What It Costs to Send Money to El Salvador from the US
In the 2024 Q3 World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide quarterly survey, sending USD 200 from the United States to El Salvador carried a median total cost of 4.00% and an average total cost of 4.29% of the amount sent. Total cost as used in this survey combines two components: the explicit transfer fee charged by the provider and the exchange-rate margin, which is the difference between the mid-market rate and the rate actually applied to the transaction.
Across the 49 providers surveyed in that same 2024 Q3 snapshot, the range of total costs was wide, running from a low of 0.00% to a high of 9.00% of the USD 200 send amount. MoneyGram was the cheapest surveyed provider in the 2024 Q3 data; because survey results are updated quarterly, the provider ranking may have changed since that date.
Costs within this corridor can differ depending on how the sender funds the transfer (for example, bank account versus debit card), how the recipient receives the funds, and the amount being sent. The World Bank survey is refreshed each quarter, so figures cited here reflect the 2024 Q3 snapshot only. The per-provider table below lists the individual dated survey quotes for each of the 49 providers included in that period.
Surveyed providers (2024 Q3)
| Provider | Type | Pay-out | Speed (surveyed) | Total cost, $200 | Total cost, $500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MoneyGram | MTO | Internet | Next day | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Internet | Less than one hour | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| MoneyGram | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Walmart2World | Bank | Agent | Less than one hour | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Remitly | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 1.51% | 0.61% |
| Western Union | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.00% | 2.00% |
| Ria | MTO | Internet | 3-5 days | 2.00% | 0.98% |
| Remitly | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 2.01% | 0.81% |
| Ria | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 3.00% | — |
| Ria | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 3.00% | — |
| Pangea | MTO | Internet | Less than one hour | 3.48% | 2.19% |
| Intermex | MTO | Agent | Same day | 3.50% | 2.20% |
| Intermex | MTO | Agent | Same day | 3.50% | 2.20% |
| Casa de Cambio Delgado | MTO | Agent | Less than one hour | 3.50% | 1.90% |
Total cost = transfer fee + exchange-rate margin, as a percent of the amount sent, at the two surveyed send amounts ($200 / $500). Surveyed prices, not live quotes.
Estimate your transfer cost →Source: The World Bank, Remittance Prices Worldwide, available at http://remittanceprices.worldbank.org (CC BY 4.0). Figures are from the 2024 Q3 survey — surveyed prices, not live quotes.