Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chile and Uruguay

For one person, living is cheaper in Chile: $1,045 a month against $1,637 in Uruguay, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

🇨🇱 Chile
$1,045
/mo nomad
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,637
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chile and in Uruguay

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Chile versus $1,637 in Uruguay.

  • Chile $1,045
  • Uruguay $1,637

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,621 in Chile versus $2,486 in Uruguay.

  • Chile $1,621
  • Uruguay $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,198 in Chile versus $3,335 in Uruguay.

  • Chile $2,198
  • Uruguay $3,335

Living in Chile costs about 36% less than in Uruguay on average.

Chile (23% below) and Uruguay (21% above) straddle the global median.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 CLP 7,889
$17.11 UYU 687
-53.19%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.59 CLP 44.9K
$54.1 UYU 2,169
-15.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.13 CLP 7,017
$12.35 UYU 496
-42.27%
Cappuccino
$2.87 CLP 2,820
$4.29 UYU 172
-33.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 CLP 1,323
$2.31 UYU 92.6
-41.99%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 CLP 1,033
$1.83 UYU 73.5
-42.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.62 CLP 3,565
$3.76 UYU 151
-3.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.14 CLP 4,072
$3.80 UYU 153
8.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 CLP 1,169
$1.21 UYU 48.76
-1.65%
White Bread (500g)
$1.55 CLP 1,526
$2.56 UYU 103
-39.45%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 CLP 1,536
$1.66 UYU 66.8
-6.02%
Eggs
$3.48 CLP 3,425
$4.21 UYU 169
-17.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 CLP 9,835
$12.98 UYU 521
-23.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.90 CLP 5,812
$10.58 UYU 424
-44.23%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.80 CLP 10.6K
$11.39 UYU 457
-5.18%
Apples (1kg)
$1.75 CLP 1,726
$2.76 UYU 111
-36.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 CLP 1,600
$2.56 UYU 103
-36.33%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.59 CLP 1,570
$1.55 UYU 62.2
2.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.60 CLP 1,573
$3.07 UYU 123
-47.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 CLP 1,138
$1.82 UYU 73.1
-36.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 CLP 1,345
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-35.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.20 CLP 1,186
$1.32 UYU 52.8
-9.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 CLP 1,153
$1.81 UYU 72.7
-35.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.97 CLP 4,892
$5.45 UYU 219
-8.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.96 CLP 4,886
$7.36 UYU 295
-32.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 CLP 1,313
$2.16 UYU 86.6
-38.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.06 CLP 2,031
$2.79 UYU 112
-26.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 CLP 769
$1.38 UYU 55.4
-43.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.76 CLP 37.2K
$76.0 UYU 3,051
-50.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.86 CLP 845
$1.82 UYU 73.2
-52.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.20 CLP 1,177
$1.67 UYU 67.1
-28.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.02 CLP 11.8K
$10.49 UYU 421
14.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.37 CLP 1,353
$2.12 UYU 85.0
-35.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$16.9K CLP 16.6M
$26.8K UYU 1.1M
-36.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.8K CLP 20.5M
$37.2K UYU 1.5M
-44.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$113 CLP 111.5K
$150 UYU 6,028
-24.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.23 CLP 12.0K
$20.75 UYU 833
-41.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.48 CLP 21.1K
$40.71 UYU 1,634
-47.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$35.14 CLP 34.6K
$46.61 UYU 1,871
-24.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.73 CLP 14.5K
$19.19 UYU 770
-23.24%
Cinema Ticket
$6.16 CLP 6,068
$11.11 UYU 446
-44.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$346 CLP 340.6K
$575 UYU 23.1K
-39.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,652 CLP 6.5M
$9,169 UYU 368.0K
-27.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.70 CLP 42.0K
$85.5 UYU 3,431
-50.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.79 CLP 26.4K
$49.89 UYU 2,003
-46.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$58.7 CLP 57.8K
$120 UYU 4,820
-51.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$72.5 CLP 71.4K
$110 UYU 4,432
-34.35%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$435 CLP 428.1K
$663 UYU 26.6K
-34.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$338 CLP 333.1K
$526 UYU 21.1K
-35.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$766 CLP 754.5K
$1,079 UYU 43.3K
-28.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$584 CLP 575.2K
$871 UYU 34.9K
-32.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,299 CLP 2.3M
$3,313 UYU 133.0K
-30.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,020 CLP 2.0M
$1,807 UYU 72.5K
11.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chile
Uruguay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$651 CLP 641.2K
$1,067 UYU 42.8K
-38.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.15
5.81
-11.36%

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

Last update for Chile: October 18, 2026

Last update for Uruguay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chile
$338
Uruguay
$526 55.4% $188
Groceries & Markets
Chile
$218
Uruguay
$306 40.2% $88
Eating Out
Chile
$156
Uruguay
$268 72.2% $112
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chile
$147
Uruguay
$212 44% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Chile
$90
Uruguay
$165 82.3% $74
Getting Around
Chile
$48
Uruguay
$92 92.2% $44
Sport & Entertainment
Chile
$47
Uruguay
$69 45% $21

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $330 in Chile, $337 in Uruguay. Capital cities: $554 in Santiago vs $713 in Montevideo.

National salary averages: $694 in Chile, $864 in Uruguay. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Dining out costs 35% more in Uruguay.

Public transport is 44% more expensive in Uruguay.

Salaries are 24% higher in Uruguay, and purchasing power comes out stronger in Chile.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Chile
🇺🇾 Uruguay
🕒 Local time
23:28 11:28 PM
23:28 11:28 PM
Same time as Chile
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,458,000
3,444,263
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chile Uruguay 1,340 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chile
  • Uruguay

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 Uruguay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cost difference between Chile and Uruguay?
At $1,045 per month in Chile and $1,637 in Uruguay, there's a 57% 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 is cheaper for everyday spending?
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.
Which country has higher housing costs?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $337 in Uruguay and $330 in Chile. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget in Chile or in Uruguay?
In Chile, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in Uruguay 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 Chile or to Uruguay?
It depends on what you're after: Chile wins on affordability; Uruguay 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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