San JosévsSan Salvador
💰
San Salvador saves you $500/month
29% cheaper on rent, food & transport
🛂
Costa Rica offers a digital nomad visa
Long-stay visa for remote workers
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
San José
San Salvador
Total Budget
$1,700/mo
$1,200/mo ✓
Rent (1BR)
$670/mo
$550/mo ✓
Coworking
$175/mo
$100/mo ✓
Meal Out
$6
$4 ✓
Coffee
$3
$3
San Salvador is $500/mo cheaper (42% savings)
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇨🇷 San José
📶 Internet80 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-6
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
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
San José
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp20°C
Rainy Days231/year
Best months: February, January, March, April
San Salvador
ClimateTropical Monsoon
Avg Temp24°C
Rainy Days201/year
Best months: February, January, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
20°24°
Apr
21°25°
Jul
21°24°
Oct
19°23°
San JoséSan Salvador
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇨🇷San José
🌍San Salvador
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,700
$1,200
Winner📶
Internet Speed
80 Mbps
70 Mbps
🛡️
Safety
3.2/5
4/5
Winner⭐
Nomad Score
3.8/10
3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
8/10
8/10
🎉
Nightlife
7/10
7/10
🚶
Walkability
6/10
5/10
👥
Community
large
Winnersmall
1
San José wins
vs
2
San Salvador wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
San Salvador
$500/mo cheaper with similar quality of life
💻Developer
Either works
Both have adequate internet for development work
🦋Social Butterfly
San José
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
San Salvador
Significantly higher safety rating
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Either works
Both have great nightlife
🇨🇷San José
Pros
- +Gateway to Costa Rica's natural wonders
- +Digital nomad visa available since 2022
- +Excellent healthcare system
- +Year-round spring-like weather
Cons
- −Higher cost than other LATAM cities
- −Traffic congestion is severe
- −Downtown safety concerns at night
- −No beach or surf in city
🌍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
