Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Chile: $1,054 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in Chile
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Chile Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index

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🇨🇱 Chile

$1,054

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chile and in the United States

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 the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,054 in Chile versus $2,701 in the United States.

Chile $1,054
United States $2,701

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,637 in Chile versus $3,980 in the United States.

Chile $1,637
United States $3,980

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,219 in Chile versus $5,258 in the United States.

Chile $2,219
United States $5,258

Living in Chile costs about 61% less than in the United States on average.

Chile (22% below) and the United States (100% above) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.38 CLP 8,249

$19.92 $19.92

-57.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 CLP 45.6K

$81.0 $81.0

-42.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.99 CLP 6,884

$12.07 $12.07

-42.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 CLP 2,827

$5.55 $5.55

-48.29%

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

$1.32 CLP 1,295

$2.67 $2.67

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,015

$2.09 $2.09

-50.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 CLP 3,595

$5.96 $5.96

-38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 CLP 3,947

$7.76 $7.76

-48.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 CLP 1,172

$1.05 $1.05

13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 CLP 1,592

$3.55 $3.55

-54.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$4.64 $4.64

-67.24%

Eggs

$3.44 CLP 3,385

$4.18 $4.18

-17.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$12.76 $12.76

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.02 CLP 5,930

$12.63 $12.63

-52.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.69 CLP 10.5K

$17.22 $17.22

-37.92%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 CLP 1,821

$5.15 $5.15

-64.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,637

$1.64 $1.64

1.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,555

$4.46 $4.46

-64.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,632

$4.98 $4.98

-66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 CLP 1,089

$2.84 $2.84

-60.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 CLP 1,339

$3.09 $3.09

-55.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,152

$2.19 $2.19

-46.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,173

$2.27 $2.27

-47.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,993

$10.61 $10.61

-52.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 CLP 5,103

$14.71 $14.71

-64.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CLP 1,346

$2.10 $2.10

-34.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CLP 2,066

$3.82 $3.82

-45.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 CLP 747

$2.35 $2.35

-67.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.03 CLP 37.4K

$64.1 $64.1

-40.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 CLP 789

$3.57 $3.57

-77.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 CLP 1,223

$1.85 $1.85

-32.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.15 CLP 12.0K

$30.19 $30.19

-59.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,396

$1.07 $1.07

32.71%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$35.3K $35.3K

-50.12%

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

$19.5K CLP 19.2M

$25.9K $25.9K

-24.84%

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

$114 CLP 112.7K

$217 $217

-47.16%

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

$12.10 CLP 11.9K

$61.4 $61.4

-80.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.34 CLP 22.0K

$74.4 $74.4

-69.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.36 CLP 34.8K

$45.08 $45.08

-21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.48 CLP 14.3K

$23.07 $23.07

-37.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.23 CLP 6,136

$14.79 $14.79

-57.88%

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

$343 CLP 337.6K

$1,480 $1,480

-76.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,665 CLP 6.6M

$25.5K $25.5K

-73.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.26 CLP 42.6K

$53.0 $53.0

-18.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.90 CLP 26.5K

$42.75 $42.75

-37.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.3 CLP 58.3K

$94.3 $94.3

-37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 CLP 70.7K

$115 $115

-37.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 CLP 430.0K

$1,678 $1,678

-73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 CLP 333.9K

$1,313 $1,313

-74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 738.2K

$2,649 $2,649

-71.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 CLP 576.4K

$2,183 $2,183

-73.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,302 CLP 2.3M

$3,374 $3,374

-31.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,993 CLP 2.0M

$2,661 $2,661

-25.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 CLP 646.3K

$4,404 $4,404

-85.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.15

6.55

-21.37%

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

Last update for Chile: October 12, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chile

$339 32.2%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 287% $974

Groceries & Markets

Chile

$221 21%

United States

$411 15.2% 85.5% $189

Eating Out

Chile

$158 15%

United States

$327 12.1% 107% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chile

$149 14.1%

United States

$352 13% 137% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Chile

$91 8.6%

United States

$137 5.1% 51.8% $47

Getting Around

Chile

$48 4.6%

United States

$86 3.2% 79.4% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Chile

$48 4.5%

United States

$75 2.8% 56.1% $27

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $331 in Chile, $1,609 in the United States. Capital cities: $559 in Santiago vs $2,730 in Washington, DC.

National salary averages: $699 in Chile, $4,533 in the United States. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 386% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 121% more in the United States.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 548% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Chile

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

1 h behind Chile

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,458,000

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

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Between locations

Chile United States 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chile
United States

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 United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,054 per month in Chile and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 156% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Chile: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $331 in Chile. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Chile, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

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