Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and Australia

For one person, living is cheaper in Chile: $1,054 a month against $2,542 in Australia, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

🇨🇱 Chile
$1,054
/mo nomad
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,542
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chile and in Australia

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 Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,054 per month in Chile vs $2,542 in Australia, rent included.

  • Chile $1,054
  • Australia $2,542

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Chile vs $3,717 in Australia, rent included.

  • Chile $1,637
  • Australia $3,717

A family of three spends $2,219 per month in Chile vs $4,893 in Australia, rent included.

  • Chile $2,219
  • Australia $4,893

The cost of living in Chile is roughly 59% lower than in Australia on average.

Chile sits 22% below the global median, while Australia is 88% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chile
Australia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.38 CLP 8,249
$17.16 A$24.69
-51.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.37 CLP 45.6K
$83.9 A$121
-44.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.99 CLP 6,884
$11.20 A$16.12
-37.59%
Cappuccino
$2.87 CLP 2,827
$3.92 A$5.64
-26.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 CLP 1,295
$2.83 A$4.07
-53.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 CLP 1,015
$2.30 A$3.31
-55.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.65 CLP 3,595
$7.68 A$11.06
-52.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.01 CLP 3,947
$8.25 A$11.87
-51.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chile
Australia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 CLP 1,172
$1.76 A$2.53
-32.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.62 CLP 1,592
$2.77 A$3.99
-41.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 CLP 1,500
$2.19 A$3.16
-30.59%
Eggs
$3.44 CLP 3,385
$4.99 A$7.18
-31.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.37 CLP 10.2K
$9.94 A$14.31
4.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.02 CLP 5,930
$9.03 A$12.99
-33.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.69 CLP 10.5K
$15.25 A$21.94
-29.90%
Apples (1kg)
$1.85 CLP 1,821
$3.67 A$5.28
-49.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,637
$3.05 A$4.39
-45.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 CLP 1,555
$3.12 A$4.50
-49.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,632
$4.56 A$6.56
-63.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.11 CLP 1,089
$2.81 A$4.04
-60.50%
Onion (1kg)
$1.36 CLP 1,339
$2.39 A$3.44
-43.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 CLP 1,152
$2.35 A$3.39
-50.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 CLP 1,173
$1.64 A$2.36
-27.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.07 CLP 4,993
$38.42 A$55.3
-86.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.18 CLP 5,103
$13.77 A$19.82
-62.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 CLP 1,346
$4.69 A$6.75
-70.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CLP 2,066
$5.08 A$7.31
-58.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Chile
Australia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.76 CLP 747
$2.72 A$3.91
-72.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$38.03 CLP 37.4K
$95.8 A$138
-60.31%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.80 CLP 789
$3.54 A$5.10
-77.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.24 CLP 1,223
$1.55 A$2.23
-20.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.15 CLP 12.0K
$40.00 A$57.6
-69.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 CLP 1,396
$1.30 A$1.87
9.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K CLP 17.3M
$28.2K A$40.5K
-37.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.5K CLP 19.2M
$28.5K A$40.9K
-31.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
Australia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$114 CLP 112.7K
$198 A$285
-42.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.10 CLP 11.9K
$28.75 A$41.37
-57.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$22.34 CLP 22.0K
$58.6 A$84.4
-61.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chile
Australia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.36 CLP 34.8K
$56.7 A$81.6
-37.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.48 CLP 14.3K
$19.08 A$27.46
-24.11%
Cinema Ticket
$6.23 CLP 6,136
$15.02 A$21.62
-58.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chile
Australia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$343 CLP 337.6K
$2,154 A$3,099
-84.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,665 CLP 6.6M
$17.9K A$25.8K
-62.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chile
Australia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.26 CLP 42.6K
$78.0 A$112
-44.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.90 CLP 26.5K
$54.8 A$78.8
-50.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.3 CLP 58.3K
$112 A$161
-47.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.8 CLP 70.7K
$124 A$179
-42.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chile
Australia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$437 CLP 430.0K
$1,540 A$2,215
-71.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$339 CLP 333.9K
$1,222 A$1,758
-72.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$750 CLP 738.2K
$2,478 A$3,566
-69.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$586 CLP 576.4K
$1,930 A$2,778
-69.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,302 CLP 2.3M
$8,153 A$11.7K
-71.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,993 CLP 2.0M
$6,053 A$8,711
-67.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chile
Australia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 CLP 646.3K
$3,944 A$5,676
-83.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.15
5.93
-13.15%

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

Last update for Chile: October 12, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chile
$339
Australia
$1.2K 260% $883
Groceries & Markets
Chile
$221
Australia
$370 67.1% $149
Eating Out
Chile
$158
Australia
$293 85.5% $135
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
$149
Australia
$286 91.8% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Chile
$91
Australia
$166 83.4% $76
Getting Around
Chile
$48
Australia
$118 145% $70
Sport & Entertainment
Chile
$48
Australia
$87 81.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $331 in Chile vs $1,366 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $559 in Santiago and $1,716 in Canberra.

Average salary: $699 in Chile vs $3,849 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 313% higher in Australia.

Dining out costs 141% more in Australia.

Public transport is 733% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 451% higher in Australia, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Australia.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Chile
🇦🇺 Australia
🕒 Local time
06:18 6:18 AM
20:18 8:18 PM
14 h ahead of Chile
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,458,000
26,473,055
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, 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).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chile Australia 11,320 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chile
  • Australia

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 Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Australia more expensive than Chile?
Chile is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 141% lower on average.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Housing costs more in Australia: a central one-bedroom averages $1,366 versus $331 in Chile.
Which country is cheaper for everyday spending?
Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Chile, adding to the overall 141% price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Australia or in Chile?
$1,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Chile, but in Australia it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.
Should I move to Australia or to Chile?
Chile is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.

Chile vs other spots: cost of living compared

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