Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Arlington, TX and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $2,439 in Arlington, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Arlington, TX
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Arlington, TX Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Arlington, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,439

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Arlington, TX 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 Arlington, TX and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,439 in Arlington, TX versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Arlington, TX $2,439
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,647 in Arlington, TX versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Arlington, TX $3,647
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,855 in Arlington, TX versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Arlington, TX $4,855
Santiago $2,595

Living in Arlington, TX is roughly 105% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Arlington, TX is 81% above, Santiago is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

96.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.3 $55.3

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

6.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$8.94 CLP 8,805

13.09%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$3.26 CLP 3,211

49.08%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$1.67 CLP 1,640

53.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.23 CLP 1,212

86.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.38 $5.38

$3.98 CLP 3,914

35.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.68 $6.68

$4.54 CLP 4,465

47.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.28 CLP 1,263

-39.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.64 $3.64

$1.85 CLP 1,817

96.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$1.59 CLP 1,567

230.82%

Eggs

$2.67 $2.67

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-34.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 $10.60

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-7.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$6.69 CLP 6,586

95.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.02 $18.02

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

66.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.94 CLP 1,905

128.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.52 CLP 1,497

75.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.60 CLP 1,577

220.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.69 CLP 1,668

137.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.10 CLP 1,084

130.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.52 CLP 1,500

96.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.18 CLP 1,164

61.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 CLP 1,061

90.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$5.07 CLP 4,995

87.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.03 $12.03

$5.95 CLP 5,858

102.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.49 CLP 1,470

34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.38 CLP 2,342

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.83 CLP 821

633.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

0.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.40 CLP 393

632.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$0.91 CLP 897

86.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.81 $23.81

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

104.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-37.75%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

103.67%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

16.99%

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

$211 $211

$151 CLP 149.0K

39.32%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

437.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

242.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.87 $40.87

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

21.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$7.45 CLP 7,334

97.85%

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

$1,332 $1,332

$430 CLP 423.7K

209.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.4K $28.4K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

162.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.6 $61.6

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

23.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.0 $51.0

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

76.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.9 $84.9

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

25.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$559 CLP 550.4K

174.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,112 $1,112

$384 CLP 377.8K

189.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

152.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 $2,031

$780 CLP 767.9K

160.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,173 $2,173

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-17.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,217 $2,217

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-12.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,699 $3,699

$804 CLP 791.0K

360.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.39

20.78%

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

Last update for Arlington, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Arlington, TX

$1.1K 45.6%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 65.5% $728

Groceries & Markets

Arlington, TX

$393 16.1%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 39.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Arlington, TX

$341 14%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 46.6% $159

Eating Out

Arlington, TX

$311 12.8%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 39.1% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Arlington, TX

$135 5.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 24.7% $33

Getting Around

Arlington, TX

$76 3.1%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 36.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Arlington, TX

$70 2.9%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 30.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Arlington, TX and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arlington, TX pays 360% 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: $55.0 in Arlington, TX vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Arlington, TX

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Arlington, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

365,438

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Arlington, TX Santiago 7,860 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Arlington, TX
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

Arlington, TX vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Arlington, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 360% higher in Arlington, TX, 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: $1,536 in Arlington, TX versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,439 per month in Arlington, TX versus $1,190 in Santiago – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago runs roughly 1% less than in Arlington, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $2,439 in Arlington, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Arlington, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Arlington, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.