Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,491 in Baltimore, MD, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
Learn more

Baltimore, MD Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,491

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Baltimore, MD $2,491
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,888 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Baltimore, MD $3,888
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,284 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Baltimore, MD $5,284
Santiago $2,564

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 107% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baltimore, MD is 86% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.22 $18.22

$10.19 CLP 9,931

78.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.7 $94.7

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

81.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 $10.48

$8.54 CLP 8,323

22.72%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.19 CLP 3,115

68.03%

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

$3.46 $3.46

$1.68 CLP 1,637

105.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.22 CLP 1,191

113.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.21 CLP 4,101

63.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$4.66 CLP 4,539

68.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.80 CLP 1,756

130.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$1.58 CLP 1,543

158.23%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$4.25 CLP 4,141

13.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

14.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$6.75 CLP 6,580

92.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

76.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$2.04 CLP 1,991

200.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.53 CLP 1,497

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$1.59 CLP 1,549

248.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.75 CLP 1,708

184.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.08 CLP 1,051

157.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.51 CLP 1,476

92.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.17 CLP 1,145

101.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.07 CLP 1,041

118.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.05 $14.05

$5.14 CLP 5,015

173.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$5.88 CLP 5,732

162.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.55 CLP 1,513

69.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.27 CLP 2,218

68.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$0.85 CLP 829

138.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.8 $76.8

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

84.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.39 CLP 383

374.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.84 CLP 820

61.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.59 $23.59

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

97.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-28.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

98.84%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

16.58%

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

$211 $211

$151 CLP 147.3K

39.88%

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

$67.1 $67.1

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

457.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.2 $88.2

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

366.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.7 $51.7

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.99 $47.99

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

309.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.72 $14.72

$7.37 CLP 7,185

99.73%

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

$1,935 $1,935

$434 CLP 423.3K

345.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.9K $34.9K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

217.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

3.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

116.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 $92.8

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

37.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

36.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,766 $1,766

$555 CLP 540.8K

218.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 $1,067

$372 CLP 363.2K

186.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,352 $2,352

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

133.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,124 $2,124

$779 CLP 759.1K

172.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,545 $2,545

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

-4.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,352 $2,352

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-10.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 $4,289

$791 CLP 771.7K

442.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

5.39

24.68%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: 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

Baltimore, MD

$1.1K 42.6%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 65.1% $694

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$439 17.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 46.2% $203

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$367 14.6%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 50.4% $185

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$316 12.6%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 40.7% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$143 5.7%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 28.4% $41

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.7%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 47.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$81 3.2%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 40.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,766 in Baltimore, MD and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 442% 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: $95.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $439 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

03:36 3:36 AM

1 h ahead of Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baltimore, MD Santiago 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
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

Baltimore, MD vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Baltimore, MD. 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 442% higher in Baltimore, MD, 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: $1,766 in Baltimore, MD versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Baltimore, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $95.0 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,491 in Baltimore, MD, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Baltimore, MD. 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 107% less than in Baltimore, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.