Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,934

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Iqaluit, NU $2,934
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,585 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Iqaluit, NU $4,585
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,236 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Iqaluit, NU $6,236
Santiago $2,595

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 147% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iqaluit, NU is 117% above, Santiago is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.82 CA$38.14

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

158.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 CA$90.1

$51.7 CLP 50.8K

22.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.91 CA$18.36

$8.94 CLP 8,795

44.41%

Cappuccino

$7.02 CA$9.98

$3.26 CLP 3,207

115.34%

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

$3.71 CA$5.28

$1.67 CLP 1,638

122.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 CA$2.31

$1.23 CLP 1,211

31.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.73 CA$9.57

$3.98 CLP 3,909

69.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.45 CA$7.74

$4.54 CLP 4,459

20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.47

$1.28 CLP 1,261

90.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CA$3.63

$1.85 CLP 1,815

37.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CA$4.53

$1.59 CLP 1,565

100.00%

Eggs

$3.41 CA$4.85

$4.10 CLP 4,026

-16.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 CA$13.81

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-14.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 CA$18.59

$6.69 CLP 6,578

95.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.48 CA$20.59

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

33.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.26

$1.94 CLP 1,903

90.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.90

$1.52 CLP 1,495

-12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.58 CA$5.09

$1.60 CLP 1,575

123.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.41

$1.69 CLP 1,666

124.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.42

$1.10 CLP 1,083

119.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CA$3.08

$1.52 CLP 1,498

42.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 CA$3.37

$1.18 CLP 1,163

100.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.25

$1.08 CLP 1,060

46.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.88 CA$19.73

$5.07 CLP 4,989

173.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.82 CA$18.22

$5.95 CLP 5,851

115.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 CA$3.62

$1.49 CLP 1,469

70.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CA$4.27

$2.38 CLP 2,339

26.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.23 CA$3.17

$0.83 CLP 820

168.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.5 CA$87.4

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

53.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 CA$9.34

$0.40 CLP 392

1542.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 CA$1.96

$0.91 CLP 895

51.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 CA$28.73

$11.63 CLP 11.4K

73.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.62

$1.51 CLP 1,484

-24.50%

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

$38.0K CA$54.1K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

116.32%

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

$30.1K CA$42.8K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

36.85%

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

$114 CA$162

$151 CLP 148.9K

-24.83%

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

$38.71 CA$55.0

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

213.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.6 CA$76.2

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

186.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.57 CA$57.7

$33.71 CLP 33.1K

20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.61 CA$25.04

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

49.24%

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 CA$11.51

$7.45 CLP 7,325

8.59%

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

$755 CA$1,073

$430 CLP 423.2K

75.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K CA$18.6K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

20.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.9

$49.65 CLP 48.8K

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.18 CA$54.3

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

31.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 CA$122

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

30.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CA$145

$80.7 CLP 79.3K

26.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 CA$2,489

$559 CLP 549.7K

213.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 CA$2,417

$384 CLP 377.3K

343.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,877 CA$4,091

$1,004 CLP 987.2K

186.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,448 CA$4,902

$780 CLP 766.9K

342.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,252 CA$6,045

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

61.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,525 CA$5,011

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

38.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,135 CA$5,879

$804 CLP 790.0K

414.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

5.39

-1.30%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: 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

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 58%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 77.4% $1.3K

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$403 13.8%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 53% $214

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$358 12.2%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 34.2% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$206 7%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 11.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$125 4.3%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 19.3% $24

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 42.3% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 14.4% $8.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 415% 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: $63.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $358 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

20:28 8:28 PM

1 h ahead of Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.17 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 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 14, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 14, 2026: 1 USD = 983 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,101 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Santiago 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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

Iqaluit, NU vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 147% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 415% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,751 in Iqaluit, NU versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $755 in Iqaluit, NU versus $430 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $2,934 in Iqaluit, NU, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. 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 147% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.