North America
El Salvador
Payments1
Apple Pay / Google Pay
Use instead: Cash (USD is the currency)
El Salvador uses the US dollar, so your cards and cash work as-is; tap-to-pay is common in San Salvador but many smaller places are cash-only.
Messaging1
No direct substitute
WhatsApp is how everything gets arranged in El Salvador — tours, taxis, hotels.
Maps & Navigation1
Google Maps / Waze
No direct substitute
Google Maps and Waze both work well, including for driving the coast and the Ruta de las Flores.
Ride-hailing1
Uber
Use instead: inDrive / DiDi
Uber works well in San Salvador and to the airport; outside the capital coverage thins — inDrive and licensed taxis fill the gap.
Internet Access1
US carrier roaming
Use instead: Local eSIM (Airalo / Holafly) or Tigo / Claro SIM
US roaming works but is pricey; a travel eSIM or a cheap Tigo/Claro SIM is the better deal.
Social Media Access1
Instagram / Facebook / X
No direct substitute
All major social apps work normally.