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Costs, El Salvador

Maria Kowalska

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Day-to-day living is, for foreigners at least, very cheap in El Salvador. A cup of coffee will cost US$0.25-60, while a soft drink will be US$0.50 and fresh juice US$1. Cigarettes are around US$1.40 a packet, while a meal in an ordinary café will set you back around US$2-3. Also very good value are bus fares . In expensive hotels and restaurants, service charges and taxes are added to the bill automatically; room taxes are 13 percent while service charges are 7-10 percent. If you're spending less than around US$30 a night for a room however, the tax is usually not charged. There's no entry tax if you arrive by bus or plane (though you'll have to purchase a US$5 entry card); travellers entering by car have to pay a fee - there have been stories about people bringing cars into the country being overcharged, so it's best to check with a Salvadorean embassy for the correct schedule of prices before you arrive. The airport departure tax is currently US$28, which must be paid in cash.