Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ankeny, IA and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Ankeny, IA
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Ankeny, IA Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Ankeny, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,326

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ankeny, IA and in Santiago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ankeny, IA and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,326 in Ankeny, IA versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Ankeny, IA $2,326
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,298 in Ankeny, IA versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Ankeny, IA $3,298
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Ankeny, IA versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Ankeny, IA $4,270
Santiago $2,564

Living in Ankeny, IA is roughly 93% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ankeny, IA is 74% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.62 $19.62

$10.19 CLP 9,931

92.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

51.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$8.54 CLP 8,323

38.17%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$3.19 CLP 3,115

71.16%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.68 CLP 1,637

76.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.22 CLP 1,191

42.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.21 CLP 4,101

20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.79 $5.79

$4.66 CLP 4,539

24.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-31.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 CLP 1,756

61.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.58 CLP 1,543

106.96%

Eggs

$3.96 $3.96

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 $9.65

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-13.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$6.75 CLP 6,580

28.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

40.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$2.04 CLP 1,991

156.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.53 CLP 1,497

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.59 CLP 1,549

207.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.75 CLP 1,708

109.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.08 CLP 1,051

105.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$1.51 CLP 1,476

120.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.17 CLP 1,145

60.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.07 CLP 1,041

147.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$5.14 CLP 5,015

71.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$5.88 CLP 5,732

151.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.55 CLP 1,513

9.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.27 CLP 2,218

8.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.39 CLP 383

425.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.84 CLP 820

51.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.71 $19.71

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

65.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-34.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.7K $35.7K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

97.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.4K $25.4K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

17.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$159 $159

$151 CLP 147.3K

5.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$53.2 $53.2

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

341.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.2 $64.2

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

238.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.0 $74.0

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

118.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$7.37 CLP 7,185

102.85%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,101 $1,101

$434 CLP 423.3K

153.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

8.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.27 $48.27

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

-5.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.89 $34.89

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

33.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

45.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,109 $1,109

$555 CLP 540.8K

100.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$372 CLP 363.2K

206.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,971 $1,971

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

95.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$779 CLP 759.1K

105.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,289 $5,289

$791 CLP 771.7K

568.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

5.39

18.18%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ankeny, IA: October 5, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ankeny, IA

$1.1K 49%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 67.4% $768

Groceries & Markets

Ankeny, IA

$353 15.2%

Santiago

$236 20% 33.1% $117

Eating Out

Ankeny, IA

$314 13.5%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 40.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ankeny, IA

$277 11.9%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 34.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Ankeny, IA

$130 5.6%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 21.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Ankeny, IA

$104 4.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 53.3% $55

Getting Around

Ankeny, IA

$8.4 * 0.4%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 489% $41

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,109 in Ankeny, IA and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ankeny, IA pays 568% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $79.0 in Ankeny, IA vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ankeny, IA

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

00:47 12:47 AM

02:47 2:47 AM

2 h ahead of Ankeny, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,887

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Ankeny, IA Santiago 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ankeny, IA
Santiago

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ankeny, IA vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ankeny, IA and Santiago differ by about 93% in total monthly costs ($2,326 vs $1,206 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 568% higher in Ankeny, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,109 in Ankeny, IA versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Ankeny, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,326 per month in Ankeny, IA versus $1,206 in Santiago – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,326 in Ankeny, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Ankeny, IA. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ankeny, IA and Santiago are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Ankeny, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.