Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth, NJ and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
Learn more

Elizabeth, NJ Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Elizabeth, NJ 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 Elizabeth, NJ and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Elizabeth, NJ $3,186
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Elizabeth, NJ $4,453
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Elizabeth, NJ $5,720
Santiago $2,581

Living in Elizabeth, NJ is roughly 169% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Elizabeth, NJ is 135% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.71 $19.71

$10.15 CLP 9,995

94.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 $80.4

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

54.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$8.56 CLP 8,423

38.90%

Cappuccino

$5.45 $5.45

$3.15 CLP 3,101

73.02%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.71 CLP 1,685

42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.28 CLP 1,255

16.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.18 CLP 4,118

86.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$4.46 CLP 4,390

60.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.76 CLP 1,737

155.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.66 CLP 1,630

259.04%

Eggs

$6.52 $6.52

$4.21 CLP 4,140

54.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

38.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 $11.83

$6.75 CLP 6,641

75.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.73 $19.73

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

83.36%

Apples (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$1.96 CLP 1,927

203.57%

Banana (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.54 CLP 1,518

130.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$1.58 CLP 1,560

165.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.74 CLP 1,713

211.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.09 CLP 1,075

174.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.53 CLP 1,509

92.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.18 CLP 1,163

154.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.08 CLP 1,060

133.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.62 $14.62

$5.18 CLP 5,101

182.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$6.17 CLP 6,070

147.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.53 CLP 1,511

76.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.36 CLP 2,325

44.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 $2.88

$0.84 CLP 824

242.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 $76.0

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

83.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.42 CLP 416

595.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.88 CLP 869

139.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 $42.39

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

268.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-26.85%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

62.02%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

2.70%

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

$247 $247

$149 CLP 146.3K

66.47%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

321.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 $50.1

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

161.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.78 $24.78

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

-25.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$20.03 $20.03

$7.32 CLP 7,208

173.63%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$436 CLP 429.2K

361.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

47.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.63 $49.63

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

0.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.6 $77.6

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

166.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,181 $2,181

$554 CLP 545.8K

293.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 $1,718

$383 CLP 376.6K

348.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

166.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 $2,492

$775 CLP 762.5K

221.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,297 $1,297

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-52.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,143 $1,143

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-56.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,997 $3,997

$778 CLP 766.3K

413.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.39

23.75%

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

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 77.7% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9%

Santiago

$236 20% 50.3% $239

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 48.4% $169

Eating Out

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 43.1% $141

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 33.5% $51

Getting Around

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 50.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 26% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 413% 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: $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

15:02 3:02 PM

16:02 4:02 PM

1 h ahead of Elizabeth, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

126,179

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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Elizabeth, NJ Santiago 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth, NJ
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

Elizabeth, NJ vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth, NJ and Santiago differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($3,186 vs $1,183 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 413% higher in Elizabeth, NJ, 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: $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. 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 169% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.