Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dayton, OH and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,214 in Dayton, OH, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Dayton, OH
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Dayton, OH Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Dayton, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,214

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dayton, OH and in Santiago

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,214 in Dayton, OH versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Dayton, OH $2,214
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,280 in Dayton, OH versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Dayton, OH $3,280
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,345 in Dayton, OH versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Dayton, OH $4,345
Santiago $2,581

Living in Dayton, OH is roughly 87% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Dayton, OH is 63% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.47 $14.47

$10.15 CLP 9,995

42.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

36.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.90 $9.90

$8.56 CLP 8,423

15.65%

Cappuccino

$4.25 $4.25

$3.15 CLP 3,101

34.92%

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

$2.24 $2.24

$1.71 CLP 1,685

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.28 CLP 1,255

45.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.18 CLP 4,118

10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.46 CLP 4,390

32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-38.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.76 CLP 1,737

54.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.66 CLP 1,630

127.11%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.28 $24.28

$6.75 CLP 6,641

259.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.25 $17.25

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

60.32%

Apples (1kg)

$5.87 $5.87

$1.96 CLP 1,927

199.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.54 CLP 1,518

25.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$1.58 CLP 1,560

357.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$1.74 CLP 1,713

200.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.09 CLP 1,075

147.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.53 CLP 1,509

106.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.18 CLP 1,163

87.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.08 CLP 1,060

157.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.68 $9.68

$5.18 CLP 5,101

86.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.70 $19.70

$6.17 CLP 6,070

219.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.53 CLP 1,511

15.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.36 CLP 2,325

50.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.02 $4.02

$0.84 CLP 824

378.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.33 $49.33

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

19.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.07 $5.07

$0.42 CLP 416

1107.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$0.88 CLP 869

105.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.9 $50.9

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

342.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-30.87%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

59.64%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

4.58%

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

$205 $205

$149 CLP 146.3K

37.71%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

314.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 $59.1

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

209.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.95 $32.95

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.30 $45.30

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

293.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$7.32 CLP 7,208

93.17%

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

$529 $529

$436 CLP 429.2K

21.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,520 $6,520

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

-40.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.13 $39.13

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

-20.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.07 $47.07

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

61.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.4 $70.4

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

52.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$554 CLP 545.8K

115.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 $901

$383 CLP 376.6K

135.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

59.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$775 CLP 762.5K

80.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,451 $1,451

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-44.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,416 $3,416

$778 CLP 766.3K

338.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.74

5.39

25.05%

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

Last update for Dayton, OH: October 19, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dayton, OH

$901 40.7%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 57.5% $518

Groceries & Markets

Dayton, OH

$486 21.9%

Santiago

$236 20% 51.4% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dayton, OH

$314 14.2%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 42.7% $134

Eating Out

Dayton, OH

$248 11.2%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 24.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Dayton, OH

$126 5.7%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 19.7% $25

Getting Around

Dayton, OH

$80 3.6%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 37.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Dayton, OH

$61 2.8%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 21.7% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,194 in Dayton, OH and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dayton, OH pays 339% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $71.0 in Dayton, OH vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dayton, OH

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

20:48 8:48 PM

1 h ahead of Dayton, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

156,771

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Dayton, OH Santiago 8,260 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Dayton, OH
Santiago

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

Dayton, OH vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Dayton, OH. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 339% higher in Dayton, OH, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,194 in Dayton, OH versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,214 per month in Dayton, OH versus $1,183 in Santiago – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago runs roughly 19% less than in Dayton, OH. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,214 in Dayton, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Dayton, OH. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Dayton, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.