Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Santiago Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Santiago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,412 in Buenos Aires versus $1,270 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,197 in Buenos Aires versus $2,013 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,982 in Buenos Aires versus $2,756 in Santiago.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 11% more expensive than Santiago, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 5% above, Santiago is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

$10.93 CLP 9,698

38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

14.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

$8.30 CLP 7,367

43.25%

Cappuccino

$4.01 ARS 5,720

$3.11 CLP 2,762

28.94%

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

$2.09 ARS 2,976

$1.79 CLP 1,587

16.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ARS 2,115

$1.29 CLP 1,144

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 ARS 5,111

$3.19 CLP 2,829

12.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 ARS 5,816

$4.39 CLP 3,897

-7.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,276

$1.20 CLP 1,061

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,603

$1.59 CLP 1,409

59.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.28 ARS 3,259

$2.18 CLP 1,931

4.59%

Eggs

$3.32 ARS 4,739

$4.14 CLP 3,671

-19.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

$10.66 CLP 9,456

13.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

$6.48 CLP 5,748

21.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

$10.79 CLP 9,579

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.49 ARS 3,548

$2.00 CLP 1,779

24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 ARS 2,938

$1.63 CLP 1,450

26.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 ARS 1,805

$2.13 CLP 1,891

-40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 ARS 3,631

$1.84 CLP 1,630

38.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 ARS 2,126

$1.95 CLP 1,734

-23.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 ARS 2,094

$1.68 CLP 1,487

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 ARS 2,628

$1.29 CLP 1,147

42.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,059

$1.19 CLP 1,054

21.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.27 ARS 4,671

$5.56 CLP 4,935

-41.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 ARS 8,199

$6.77 CLP 6,010

-15.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 ARS 3,202

$1.54 CLP 1,365

45.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 ARS 4,565

$2.47 CLP 2,195

29.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 ARS 1,026

$0.85 CLP 754

-15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

-61.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 ARS 2,347

$0.50 CLP 445

230.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 ARS 1,294

$1.43 CLP 1,268

-36.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.93 ARS 8,461

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

-49.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ARS 1,584

$1.37 CLP 1,215

-18.98%

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

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

25.09%

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

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

27.49%

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

$109 ARS 155.6K

$133 CLP 118.4K

-18.24%

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

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

58.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

32.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

26.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

-43.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

$6.55 CLP 5,817

37.56%

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

$324 ARS 462.1K

$436 CLP 387.1K

-25.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

-39.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 ARS 154.9K

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

97.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

164.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 ARS 176.4K

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

62.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ARS 189.3K

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

58.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$658 ARS 939.0K

$519 CLP 460.6K

26.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$447 ARS 638.3K

$468 CLP 415.5K

-4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

14.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$811 ARS 1.2M

$888 CLP 787.7K

-8.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

-9.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

-36.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$820 ARS 1.2M

$884 CLP 784.5K

-7.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

52.71

5.18

917.57%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santiago: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $658 in Buenos Aires and $519 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $242 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

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

Buenos Aires vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Santiago differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,412 vs $1,270 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Santiago earns 8% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $658 in Buenos Aires versus $519 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Buenos Aires versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Santiago versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. 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, Buenos Aires 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 11% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.