Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Hamilton versus $1,206 in Santiago.

Hamilton $2,237
Santiago $1,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,267 in Hamilton versus $1,885 in Santiago.

Hamilton $3,267
Santiago $1,885

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,297 in Hamilton versus $2,564 in Santiago.

Hamilton $4,297
Santiago $2,564

Living in Hamilton is roughly 85% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hamilton is 67% above, Santiago is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 CA$25.16

$10.19 CLP 9,931

73.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 CA$86.5

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

16.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 CA$17.05

$8.54 CLP 8,323

40.05%

Cappuccino

$3.48 CA$4.96

$3.19 CLP 3,115

9.09%

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

$2.15 CA$3.06

$1.68 CLP 1,637

27.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CA$2.34

$1.22 CLP 1,191

34.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.95

$4.21 CLP 4,101

15.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 CA$8.74

$4.66 CLP 4,539

31.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$1.32 CLP 1,283

64.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$1.80 CLP 1,756

23.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$1.58 CLP 1,543

60.76%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.55

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-24.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 CA$11.27

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-29.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.76 CA$15.34

$6.75 CLP 6,580

59.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.64 CA$19.44

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

27.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CA$5.45

$2.04 CLP 1,991

87.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.73

$1.53 CLP 1,497

-20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.76

$1.59 CLP 1,549

154.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.42

$1.75 CLP 1,708

117.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.33 CA$3.32

$1.08 CLP 1,051

115.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$1.51 CLP 1,476

4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 CA$3.09

$1.17 CLP 1,145

85.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 CA$1.85

$1.07 CLP 1,041

21.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.33 CA$17.58

$5.14 CLP 5,015

139.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.26 CA$18.90

$5.88 CLP 5,732

125.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.49

$1.55 CLP 1,513

58.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 CA$4.81

$2.27 CLP 2,218

48.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.49 CA$3.55

$0.85 CLP 829

192.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.6 CA$122

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

106.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 CA$4.85

$0.39 CLP 383

771.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 CA$1.75

$0.84 CLP 820

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.37 CA$33.32

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

95.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 CA$1.70

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-20.67%

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

$27.5K CA$39.2K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

52.06%

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

$19.9K CA$28.3K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

-7.99%

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

$149 CA$212

$151 CLP 147.3K

-1.35%

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

$41.14 CA$58.7

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

241.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.32 CA$70.3

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

160.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.18 CA$53.0

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

9.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.33 CA$24.71

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

47.87%

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 CA$14.52

$7.37 CLP 7,185

38.26%

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

$597 CA$852

$434 CLP 423.3K

37.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$23.1K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

47.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.29 CA$68.8

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

-5.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.75 CA$43.83

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

5.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 CA$123

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

27.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$163

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

42.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,263 CA$1,801

$555 CLP 540.8K

127.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 CA$1,617

$372 CLP 363.2K

204.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 CA$2,859

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

98.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 CA$2,664

$779 CLP 759.1K

140.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,659 CA$3,790

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

-0.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,694 CA$3,840

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

2.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,896 CA$4,128

$791 CLP 771.7K

265.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

5.39

-14.66%

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

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 67.2% $762

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton

$327 14.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 27.7% $91

Eating Out

Hamilton

$271 12%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 30.8% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton

$240 10.6%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 24% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton

$126 5.6%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 18.6% $23

Getting Around

Hamilton

$105 4.7%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 52.9% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton

$58 2.6%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 15.6% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,263 in Hamilton and $555 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 266% 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: $61.0 in Hamilton vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $327 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

06:22 6:22 AM

07:22 7:22 AM

1 h ahead of Hamilton

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

519,949

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Hamilton Santiago 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton
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

Hamilton vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 266% higher in Hamilton, 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: $1,263 in Hamilton versus $555 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $597 in Hamilton versus $434 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. 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 Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.