El Salvador, San Salvador

Country Full Name: Republic of El Salvador.

Location: El Salvador is in Central America, bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Guatemala and Honduras.

Country Climate: Tropical; rainy season (May to October); dry season (November to April); tropical on coast; temperate in uplands.

Country Terrain: Mostly mountains with narrow coastal belt and central plateau.

Major Languages: Spanish.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 2.4 Mil (2012 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of El Salvador has been hampered by natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, but El Salvador currently has a steadily growing economy. The service sector is the largest component of GDP at 64%, followed by the industrial sector at 25%. Agriculture represents only 11% of GDP.

Currency: US Dollar (USD).

Inflation: 5.1% (2011 est.).

San Salvador is the capital and largest city of the nation of El Salvador.

San Salvador is home to one-half of El Salvador's wealth. The city offers the widest boulevards in Central America and is served by a railroad that connects to other cities.

The cost of living in San Salvador in El Salvador is very low compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. San Salvador in El Salvador is currently ranked 734 overall out of 780 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 780 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very low compared to other places for items such as alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, wine (where alcohol is legally sold) and tobacco related products. There are 755 places that are more expensive, and 24 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are very low compared to other places for items such as business suits, casual clothing, children's clothing, coats, evening wear, footwear, hats, shoe repairs and underwear. There are 705 places that are more expensive, and 74 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are low compared to other places for various communication costs such as call charges, home telephone rental, internet connection, mobile data costs, mobile phone contract and service provider fees. There are 523 places that are more expensive, and 256 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are low compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, primary school fees, high school fees and tertiary study fees. There are 577 places that are more expensive, and 202 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very low compared to other places for items such as DVD player, fridge freezer, furniture, household equipment, iron, kettle, light bulbs, microwave, television, toaster, vacuum cleaner and washing machine. There are 661 places that are more expensive, and 118 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are very low compared to other places for items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning materials, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs. There are 769 places that are more expensive, and 10 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are very low compared to other places for general healthcare, general practitioner consultation rates, healthcare/medical insurance, hospital private ward daily rate and non-prescription medicine. There are 727 places that are more expensive, and 52 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are average compared to other places for items such as accommodation, apartment, flat, house, villa, rent, electricity, household fuels, household gas, water, and local property rates / residential taxes / levies. There are 462 places that are more expensive, and 317 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are very low compared to other places for items such as dry cleaning, general goods, general services, linen, magazines, maid, newspapers, office supplies, postage stamps and stationery. There are 658 places that are more expensive, and 121 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are very low compared to other places for items such as cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer, nappies, pain relief tablets, shampoo, soap, sun block, toilet paper and toothpaste. There are 663 places that are more expensive, and 116 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are high compared to other places for items such as books, camera, cinema tickets, fitness/health club membership, sports goods and theatre tickets. There are 265 places that are more expensive, and 514 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are very low compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a family restaurant (non fast food), 4 star and 5 star hotel rates and take away meal (fast food). There are 745 places that are more expensive, and 34 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are very low compared to other places for items such as car hire purchase, car insurance, car lease, car maintenance, car rental, car service, diesel, petrol, tyres and public transport. There are 697 places that are more expensive, and 82 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for San Salvador in El Salvador are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, San Salvador in El Salvador is ranked as extreme hardship with a hardship index of 40%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for San Salvador in El Salvador are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is as at 1 April 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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