Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and Argentina

For one person, living is cheaper in Chile: $1,054 a month against $1,344 in Argentina, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇨🇱 Chile
$1,054
/mo nomad
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,344
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chile and in Argentina

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Chile versus $1,344 in Argentina.

  • Chile $1,054
  • Argentina $1,344

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,637 in Chile versus $2,176 in Argentina.

  • Chile $1,637
  • Argentina $2,176

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,219 in Chile versus $3,007 in Argentina.

  • Chile $2,219
  • Argentina $3,007

Living in Chile costs about 22% less than in Argentina on average.

Chile (22% below) and Argentina (0% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.38 CLP 8,249
$14.71 ARS 22.3K
-43.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.37 CLP 45.6K
$54.7 ARS 83.0K
-15.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 CLP 6,884
$13.02 ARS 19.8K
-46.31%
Cappuccino
$2.87 CLP 2,827
$3.48 ARS 5,288
-17.53%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 CLP 1,295
$2.10 ARS 3,193
-37.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 CLP 1,015
$1.57 ARS 2,385
-34.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.65 CLP 3,595
$3.60 ARS 5,459
1.39%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 CLP 3,947
$3.89 ARS 5,903
3.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 CLP 1,172
$1.37 ARS 2,074
-13.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 CLP 1,592
$2.31 ARS 3,501
-29.87%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 CLP 1,500
$1.75 ARS 2,655
-13.14%
Eggs
$3.44 CLP 3,385
$2.72 ARS 4,120
26.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.37 CLP 10.2K
$10.24 ARS 15.5K
1.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.02 CLP 5,930
$8.58 ARS 13.0K
-29.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 CLP 10.5K
$11.85 ARS 18.0K
-9.79%
Apples (1kg)
$1.85 CLP 1,821
$2.48 ARS 3,770
-25.40%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,637
$2.12 ARS 3,213
-21.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 CLP 1,555
$1.40 ARS 2,131
12.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,632
$2.41 ARS 3,664
-31.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 CLP 1,089
$1.18 ARS 1,792
-5.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 CLP 1,339
$1.09 ARS 1,655
24.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 CLP 1,152
$1.56 ARS 2,374
-25.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 CLP 1,173
$1.56 ARS 2,375
-23.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.07 CLP 4,993
$4.12 ARS 6,253
23.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.18 CLP 5,103
$5.04 ARS 7,648
2.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 CLP 1,346
$1.96 ARS 2,969
-30.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CLP 2,066
$3.07 ARS 4,666
-31.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Chile
Argentina
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 CLP 747
$1.02 ARS 1,543
-25.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.03 CLP 37.4K
$27.91 ARS 42.3K
36.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 CLP 789
$1.57 ARS 2,386
-49.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CLP 1,223
$0.98 ARS 1,489
26.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.15 CLP 12.0K
$7.44 ARS 11.3K
63.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 CLP 1,396
$1.27 ARS 1,928
11.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K CLP 17.3M
$26.6K ARS 40.4M
-33.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5K CLP 19.2M
$33.6K ARS 51.0M
-42.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 CLP 112.7K
$137 ARS 208.4K
-16.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.10 CLP 11.9K
$17.27 ARS 26.2K
-29.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.34 CLP 22.0K
$25.41 ARS 38.6K
-12.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.36 CLP 34.8K
$34.76 ARS 52.7K
1.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 CLP 14.3K
$18.57 ARS 28.2K
-22.02%
Cinema Ticket
$6.23 CLP 6,136
$9.99 ARS 15.2K
-37.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$343 CLP 337.6K
$332 ARS 504.0K
3.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,665 CLP 6.6M
$6,258 ARS 9.5M
6.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.26 CLP 42.6K
$109 ARS 165.5K
-60.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.90 CLP 26.5K
$85.5 ARS 129.7K
-68.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.3 CLP 58.3K
$121 ARS 183.6K
-51.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.8 CLP 70.7K
$122 ARS 184.5K
-40.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chile
Argentina
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 CLP 430.0K
$538 ARS 817.1K
-18.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$339 CLP 333.9K
$372 ARS 564.6K
-8.83%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 CLP 738.2K
$1,097 ARS 1.7M
-31.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$586 CLP 576.4K
$804 ARS 1.2M
-27.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,302 CLP 2.3M
$2,181 ARS 3.3M
5.56%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,993 CLP 2.0M
$1,454 ARS 2.2M
37.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chile
Argentina
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 CLP 646.3K
$786 ARS 1.2M
-16.46%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.15
58.21
-91.15%

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

Last update for Chile: October 12, 2026

Last update for Argentina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chile
$339
Argentina
$372 9.7% $33
Groceries & Markets
Chile
$221
Argentina
$263 18.9% $42
Eating Out
Chile
$158
Argentina
$239 51.1% $81
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
$149
Argentina
$180 20.9% $31
Clothing & Footwear
Chile
$91
Argentina
$197 117% $106
Getting Around
Chile
$48
Argentina
$38 20% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Chile
$48
Argentina
$55 14.5% $6.9

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in Chile, $515 in Argentina. Capital cities: $559 in Santiago vs $756 in Buenos Aires.

National salary averages: $699 in Chile, $799 in Argentina. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 56% higher in Argentina.

Dining out costs 53% more in Argentina.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in Chile.

Salaries are 14% higher in Argentina.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Chile
🇦🇷 Argentina
🕒 Local time
05:03 5:03 AM
05:03 5:03 AM
Same time as Chile
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,458,000
47,327,407
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chile Argentina 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chile
  • Argentina

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
Chile vs Argentina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Argentina and Chile?
At $1,344 per month in Argentina and $1,054 in Chile, there's a 28% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $515 in Argentina and $331 in Chile. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Argentina or in Chile?
In Chile, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Argentina it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.
Should I move to Argentina or to Chile?
It depends on what you're after: Chile wins on affordability; Argentina may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.

Chile vs other spots: cost of living compared

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