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The cost of the monthly basic food basket per family showed different trends in urban and rural areas during may 2026, according to data from the Banco Central de Reserva (BCR). While the cost increased slightly in urban areas compared to april, it registered a slight decrease in rural areas.
In urban areas, the monthly basic food basket rose from US$256,706 in april to US$258,217 in may, representing an increase of US$1,511, equivalent to 0.59%. This means that an urban family needed to allocate slightly more resources to purchase the food items that make up the basic food basket during the fifth month of the year.
Conversely, in rural areas, the cost of the basic food basket decreased from US$186,101 in april to US$185,510 in may. The reduction was US$0.5913, equivalent to a variation of -0.32%, reflecting a slight relief in the monthly expenses of rural families.
Products that influenced the variation
The Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC) of BCR identified several products that influenced the behavior of the basic food basket during may.
Among the products that registered price increases were lunch, with a variation of 0.20%, and tortillas, with an increase of 0.18%, which contributed to the rise observed mainly in the urban basic food basket.
In contrast, some products showed price reductions. Tomatoes decreased by -0.19%, raw beans fell by -0.03%, and paper towels and toilet paper also registered a variation of -0.03%, helping to moderate price behavior, especially in rural areas. The price of tomatoes decreased by -0.19%, raw beans fell by -0.03%, and paper towels and toilet paper also registered a variation of -0.03%, contributing to moderating price behavior, especially in rural areas.
Food sector performance
The BCR also reported that the food and non-alcoholic beverages division registered a monthly variation of 0.29%, with a monthly impact of 0.09 percentage points, while the annual variation was 2.85%.
These results help explain the behavior of the basic food basket during may, since changes in food prices have a direct impact on the cost that Salvadoran families face in acquiring essential consumer products.
According to data from the Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) in may 2026 the cost of the basic food basket showed mixed behavior: it increased in urban areas and decreased in rural areas, influenced by the variations recorded in the prices of food and other consumer products included in the Índice de Precios al Consumidor.
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