Budget Worksheets

Free worksheets, current prices, and links that go with Chapter 3. Checked October 2026.

In the book: Chapter 3

The chapter answers "Can we afford it?" with real numbers:

• What's cheaper in El Salvador, what costs the same, and what costs more
• A family of five's real monthly budget, compared with their last US budget
• A sample budget for a retired couple, built from official prices
• Income from the US, working remotely, and working in El Salvador
• How to build your own budget, step by step

Free monthly budget worksheet

Compare what you pay now with what you'd pay in El Salvador, plus the one-time costs of the move.

• Printable worksheet (PDF)
• Spreadsheet that does the math (Excel): opens in Excel, Apple Numbers, or Google Sheets.
• Or make your own copy in Google Sheets (needs a free Google account; your copy is private to you).

Housing (as of October 2026)

• Rent: two-bedroom apartments in middle-class areas of greater San Salvador were listed for about $650 to $1,000 a month in October 2026, and from about $1,200 in Escalón and San Benito. Rental listings on Encuentra24 (in Spanish)

Utilities and fuel (as of October 2026)

• Electricity tariffs: CAESS and the other AES companies and DELSUR (in Spanish)
• Water tariff: ANDA (in Spanish)
• Propane: $11.13 for a 25-pound tank (October 2026). Prices are set monthly by the Dirección General de Energía, Hidrocarburos y Minas (in Spanish).
• Gasoline and diesel: regular $4.80, diesel $4.86 a gallon in the central zone (October 13 to 26, 2026). Prices are set every two weeks by the same office.

Wages and food (as of October 2026)

• Minimum wage, commerce and services: $408.80 a month (since June 1, 2025).
• Official food basket (canasta básica): $264.73 a month in cities (August 2026), Oficina Nacional de Estadística y Censos (in Spanish).

Taxes (as of October 2026)

• Ministerio de Hacienda (in Spanish): taxes, the tax ID (NIT), and taxpayer services.
• Written ruling on income from abroad for resident rentistas (in Spanish)