Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arica and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $109 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$109

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arica and in Cape Town

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

A single person spends $109 per month in Arica vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

Arica $109
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $175 per month in Arica vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

Arica $175
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $242 per month in Arica vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

Arica $242
Cape Town $3,306

Arica is about 93% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Arica sits 92% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

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

$1.27 R 20.84

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,133

$0.94 R 15.37

24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 CLP 946

$1.32 R 21.61

-25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 CLP 664

$1.40 R 22.88

-50.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

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

$35.4K R 579.4K

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

$33.4K R 546.7K

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

$117 R 1,918

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

$25.71 R 421

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

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

$308 R 5,040

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.88 CLP 39.4K

$57.4 R 940

-28.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.05 CLP 19.3K

$31.75 R 520

-36.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$53.4 CLP 51.5K

$116 R 1,900

-53.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 CLP 85.9K

$101 R 1,650

-11.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$507 CLP 488.7K

$1,630 R 26.7K

-68.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

-54.09%

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

Last update for Arica: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arica

–

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Groceries & Markets

Arica

–

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arica

–

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Eating Out

Arica

–

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Arica

–

Cape Town

$138 9%

Getting Around

Arica

–

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Arica

–

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Cape Town are about 3.2 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Arica

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

08:09 8:09 AM

5 h ahead of Arica

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,131

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.37 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.24 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 964 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.04 USD). 1 EUR = 1,082 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.24 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arica Cape Town 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Arica
Cape Town

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

Arica vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $109 in Arica, $1,527 in Cape Town – Arica comes out roughly 93% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $163 per month in Arica and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $109 in Arica and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes Arica about 93% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 2176% more in Cape Town, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $109, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $109 in Arica to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Arica. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.