El Salvador’s property market in 2026 so far

Where the year is heading

• Registered transactions up 20% through May compared with the same period a year earlier (CNR).
• 25,381 properties worth $720 million registered in the first months of the year (CNR, as of mid-May).
• $4,500 to $5,000 million is where the CNR expects 2026 to close if the trend holds. A projection, not a result.
• $3,500 to $4,000 million of construction investment expected for 2026 (CASALCO estimate).
• Construction and real estate together account for 17% of GDP and at least 165,000 direct jobs (CASALCO).

Building in Greater San Salvador

• 87 towers under construction as of May 2026 (OPAMSS).
• Authorized investment expected to reach $8,000 million by the end of 2026 (OPAMSS projection).

What new apartments cost

Published starting prices of projects under way in 2026:

• Escalón: from $162,000, units of 51 to 108 m².
• Nuevo Cuscatlán: from about $175,000.
• Las Ramblas: $268,500 to $368,000, units of 86 to 118 m².
• La Libertad Este: from $285,500, units from 101 m².

Source: Diario El Mundo, June 2026. These are developers’ list prices, not closed sales.

Who is buying

• Salvadorans abroad buy 30% to 35% of new homes (CASALCO).
• Many buy to rent, including short-term rentals (CASALCO).
• The strongest demand is for homes under $100,000, with mortgages of up to 30 years (CASALCO).
• The housing deficit is estimated at 500,000 to 600,000 homes (CASALCO estimate).
• More than 4,000 companies were created in 2026 by June, 32% more than a year earlier (CNR).

What we left out

Some figures that circulate about this market, such as the share of purchases paid in cash or a national average price per square metre, do not come with a source we could verify. So they are not here.

What it means if you are buying

• Most new apartments are sold off-plan. Hold the money in escrow until the conditions are met, not in the developer’s account.
• Buying from abroad is now a third of new-home demand. How to send the money safely and how to prove where it comes from.
• Before any deposit, verify the property at the CNR.

Sources

1. Diario El Mundo: property sales up 20% through May 2026 (CNR)
2. Infobae, 15 May 2026: CNR figures for 2025 and registration times
3. Forbes Centroamérica, 3 Mar 2026: construction expects $3,500-4,000 million of investment in 2026 (CASALCO)
4. Diario El Mundo, 18 Jun 2026: housing construction in San Salvador, projects, prices and zones (OPAMSS)
5. Infobae, 22 Jul 2026: the diaspora buys 30% of new homes (CASALCO)
6. Infobae, 9 Jun 2026: 4,000+ companies created in 2026, up 32% (CNR)