Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boise, ID and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,555 in Boise, ID, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Boise, ID
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Boise, ID Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Boise, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,555

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,555 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

Boise, ID $2,555
Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $3,640 per month in Boise, ID vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

Boise, ID $3,640
Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $4,725 per month in Boise, ID vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

Boise, ID $4,725
Santiago $2,564

Boise, ID costs about 112% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Boise, ID sits 91% above the global median, while Santiago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.91 $19.91

$10.19 CLP 9,931

95.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.3 $71.3

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

36.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.85 $12.85

$8.54 CLP 8,323

50.47%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$3.19 CLP 3,115

88.09%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$1.68 CLP 1,637

61.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.22 CLP 1,191

61.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.21 CLP 4,101

57.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.66 CLP 4,539

42.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.80 CLP 1,756

106.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.21 $6.21

$1.58 CLP 1,543

293.04%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$4.25 CLP 4,141

3.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

42.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$6.75 CLP 6,580

65.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

64.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.04 CLP 1,991

133.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.53 CLP 1,497

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.59 CLP 1,549

145.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$1.75 CLP 1,708

189.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.08 CLP 1,051

168.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.51 CLP 1,476

73.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.17 CLP 1,145

104.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.07 CLP 1,041

135.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.07 $9.07

$5.14 CLP 5,015

76.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 $15.45

$5.88 CLP 5,732

162.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.55 CLP 1,513

31.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.27 CLP 2,218

41.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.85 CLP 829

78.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.11 $42.11

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

1.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.39 CLP 383

571.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.84 CLP 820

77.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.80 $23.80

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

99.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-20.00%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

97.17%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

17.26%

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

$173 $173

$151 CLP 147.3K

14.43%

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

$57.8 $57.8

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

379.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.9 $76.9

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

306.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.56 $40.56

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

19.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.63 $37.63

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

221.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.34 $12.34

$7.37 CLP 7,185

67.44%

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

$979 $979

$434 CLP 423.3K

125.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

120.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 $55.0

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

8.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

38.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

30.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

37.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$555 CLP 540.8K

189.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,297 $1,297

$372 CLP 363.2K

248.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 $2,398

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

137.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,795 $1,795

$779 CLP 759.1K

130.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,339 $7,339

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

174.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,076 $3,076

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

17.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,367 $4,367

$791 CLP 771.7K

451.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

5.39

23.93%

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

Last update for Boise, ID: October 6, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Boise, ID

$1.3K 49.6%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 71.3% $924

Groceries & Markets

Boise, ID

$421 16.1%

Santiago

$236 20% 43.9% $185

Eating Out

Boise, ID

$335 12.8%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 44% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boise, ID

$308 11.8%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 40.8% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Boise, ID

$132 5.1%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 22.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Boise, ID

$65 2.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 25.6% $17

Getting Around

Boise, ID

$58 2.2%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 15% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Boise, ID versus $555 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 452% higher in Boise, ID, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Boise, ID versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boise, ID

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

06:46 6:46 AM

3 h ahead of Boise, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

235,684

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 = 9.15 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 = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Boise, ID Santiago 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Boise, ID
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

Boise, ID vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boise, ID costs about 112% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,833 per month in Boise, ID and $1,809 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $979 per month in Boise, ID and $434 in Santiago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 78% more in Boise, ID, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Boise, ID at $2,555. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Boise, ID it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Boise, ID makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.