Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Castro
🇨🇱 Chile
$875
/mo nomad
New York, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,950
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castro and in New York, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Castro and in New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $875 per month in Castro vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Castro $875
  • New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $1,381 per month in Castro vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Castro $1,381
  • New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $1,887 per month in Castro vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

  • Castro $1,887
  • New York, NY $9,581

Castro is about 82% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Castro sits 35% below the global median, while New York, NY is 267% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.29 CLP 8,163
$24.65 $24.65
-66.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.10 CLP 45.4K
$122 $122
-62.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.66 CLP 5,568
$13.91 $13.91
-59.31%
Cappuccino
$1.49 CLP 1,464
$6.59 $6.59
-77.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 CLP 1,181
$3.84 $3.84
-68.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.01 CLP 990
$2.87 $2.87
-64.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.15 CLP 5,066
$7.79 $7.79
-33.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.29 CLP 7,173
$9.85 $9.85
-25.99%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 CLP 1,065
$1.38 $1.38
-21.74%
White Bread (500g)
$3.51 CLP 3,451
$4.68 $4.68
-25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.25 CLP 1,232
$7.54 $7.54
-83.42%
Eggs
$4.12 CLP 4,056
$5.93 $5.93
-30.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.67 CLP 9,523
$18.83 $18.83
-48.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.03 CLP 3,965
$17.36 $17.36
-76.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.49 CLP 8,358
$18.51 $18.51
-54.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.40 CLP 1,373
$6.74 $6.74
-79.23%
Banana (1kg)
$2.30 CLP 2,268
$2.09 $2.09
10.05%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 CLP 1,461
$6.07 $6.07
-75.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 CLP 1,947
$6.74 $6.74
-70.62%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 CLP 1,109
$4.05 $4.05
-72.10%
Onion (1kg)
-
$4.37 $4.37
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 CLP 1,494
$2.89 $2.89
-47.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 CLP 1,531
$2.60 $2.60
-40.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.75 CLP 3,688
$18.72 $18.72
-79.97%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.78 CLP 7,662
$20.06 $20.06
-61.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 CLP 987
$3.25 $3.25
-69.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.13 CLP 3,085
$3.73 $3.73
-16.09%
🚌 Getting Around
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.66 CLP 654
$3.06 $3.06
-78.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$140 $140
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.04 $3.04
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$2.15 $2.15
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$41.82 $41.82
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 CLP 1,282
$1.12 $1.12
16.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.5K CLP 15.2M
$35.5K $35.5K
-56.39%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.2K CLP 17.9M
$26.0K $26.0K
-30.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 CLP 128.8K
$219 $219
-40.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
-
$73.2 $73.2
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.25 CLP 30.8K
$72.0 $72.0
-56.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$123 $123
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$67.7 $67.7
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$22.85 $22.85
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$3,333 $3,333
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$60.0K $60.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$75.2 $75.2
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$52.4 $52.4
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$81.0 CLP 79.7K
$122 $122
-33.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$133 $133
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$355 CLP 349.2K
$4,389 $4,389
-91.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$290 CLP 285.5K
$3,130 $3,130
-90.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 CLP 986.6K
$8,918 $8,918
-88.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$576 CLP 566.8K
$5,354 $5,354
-89.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$19.4K $19.4K
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$6,806 $6,806
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Castro
New York, NY
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$614 CLP 604.7K
$5,343 $5,343
-88.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7
6.82
2.64%

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

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Castro
$290
New York, NY
$3.1K 979% $2.8K
Groceries & Markets
Castro
$234 *
New York, NY
$545 133% $311
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Castro
$162 *
New York, NY
$364 125% $202
Eating Out
Castro
$150
New York, NY
$404 169% $253
Clothing & Footwear
Castro
$36 *
New York, NY
$172 372% $136
Getting Around
Castro
$2.7 *
New York, NY
$167 6160% $164
Sport & Entertainment
Castro
- *
New York, NY
$168

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $355 in Castro versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 770% higher in New York, NY, 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 $46.00 in Castro versus $122 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $545 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Castro
🇺🇸 New York, NY
🕒 Local time
22:45 10:45 PM
21:45 9:45 PM
1 h behind Castro
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
33,417
8,804,190
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Castro New York, NY 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Castro
  • New York, NY

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
Castro vs New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Castro or New York, NY?
New York, NY costs about 466% more than Castro, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Castro and in New York, NY?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,313 per month in Castro and $7,424 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Castro or New York, NY?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Castro compared to New York, NY?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $875 in Castro and $4,950 in New York, NY. That's a gap of about 466%.
Are groceries more expensive in Castro or in New York, NY?
Groceries cost about 133% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Castro or in New York, NY?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castro, where all-in costs run around $875, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Castro it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Castro or New York, NY?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Castro costs $875 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Should I move to Castro or to New York, NY?
If budget matters most, go with Castro. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Castro vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?