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: $1,632 in Buenos Aires versus $1,233 in Santiago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,712 in Buenos Aires versus $1,947 in Santiago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,793 in Buenos Aires versus $2,660 in Santiago.

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 32% more expensive than in Santiago, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 19% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.34 ARS 29.2K

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

78.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 ARS 107.1K

$52.9 CLP 49.6K

34.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 ARS 19.4K

$9.15 CLP 8,580

40.00%

Cappuccino

$4.00 ARS 6,036

$3.38 CLP 3,172

18.34%

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

$2.06 ARS 3,110

$1.74 CLP 1,631

18.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 ARS 2,497

$1.31 CLP 1,230

25.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.67 ARS 5,539

$4.30 CLP 4,035

-14.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 ARS 6,696

$4.94 CLP 4,633

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 ARS 2,167

$1.37 CLP 1,282

4.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 ARS 3,784

$1.86 CLP 1,739

34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 ARS 2,281

$1.69 CLP 1,583

-10.65%

Eggs

$2.71 ARS 4,097

$4.14 CLP 3,877

-34.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

$11.39 CLP 10.7K

-11.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

$6.78 CLP 6,359

47.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

$11.35 CLP 10.6K

22.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 ARS 4,139

$2.01 CLP 1,882

36.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 ARS 3,037

$1.65 CLP 1,545

21.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 ARS 2,058

$1.75 CLP 1,636

-22.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.11 ARS 3,193

$1.78 CLP 1,672

18.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 ARS 1,729

$1.12 CLP 1,048

1.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 ARS 1,748

$1.61 CLP 1,510

-27.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.75 ARS 2,641

$1.32 CLP 1,238

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 ARS 2,624

$1.12 CLP 1,054

55.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 ARS 6,583

$5.61 CLP 5,262

-22.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 ARS 8,569

$6.27 CLP 5,876

-9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 ARS 3,165

$1.60 CLP 1,499

31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ARS 4,051

$2.51 CLP 2,353

6.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,126

$0.83 CLP 783

-9.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.38 ARS 41.4K

$42.10 CLP 39.5K

-34.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 ARS 2,355

$0.41 CLP 387

280.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 ARS 1,485

$0.89 CLP 834

10.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 ARS 11.5K

$12.16 CLP 11.4K

-37.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 ARS 2,038

$1.59 CLP 1,489

-15.09%

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

$28.8K ARS 43.6M

$18.3K CLP 17.2M

57.21%

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

$33.2K ARS 50.1M

$22.5K CLP 21.1M

47.54%

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

$208 ARS 314.0K

$155 CLP 145.2K

34.23%

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

$24.04 ARS 36.3K

$13.12 CLP 12.3K

83.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.70 ARS 46.4K

$20.80 CLP 19.5K

47.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 76.8K

$34.92 CLP 32.7K

45.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.96 ARS 25.6K

$12.43 CLP 11.6K

36.44%

Cinema Ticket

$10.94 ARS 16.5K

$7.69 CLP 7,204

42.26%

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

$461 ARS 696.1K

$456 CLP 427.1K

1.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 ARS 13.2M

$11.4K CLP 10.6M

-23.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 ARS 171.5K

$53.2 CLP 49.9K

113.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$93.6 ARS 141.4K

$30.18 CLP 28.3K

210.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 ARS 177.6K

$70.1 CLP 65.7K

67.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 ARS 205.9K

$85.3 CLP 80.0K

59.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 ARS 1.1M

$555 CLP 520.6K

32.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$514 ARS 775.9K

$389 CLP 364.4K

32.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,680 ARS 2.5M

$1,084 CLP 1.0M

55.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 ARS 2.0M

$818 CLP 766.5K

58.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

$2,686 CLP 2.5M

-0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,895 ARS 2.9M

$2,689 CLP 2.5M

-29.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$901 ARS 1.4M

$836 CLP 783.6K

7.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

56.56

5.39

949.35%

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

Last update for Buenos Aires: August 30, 2026

Last update for Santiago: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $735 in Buenos Aires and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 8% 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: $71.0 in Buenos Aires vs $53.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $244 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,632 vs $1,233 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $735 in Buenos Aires versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $461 in Buenos Aires versus $456 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,632 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 32% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.