Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Collins, CO and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Fort Collins, CO
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Fort Collins, CO Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Fort Collins, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,758

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Fort Collins, CO $2,758
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,111 in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Fort Collins, CO $4,111
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,464 in Fort Collins, CO versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Fort Collins, CO $5,464
Santiago $2,564

Living in Fort Collins, CO is roughly 129% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Fort Collins, CO is 106% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.70 $22.70

$10.19 CLP 9,931

122.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 $80.7

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

54.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.26 $11.26

$8.54 CLP 8,323

31.85%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$3.19 CLP 3,115

93.42%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$1.68 CLP 1,637

44.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.22 CLP 1,191

69.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.21 CLP 4,101

64.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.66 CLP 4,539

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-25.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.80 CLP 1,756

66.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.58 CLP 1,543

73.42%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-0.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-2.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.55 $9.55

$6.75 CLP 6,580

41.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.30 $19.30

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

80.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.04 CLP 1,991

142.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.53 CLP 1,497

1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.59 CLP 1,549

193.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.75 CLP 1,708

203.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.43 $3.43

$1.08 CLP 1,051

217.59%

Onion (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.51 CLP 1,476

201.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.17 CLP 1,145

99.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.07 CLP 1,041

64.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$5.14 CLP 5,015

93.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.52 $16.52

$5.88 CLP 5,732

180.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.55 CLP 1,513

61.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.27 CLP 2,218

19.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.39 CLP 383

523.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.84 CLP 820

127.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.40 $25.40

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

112.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-32.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

98.84%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

15.96%

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

$213 $213

$151 CLP 147.3K

41.10%

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

$57.2 $57.2

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

375.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.9 $68.9

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

263.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

64.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.66 $29.66

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

153.07%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 $11.98

$7.37 CLP 7,185

62.55%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$434 CLP 423.3K

198.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K $12.7K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

15.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

17.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 $69.9

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

139.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

18.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

46.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,851 $1,851

$555 CLP 540.8K

233.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 $1,427

$372 CLP 363.2K

283.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,733 $2,733

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

170.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 $2,484

$779 CLP 759.1K

219.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,012 $3,012

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

12.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,034 $3,034

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

15.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,352 $4,352

$791 CLP 771.7K

449.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

5.39

25.60%

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

Last update for Fort Collins, CO: October 5, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fort Collins, CO

$1.4K 52%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 73.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Fort Collins, CO

$386 14.1%

Santiago

$236 20% 38.8% $150

Eating Out

Fort Collins, CO

$356 13%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 47.4% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fort Collins, CO

$339 12.4%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 46.3% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Fort Collins, CO

$147 5.4%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 30.3% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Fort Collins, CO

$80 2.9%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 39% $31

Getting Around

Fort Collins, CO

$12 * 0.4%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 313% $38

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 $1,851 in Fort Collins, CO and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Collins, CO pays 450% 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: $81.0 in Fort Collins, CO vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fort Collins, CO

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

01:41 1:41 AM

3 h ahead of Fort Collins, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

148,612

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Fort Collins, CO Santiago 8,960 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fort Collins, CO
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

Fort Collins, CO vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 129% lower than in Fort Collins, CO. 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 450% higher in Fort Collins, CO, 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: $1,851 in Fort Collins, CO versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Fort Collins, CO. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,758 per month in Fort Collins, CO versus $1,206 in Santiago – a 129% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,758 in Fort Collins, CO, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Fort Collins, CO. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santiago delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santiago hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fort Collins, CO 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 129% less than in Fort Collins, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.