Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Escazu and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,933 in Escazu, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

94

Cost of Living Index in Escazu
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Escazu Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Escazu

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,933

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,933 in Escazu versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Escazu $1,933
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,966 in Escazu versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Escazu $2,966
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,999 in Escazu versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Escazu $3,999
Santiago $2,595

Living in Escazu is roughly 62% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Escazu is 43% above, Santiago is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 ₡5,486

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

17.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 ₡27.9K

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

20.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 ₡5,146

$8.94 CLP 8,805

28.41%

Cappuccino

$4.56 ₡2,045

$3.26 CLP 3,211

39.88%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$1.67 CLP 1,640

62.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₡828

$1.23 CLP 1,212

50.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,505

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-15.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$4.54 CLP 4,465

-1.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.32 ₡1,040

$1.28 CLP 1,263

81.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,397

$1.85 CLP 1,817

68.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.49 ₡1,117

$1.59 CLP 1,567

56.60%

Eggs

$3.59 ₡1,611

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-12.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 ₡4,757

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-7.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 ₡4,581

$6.69 CLP 6,586

52.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,252

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 ₡2,301

$1.94 CLP 1,905

164.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ₡726

$1.52 CLP 1,497

6.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.16 ₡1,416

$1.60 CLP 1,577

97.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.07 ₡1,378

$1.69 CLP 1,668

81.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 ₡1,698

$1.10 CLP 1,084

244.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 ₡1,674

$1.52 CLP 1,500

145.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 ₡465

$1.18 CLP 1,164

-11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 ₡762

$1.08 CLP 1,061

57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 ₡2,479

$5.07 CLP 4,995

9.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.39 ₡8,249

$5.95 CLP 5,858

209.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 ₡745

$1.49 CLP 1,470

11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₡1,202

$2.38 CLP 2,342

12.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 ₡491

$0.83 CLP 821

31.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 ₡923

$0.40 CLP 393

415.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡704

$0.91 CLP 897

72.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.76 ₡3,927

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

-24.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 ₡664

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-1.99%

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

$22.4K ₡10.1M

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

27.55%

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

$35.2K ₡15.8M

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

60.04%

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

$94.6 ₡42.4K

$151 CLP 149.0K

-37.55%

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

$29.81 ₡13.4K

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

141.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡27.0K

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

220.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$108 ₡48.6K

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

221.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 ₡4,550

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

-13.98%

Cinema Ticket

$7.81 ₡3,502

$7.45 CLP 7,334

4.83%

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

$457 ₡204.9K

$430 CLP 423.7K

6.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

56.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 ₡31.9K

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

43.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 ₡25.0K

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

92.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

99.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 ₡58.4K

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

61.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$834 ₡373.9K

$559 CLP 550.4K

49.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$845 ₡378.8K

$384 CLP 377.8K

120.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 ₡879.3K

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

95.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 ₡676.4K

$780 CLP 767.9K

93.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,407 ₡630.8K

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-46.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$972 ₡435.7K

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-61.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 ₡782.8K

$804 CLP 791.0K

117.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.39

59.93%

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

Last update for Escazu: October 10, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Escazu

$845 43.7%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 54.6% $461

Groceries & Markets

Escazu

$361 18.7%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 34.6% $125

Eating Out

Escazu

$231 12%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 18% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Escazu

$184 9.5%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 1.1% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Escazu

$174 9%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 42% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Escazu

$124 6.4%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 60.8% $75

Getting Around

Escazu

$14 * 0.7%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 239% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $834 in Escazu and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Escazu pays 117% 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: $62.0 in Escazu vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Escazu

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

08:32 8:32 AM

3 h ahead of Escazu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,984

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Escazu Santiago 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Escazu
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

Escazu vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 117% higher in Escazu, 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: $834 in Escazu versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Escazu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,933 per month in Escazu versus $1,190 in Santiago – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,933 in Escazu, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Escazu. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Escazu, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Escazu and Santiago are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Escazu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.