Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fargo, ND and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,026 in Fargo, ND, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Fargo, ND
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Fargo, ND Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Fargo, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,026

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,026 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,183 in Santiago, rent included.

Fargo, ND $2,026
Santiago $1,183

A couple spends around $3,226 per month in Fargo, ND vs $1,882 in Santiago, rent included.

Fargo, ND $3,226
Santiago $1,882

A family of three spends $4,426 per month in Fargo, ND vs $2,581 in Santiago, rent included.

Fargo, ND $4,426
Santiago $2,581

Fargo, ND costs about 71% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Fargo, ND sits 49% above the global median, while Santiago is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.26 $17.26

$10.15 CLP 9,995

70.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

16.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.73 $11.73

$8.56 CLP 8,423

37.03%

Cappuccino

$5.15 $5.15

$3.15 CLP 3,101

63.49%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 CLP 1,685

50.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.28 CLP 1,255

59.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.18 CLP 4,118

27.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.13 $9.13

$4.46 CLP 4,390

104.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-1.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.76 CLP 1,737

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.52 $7.52

$1.66 CLP 1,630

353.01%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-4.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.80 $14.80

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

33.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$6.75 CLP 6,641

129.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.19 $21.19

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

96.93%

Apples (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$1.96 CLP 1,927

436.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.54 CLP 1,518

53.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.59 $6.59

$1.58 CLP 1,560

317.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.74 CLP 1,713

212.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$1.09 CLP 1,075

346.79%

Onion (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.53 CLP 1,509

149.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.18 CLP 1,163

70.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.08 CLP 1,060

142.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.77 $8.77

$5.18 CLP 5,101

69.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.54 $18.54

$6.17 CLP 6,070

200.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.53 CLP 1,511

66.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.36 CLP 2,325

130.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.84 CLP 824

75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.33 $41.33

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

-0.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 $4.52

$0.42 CLP 416

976.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-34.23%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

56.36%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

1.05%

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

$136 $136

$149 CLP 146.3K

-8.63%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

380.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.3 $57.3

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

199.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.1 $57.1

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

71.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.79 $13.79

$7.32 CLP 7,208

88.39%

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

$1,244 $1,244

$436 CLP 429.2K

185.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 $51.0

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

3.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.99 $45.99

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

57.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.7 $84.7

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

29.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$954 $954

$554 CLP 545.8K

71.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$689 $689

$383 CLP 376.6K

80.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,252 $2,252

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

124.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$775 CLP 762.5K

87.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,898 $1,898

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-29.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,673 $1,673

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-35.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,824 $3,824

$778 CLP 766.3K

391.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

5.39

19.29%

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

Last update for Fargo, ND: October 20, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fargo, ND

$689 34%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 44.5% $306

Groceries & Markets

Fargo, ND

$522 25.8%

Santiago

$236 20% 54.8% $286

Eating Out

Fargo, ND

$299 14.7%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 37.5% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fargo, ND

$251 12.4%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 28.4% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Fargo, ND

$128 6.3%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 21.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Fargo, ND

$85 4.2%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 43.4% $37

Getting Around

Fargo, ND

$52 * 2.6%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 4% $2.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $954 in Fargo, ND versus $554 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 391% higher in Fargo, ND, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $522 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fargo, ND

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

04:28 4:28 AM

06:28 6:28 AM

2 h ahead of Fargo, ND

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,056

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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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

Fargo, ND Santiago 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fargo, ND
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

Fargo, ND vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Fargo, ND costs about 71% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,038 per month in Fargo, ND and $1,775 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Fargo, ND and $52.0 in Santiago. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,026 in Fargo, ND and $1,183 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 71%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Fargo, ND at $2,026. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fargo, ND it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santiago costs $1,183 versus $2,026 in Fargo, ND. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fargo, ND makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.