Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bismarck, ND and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Bismarck, ND
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Bismarck, ND Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Bismarck, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,403 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Bismarck, ND $2,403
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,341 in Bismarck, ND versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Bismarck, ND $3,341
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,278 in Bismarck, ND versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Bismarck, ND $4,278
Santiago $2,581

Living in Bismarck, ND is roughly 103% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bismarck, ND is 77% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.19 $30.19

$10.15 CLP 9,995

197.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.8 $69.8

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

34.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.41 $17.41

$8.56 CLP 8,423

103.39%

Cappuccino

$6.22 $6.22

$3.15 CLP 3,101

97.46%

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

$2.50 $2.50

$1.71 CLP 1,685

46.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.28 CLP 1,255

47.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.18 CLP 4,118

32.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.46 CLP 4,390

56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.76 CLP 1,737

52.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.66 CLP 1,630

25.30%

Eggs

$2.73 $2.73

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-35.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

-30.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.21 $13.21

$6.75 CLP 6,641

95.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

47.77%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.96 CLP 1,927

77.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.54 CLP 1,518

12.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.58 CLP 1,560

87.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$1.74 CLP 1,713

145.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.09 CLP 1,075

73.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.53 CLP 1,509

83.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.18 CLP 1,163

85.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.08 CLP 1,060

149.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$5.18 CLP 5,101

68.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.97 $19.97

$6.17 CLP 6,070

223.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.53 CLP 1,511

24.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.36 CLP 2,325

71.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-34.90%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

53.71%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

-12.09%

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

$208 $208

$149 CLP 146.3K

40.11%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

492.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.1 $82.1

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

329.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.78 $41.78

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

25.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$10.89 $10.89

$7.32 CLP 7,208

48.77%

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

$804 $804

$436 CLP 429.2K

84.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 $65.1

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

32.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.2 $95.2

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

45.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 $81.2

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

1.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 $1,171

$554 CLP 545.8K

111.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 $1,077

$383 CLP 376.6K

181.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 $1,628

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

62.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,428 $1,428

$775 CLP 762.5K

84.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,226 $2,226

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-17.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,054 $2,054

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-21.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,393 $4,393

$778 CLP 766.3K

464.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.84

5.39

26.90%

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

Last update for Bismarck, ND: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bismarck, ND

$1.1K 44.8%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 64.5% $694

Eating Out

Bismarck, ND

$428 17.8%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 56.4% $241

Groceries & Markets

Bismarck, ND

$364 15.2%

Santiago

$236 20% 35.2% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bismarck, ND

$362 15.1%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 50.3% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Bismarck, ND

$109 * 4.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 7.3% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Bismarck, ND

$64 2.7%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 24.6% $16

Getting Around

Bismarck, ND

- * 0%

Santiago

$50 4.2%

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 $1,171 in Bismarck, ND and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bismarck, ND pays 464% 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: $70.0 in Bismarck, ND vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bismarck, ND

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

08:14 8:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

2 h ahead of Bismarck, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,333

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

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Between locations

Bismarck, ND Santiago 9,420 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bismarck, ND
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

Bismarck, ND vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bismarck, ND and Santiago differ by about 103% in total monthly costs ($2,403 vs $1,183 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 464% higher in Bismarck, ND, 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: $1,171 in Bismarck, ND versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $804 in Bismarck, ND versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $70.0 in Bismarck, ND. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,403 in Bismarck, ND, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Bismarck, ND. 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, Bismarck, ND 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 103% less than in Bismarck, ND. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.