Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, IA and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $1,769 in Burlington, IA, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,769

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,769 in Burlington, IA versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Burlington, IA $1,769
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,675 in Burlington, IA versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Burlington, IA $2,675
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,580 in Burlington, IA versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Burlington, IA $3,580
Santiago $2,581

Living in Burlington, IA is roughly 50% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Burlington, IA is 31% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.35 $11.35

$10.15 CLP 9,995

11.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

13.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.56 CLP 8,423

3.27%

Cappuccino

$4.74 $4.74

$3.15 CLP 3,101

50.48%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$1.71 CLP 1,685

14.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.28 CLP 1,255

57.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.41 $3.41

$4.18 CLP 4,118

-18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.46 CLP 4,390

2.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-37.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.76 CLP 1,737

60.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.66 CLP 1,630

161.45%

Eggs

$2.92 $2.92

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-30.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.93 $11.93

$6.75 CLP 6,641

76.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 $14.20

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

31.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.96 CLP 1,927

105.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 CLP 1,518

28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$1.58 CLP 1,560

191.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.74 CLP 1,713

167.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.09 CLP 1,075

151.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.53 CLP 1,509

69.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.18 CLP 1,163

30.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 CLP 1,060

90.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.16 $8.16

$5.18 CLP 5,101

57.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.29 $16.29

$6.17 CLP 6,070

164.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.53 CLP 1,511

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.36 CLP 2,325

-3.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.84 CLP 824

130.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.76 $15.76

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

-61.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.67 $4.67

$0.42 CLP 416

1011.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.88 CLP 869

15.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.19 $22.19

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

93.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-36.91%

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

$22.7K $22.7K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

31.80%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

-2.43%

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

$184 $184

$149 CLP 146.3K

23.89%

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

$47.16 $47.16

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

289.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 $59.2

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

209.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

27.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$7.32 CLP 7,208

62.84%

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

$1,210 $1,210

$436 CLP 429.2K

177.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K $13.3K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

21.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.72 $44.72

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

-9.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.53 $30.53

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

4.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

32.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.90 $37.90

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

-52.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$754 $754

$554 CLP 545.8K

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 $707

$383 CLP 376.6K

84.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,172 $1,172

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

16.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$775 CLP 762.5K

65.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,026 $1,026

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-62.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,033 $1,033

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-60.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,446 $4,446

$778 CLP 766.3K

471.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

5.39

21.34%

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

Last update for Burlington, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Burlington, IA

$707 40%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 45.9% $324

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, IA

$366 20.7%

Santiago

$236 20% 35.5% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, IA

$290 16.4%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 38.1% $111

Eating Out

Burlington, IA

$216 12.2%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 13.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, IA

$90 5.1%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 11.9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, IA

$66 3.7%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 27.6% $18

Getting Around

Burlington, IA

$33 1.9%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 49.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $754 in Burlington, IA and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 471% 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: $59.0 in Burlington, IA vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

17:59 5:59 PM

2 h ahead of Burlington, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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

Burlington, IA Santiago 8,520 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, IA
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

Burlington, IA vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Burlington, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 471% higher in Burlington, IA, 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: $754 in Burlington, IA versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,210 in Burlington, IA 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 55% higher in Burlington, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $1,769 in Burlington, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Burlington, IA. 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, Burlington, IA 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 50% less than in Burlington, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.