Experience in San Salvador, El Salvador by Sergio

What is it like to live in San Salvador? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

Living in San Salvador can be a very rewarding experience. It's pretty much like any other modern, vibrant Latin-American city with a lot to offer for both locals & visitors.
Sometimes people are afraid of delinquency, which as a main city we do have, but not in the scale commented everywhere (Salvadorans are not the bravest, you understand), it's mainly in surrounding cities such as Soyapango and Apopa (which I don't recommend you to visit). As long as you keep in a lightened, crowded place, nothing bad should happen.
For the rest, life in El Salvador's capital city in very pacific. You'll always find warm and friendly neighbors, strong men to help you push your car, a guardian to ask for directions, a shoulder to cry on or even the love of your life.

What is the student lifestyle like in San Salvador?

It is quite stressing. Major universities like UCA or UES are very strict and their students do really have to try to come up with their academic load. As a student, you have to dedicate a huge portion of the day to classes and homework to succeed, as in any other good university. A great tool Salvadorans have learned to use in their favor is technology, so university studs don't mind flooding their social networks and email inboxes with academic-related pods, and they are pretty good at development and research, too. This communication skills lead them to have a very active social life among their classmates, when time allows.
Just some very few students manage to study & work at a time, again, that's because Salvadorans (students AND their parents) prioritize high education so much, and together they don't mind leaving work for the last years at school or after it altogether.
Students learn to be active and independent, and as many of them don't have a car on their own, commuting on buses are their only choice. They're also good at it. It's not rare to see the main bus lines on the university drive packed with campus-ers. All students learn to live on a budget, too.

How much does it cost to live in San Salvador?

It shouldn't be much for a smart buyer. The same way there are ridiculously expensive goods & services for the Salvadorans who can afford them (which are plenty, trust me), there are EQUALLY good items that can be purchased by half, a quarter or 10% of those prices. For example, major restaurant chains (McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Pollo Campero, Mr. Donnut) have «international» fees, okay; but a WHOLE LOT of Salvadoran female entrepreneurs open their small restaurants every day, where they serve delicious, homemade food at reasonable prices. Or if it's clothing what you look for, you don't have to visit Zara, Stradivarious, Nine West, etc. Again, many Salvadorans establish their own businesses with imported pieces at very low prices.
In summary: ANYTHING you can get (but often can't afford) at a large store, can be bought with just a portion of that money at a mom-&-pop's shop, sometimes within the same mall...
When it comes to services such as transportation, utilities and accommodation, let me tell you: they are cheap by nature as well. I live in a large house and I NEVER pay more than US$100/mo. in utilities (water, lights, cable, internet together). And if it is miscellaneous what you seek, visit our very, very San-Salvadorans «10 & 15» stores (they sell from food to toilet wear). You shouldn't have any issue finding one right around the corner.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in San Salvador? Is there any advice you can give?

No it is not. Whether for internal visitors or foreigners, there are always guest houses open for you to stay as long as you need (if you behave well, of course). Sometimes families open their own doors to accommodate students for almost-under-zero prices/mo., and provide food, water, bed and more importantly, company. I've never need accommodation because I live near by the university facilities, but I do realize how many people who need an extra income post on the university walls their ads for a room, apartment or house for rent. If you need to live by the campus, I highly recommend you to visit either the university itself to get in touch with landlords through the ads or the dedicated groups & pages on Facebook (here's one in Spanish: facebook.com/angela.flores.399).

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

No one can visit El Salvador and leave it before tasting our pupusas. This versatile dish can be served as breakfast, lunch, brunch, snack, dinner, anything!, and keep its place as an everyone's favorite. Pupusas have a very broad range of varieties and there are new of them every day.
I mean it when I tell you that you won't starve with at least US$5 in your pocket. People sell fruits, snacks, chips, pastries and complete meals everywhere and around the clock. If you want some advise, let me tell you: prefer the local dishes. Besides being cheaper, they will drag you closer to an authentic Salvadoran experience than a pizza, a chicken bucket or a burger that can be ordered from San Francisco all the way through Moscow or Beijing. Salvadorans have some great cooking skills and they'd like you to taste a bite.

What places would you recommend visiting in San Salvador?

Before you head back to the airport, you ought to visit the center of San Salvador (downtown). It has the densest turmoil of monuments, historical buildings, squares, streets and churches (San Salvador's Cathedral & National Palace are a must), so you'll have the time of your life sightseeing. But not only that--from what I mentioned about good & cheap stores, downtown has 3 out of 4. You'll be amazed at how active commerce is there. Still within downtown, when I want to make souvenir gifts, I go straight to the Former-HQ Market (Mercado Excuartel) and get as much as I can. The Children's Park (Parque Infantil) a few blocks from there will make you remember one of the prettiest universal fables, that of the Little Prince.
You should also head up to World's Savior's square (Salvador del Mundo), around which lays one of the most modern sides of the city. A few miles away, in the upper side, you will find MARTE (Art Museum of El Salvador) with a huge set of exhibits, as well as the Saburo Hirao's Natural History Museum. The entrance fees are very low.
And for the hiking adventure lovers, don't forget to stop by Planes de Rendero (outside the city), where the Devil's Door mountains and the Balboa Park await.

Is it good to eat out in San Salvador? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Yes it is. There are restaurants and eateries all over the city, where food is always delicious and prices affordable. Whether you are North or Latin American, Chinese, Indian, Greek, Italian, Middle-Eastern, etc., you will find part of your country's heritage in some country-themed restaurants where Salvadoran hands cook. When I've wanted pizza, I've been to Krisppy's on Azalea St, where NYC-style pizza is served; I either go to Zen on Masferrer Circle or to Benihanna at La Gran Via mall when I want some Eastern meal, the same way La Tour Bistro is always an option for the French homesicks.
Anyway, long story short, anyone finds their place here, but if you want to taste El Salvador's flavor, go to any Pupuseria (pupusas restaurant) at Colonia Metropolis, where delicious pupusas abound and cool atmosphere is a priority.

Is the nightlife good in San Salvador? Where is good to go?

It is good, but it's shared. Great nightclubs await in the «Pink Zone,» especially on Sergio Viera Blvd, but El Salvador's internationally-recognized nightlife capital is Carmen Drive (Paseo El Carmen) in our twin city Santa Tecla (which, at the end of the day, is part of San Salvador's Metropolitan Area). Bars, pubs, clubs & discos have spread though that single straight drive, so you can go to up to five in one night if you can still walk on your own. Salvadorans have this fresh, sparkling, party-thirsty psyche, so all you'll have to do at any of those places is keep up to their beat.
Drinking age here is 18 +, so the 21-unders who can't wait won't be left behind.

What advice would you give future students heading to San Salvador?

LEARN SPANISH! If it's your mother tongue, ignore this, but for the rest, do never forget at least a small phrasebook and a few Youtube tutorials before heading up here. Salvadorans are not the best at languages and are very proud of Spanish and their own slang, so even if you're an English speaker that thinks it's spoken everywhere (like in a Japanese experience), you'll make your life easier by dusting your Spanish skills off.
For our Spanish and Latin American visitors, I would only recommend to move with the flow. Language barrier doesn't exist, and we Salvadorans have a quite universal conduct code, so it shouldn't be hard. We have a lot of museums, libraries and cyber-stations where, if by any chance you need an extra academic resource, finding it will be easy as pie.