming out to $41 per night. I stayed at two places, Casa Degraciela in the beautiful town of Ataco and Hostal Casa Verde in Santa Ana. Both were ridiculously affordable, and surprisingly luxurious.
My room at Casa Degraciela was $90 per night for two people, coming out to $45 per person. This was one of the best value stays of my entire life. The rooms were nice, with a comfortable queen bed and beautiful bathroom. But the service, food, and courtyard were fantastic. It felt like 5-star service. The breakfasts were particularly superb. And the bar that stays open as late as you want it to will serve you any drink you want. The hotel had a beautiful courtyard, providing space to rest or read a book in a nice comfy chair.
Food
I didn’t track the cost of each meal I had, but you can eat well in El Salvador for less $5 USD per meal. I’d say the average I spent was closer to $10 USD per meal, but keep in mind that I wasn’t really worrying about how much I was spending. A coffee typically costs around $1-2 USD, while a beer costs around $2 USD.
Activities
El Salvador is great because there’s so much to do, but it’s such a small country that you can cover a lot of ground. I hiked up Volcan Izalco (since the Santa Ana Volcano hike was closed), which had to be done with a guide. That hike came out to $8 USD after a $5 entry fee to the national park and $3 payment to our guide.
Free walking tours are common in cities like historical Santa Ana and bustling San Salvador. I did a memorable walking tour with Hector in Santa Ana before tipping $15 USD for the 2-hour tour. Regardless, you’ll be able to find super affordable and interesting walking tours for very cheap.
My hosts at Casa Degraciela got me in touch with a local who takes people around on his ATVs. The man was incredibly friendly, and despite the language barrier (I speak very little Spanish) we had a great time with him. He took us to a couple secret viewpoints around the surrounding mountains of Ataco. For a 60 to 90-minute ride, we paid $40 per person.
While I did not partake, you can also take surfing lessons in places like El Tunco and El Zonte. Lessons generally range around $40-50 USD, which is quite reasonable.
Getting Around by Rental Car
I used a rental car to get around El Salvador, which was surprisingly stress-free. The rental car company I used, Agencia Josue, was highly professional and provided a nice SUV. I paid $320 over five days, coming out to $64 per day for the car. They have cheaper cars as well, but I figured it was worth investing a few extra dollars per day for a nice SUV. All communication was handled swiftly over WhatsApp.
How Much Did I Spend in El Salvador?
Putting everything together, I spent about $175 per day in El Salvador. This includes accommodation ($41 USD per night), rental car ($64 USD per day), food and drink ($30 USD per day), some souvenir shopping ($15 USD per day), and miscellaneous activities ($30 USD per day). Note that I was not traveling on a budget. If you want to keep expenses under $100 per day in El Salvador, you can do so quite easily. In fact, I think $60 or $70 per day is doable, as long as you’re OK with not having your own car.
The most costly expense for El Salvador will be your flight. It’s not the cheapest country to fly to, but you can get reasonable direct flights to San Salvador from major cities like Houston and Atlanta.
In-Summary: Is El Salvador Cheap?
Yes, El Salvador is a very affordable place to visit. Even by Central American standards, this country is known to be cheap. Colombia is the only country I’ve traveled that is on par with El Salvador in terms of affordability.
I had a fantastic experience in El Salvador. Locals are welcoming, the country is currently very safe, and there is so much to see and do. I’d highly recommend giving it a visit!
