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: $1,393 in Buenos Aires versus $1,288 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,191 in Buenos Aires versus $2,020 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,988 in Buenos Aires versus $2,752 in Santiago.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 8% more expensive than in Santiago, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 4% above, Santiago is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 ARS 21.9K

$10.72 CLP 9,983

38.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 ARS 88.8K

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.97 ARS 17.7K

$8.16 CLP 7,601

46.69%

Cappuccino

$3.99 ARS 5,898

$3.16 CLP 2,941

26.27%

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

$2.17 ARS 3,207

$1.78 CLP 1,660

21.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 ARS 2,169

$1.25 CLP 1,162

17.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 ARS 5,440

$3.31 CLP 3,086

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ARS 5,761

$4.24 CLP 3,946

-8.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 ARS 2,371

$1.18 CLP 1,101

35.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,738

$1.53 CLP 1,429

65.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 ARS 3,279

$2.18 CLP 2,031

1.83%

Eggs

$3.17 ARS 4,683

$4.19 CLP 3,898

-24.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.03 ARS 17.8K

$10.65 CLP 9,913

12.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 ARS 11.6K

$6.59 CLP 6,135

18.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

-16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 ARS 3,624

$2.09 CLP 1,947

17.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 ARS 3,012

$1.55 CLP 1,440

31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,932

$2.07 CLP 1,923

-36.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 ARS 3,745

$1.86 CLP 1,730

36.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,150

$1.95 CLP 1,820

-25.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ARS 2,191

$1.63 CLP 1,514

-9.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 ARS 2,643

$1.28 CLP 1,194

39.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,141

$1.25 CLP 1,160

16.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.18 ARS 4,697

$5.75 CLP 5,359

-44.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.83 ARS 8,622

$6.50 CLP 6,051

-10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 ARS 3,277

$1.56 CLP 1,452

42.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 ARS 4,535

$2.48 CLP 2,308

23.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 ARS 988

$0.85 CLP 788

-21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.26 ARS 24.0K

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

-61.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 ARS 2,333

$0.51 CLP 477

209.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ARS 1,267

$1.45 CLP 1,351

-40.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 ARS 8,826

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

-47.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 ARS 1,653

$1.39 CLP 1,290

-19.42%

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

$24.8K ARS 36.6M

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

26.78%

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

$29.2K ARS 43.2M

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

29.57%

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

$109 ARS 161.0K

$134 CLP 124.6K

-18.57%

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

$21.47 ARS 31.7K

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

57.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.58 ARS 42.2K

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

29.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.73 ARS 61.7K

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

20.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.77 ARS 17.4K

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

-44.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

$6.29 CLP 5,857

47.06%

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

$325 ARS 479.6K

$436 CLP 406.4K

-25.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,275 ARS 7.8M

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

-39.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$112 ARS 165.0K

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

101.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$85.9 ARS 127.0K

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

166.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 ARS 181.5K

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

58.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 ARS 190.6K

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 ARS 970.6K

$515 CLP 479.3K

27.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 ARS 661.6K

$462 CLP 430.1K

-3.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,150 ARS 1.7M

$989 CLP 920.7K

16.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$814 ARS 1.2M

$920 CLP 856.6K

-11.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,577 ARS 3.8M

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

-10.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,844 ARS 2.7M

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

-33.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$842 ARS 1.2M

$803 CLP 747.6K

4.82%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Santiago: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Buenos Aires and $515 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 5% 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: $60.0 in Buenos Aires vs $55.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $243 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,393 vs $1,288 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 5% higher in Buenos Aires, 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: $657 in Buenos Aires versus $515 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $325 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 11% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,288 in Santiago versus $1,393 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 8% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.