Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and China Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and China

Name: China
Address: CN

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,069 in Chile versus $711 in China.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,638 in Chile versus $1,131 in China.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,207 in Chile versus $1,550 in China.

Living in Chile is roughly 50% more expensive than China on average.

Both countries sit below the global median: Chile 20% lower, China 47% lower.

Chile ($549–$1,304) and China ($525–$1,220) have similar cost spreads. Where you settle within each country has roughly equal impact on the budget.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.88 CLP 7,893

$2.75 ¥18.83

222.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.73 CLP 38.9K

$24.03 ¥165

81.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.72 CLP 6,863

$4.96 ¥33.95

55.65%

Cappuccino

$2.86 CLP 2,539

$3.12 ¥21.37

-8.33%

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

$1.38 CLP 1,223

$0.48 ¥3.26

187.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 CLP 929

$0.27 ¥1.84

285.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.17 CLP 2,819

$0.98 ¥6.73

223.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 CLP 3,308

$2.15 ¥14.69

73.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,094

$1.83 ¥12.53

-32.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 CLP 1,436

$1.68 ¥11.54

-3.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 CLP 1,561

$0.91 ¥6.21

93.41%

Eggs

$3.57 CLP 3,171

$1.56 ¥10.66

128.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.44 CLP 9,281

$12.97 ¥88.9

-19.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.07 CLP 5,400

$3.25 ¥22.23

86.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.92 CLP 9,711

$10.51 ¥72.0

3.90%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 CLP 1,698

$1.81 ¥12.41

5.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 CLP 1,540

$1.30 ¥8.90

33.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 CLP 1,611

$1.50 ¥10.26

20.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 CLP 1,524

$1.15 ¥7.87

48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 CLP 1,281

$0.76 ¥5.20

89.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,380

$0.89 ¥6.07

74.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,112

$0.58 ¥3.97

115.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 CLP 1,073

$0.58 ¥3.95

108.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.36 CLP 4,768

$3.50 ¥23.95

53.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.68 CLP 5,048

$11.55 ¥79.1

-50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,326

$0.78 ¥5.31

91.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 CLP 1,991

$1.61 ¥11.03

39.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 CLP 802

$0.44 ¥3.01

104.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.50 CLP 36.0K

$21.15 ¥145

91.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.89 CLP 794

$1.36 ¥9.35

-34.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 CLP 1,385

$0.36 ¥2.44

333.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.73 CLP 11.3K

$6.61 ¥45.28

92.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,271

$1.13 ¥7.74

26.55%

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

$18.4K CLP 16.4M

$19.7K ¥135.2K

-6.76%

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

$20.0K CLP 17.8M

$17.1K ¥117.0K

17.02%

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

$115 CLP 102.1K

$50.9 ¥349

125.48%

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

$12.24 CLP 10.9K

$10.03 ¥68.7

22.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.81 CLP 20.3K

$11.33 ¥77.6

101.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.01 CLP 32.0K

$40.13 ¥275

-10.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 CLP 17.7K

$14.97 ¥103

33.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.75 CLP 5,110

$6.09 ¥41.74

-5.58%

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

$381 CLP 338.3K

$418 ¥2,860

-8.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,298 CLP 5.6M

$17.3K ¥118.2K

-63.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.41 CLP 42.2K

$46.40 ¥318

2.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 25.7K

$32.92 ¥226

-12.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.8 CLP 57.6K

$71.1 ¥487

-8.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 CLP 69.6K

$72.9 ¥499

7.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 CLP 421.5K

$438 ¥3,003

8.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 CLP 344.0K

$259 ¥1,775

49.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$847 CLP 753.1K

$926 ¥6,341

-8.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$662 CLP 588.3K

$548 ¥3,754

20.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,365 CLP 2.1M

$5,047 ¥34.6K

-53.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,121 CLP 1.9M

$2,666 ¥18.3K

-20.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 CLP 635.3K

$1,074 ¥7,357

-33.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

4.06

25.37%

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

Last update for Chile: April 27, 2026

Last update for China: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $474 in Chile, $286 in China. Capital cities: $512 in Santiago vs $886 in Beijing (Pekin).

National salary averages: $745 in Chile, $834 in China. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 66% higher in Chile.

Dining out costs 105% more in Chile.

Public transport is 125% more expensive in China.

Salaries are 12% higher in China, giving China stronger purchasing power.

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 China: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $927 per month in Chile and $873 in China, there's a 6% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

China is simply cheaper day-to-day: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in Chile beats China across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In China, $2,000 covers most cities easily. In Chile, it works in regional areas but falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after. China wins on affordability; Chile may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.