What El Salvador Actually Is: 6?

6.3 million people; smallest continental American country (~8,100 sq mi); densely populated central highland zone

What El Salvador Actually Is: Civil war 1980-1992 (~75,000 deaths); post-war gang activity made country among most dangerous globally for decades?

Civil war 1980-1992 (~75,000 deaths); post-war gang activity made country among most dangerous globally for decades

Tourist entry: 90 days CA-4 combined (El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua); 90-day extensions available

Pensionado Residency: $1,200/month foreign pension income — moderate threshold by regional standards

Healthcare meaningfully limited; weaker than Costa Rica/Panama; better than Honduras/Nicaragua at major centers

Private healthcare concentrated in San Salvador: Hospital de Diagnóstico, Hospital de la Mujer, others

Among more affordable countries in Central America; meaningfully cheaper than Costa Rica/Panama; comparable to Honduras

Comfortable surf coast retirement: $1,500-2,500/month for a couple

No major restrictions on foreign property ownership in most of country; rural agricultural restrictions apply above 245 hectares

Process: Promesa de Compraventa → due diligence → Escritura before Notary → Property Registry

Worldwide-income system for tax residents (200+ days); not territorial like Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay

Annual property tax effective rate among lowest in Latin America: typically 0.05-0.4% of market value

Name: El Salvador
Address: El Salvador

Honest guide to living in El Salvador for foreign buyers — Bitcoin legal tender, dollarized economy, Pacific surf coast, trade-offs.