Puerto Escondido vs San Salvador
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Puerto Escondido
San Salvador
Total Budget
$1,200/mo
$1,200/mo
Rent (1BR)
$650/mo
$550/mo ✓
Coworking
$150/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$4
$4
Coffee
$2.5 ✓
$3
Both cities have similar costs
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌍 San Salvador
📶 Internet70 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London5h
🇩🇪 Berlin4h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Puerto Escondido
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp26°C
Rainy Days138/year
Best months: January, February, March, April
San Salvador
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp24°C
Rainy Days201/year
Best months: February, January, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
25°24°
Apr
27°25°
Jul
27°24°
Oct
26°23°
Puerto EscondidoSan Salvador
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇲🇽Puerto Escondido
🌍San Salvador
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,200
$1,200
📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
70 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
4/5
4/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.1/10
3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
8/10
7/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
5/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
1
Puerto Escondido wins
vs
1
San Salvador wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Either works
Similar costs - choose based on other factors
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
Puerto Escondido
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇲🇽Puerto Escondido
Pros
- +World-class surfing at Zicatela beach with legendary Mexican Pipeline waves
- +Affordable cost of living with rent under $700/month in most areas
- +Growing digital nomad community with regular events and meetups
- +Beautiful beaches from swimming-friendly Carrizalillo to surf mecca Zicatela
Cons
- −Internet unreliable with frequent outages especially in La Punta
- −No Uber or Grab - must negotiate taxi prices or use colectivos
- −Town spread out requiring transportation between neighborhoods
- −Rainy season June-October brings afternoon storms and humidity
🌍San Salvador
Pros
- +Uses USD as currency - no exchange hassle
- +Dramatic safety improvement under Bukele (1.9 homicides per 100k)
- +Affordable cost of living for Central America
- +Excellent pupusas and local cuisine
Cons
- −Limited coworking infrastructure compared to major nomad hubs
- −Traffic congestion and poor walkability
- −State of Exception raises human rights concerns
- −Rainy season can disrupt outdoor activities