Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ithaca, NY and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

142

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
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Ithaca, NY Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,941

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,941 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,190 in Santiago, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $2,941
Santiago $1,190

A couple spends around $3,792 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $1,892 in Santiago, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $3,792
Santiago $1,892

A family of three spends $4,642 per month in Ithaca, NY vs $2,595 in Santiago, rent included.

Ithaca, NY $4,642
Santiago $2,595

Ithaca, NY costs about 147% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Ithaca, NY sits 118% above the global median, while Santiago is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.16 $22.16

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

113.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

56.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.22 $11.22

$8.94 CLP 8,805

25.50%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.26 CLP 3,211

54.60%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$1.67 CLP 1,640

60.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.23 CLP 1,212

65.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.98 CLP 3,914

22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.29 $9.29

$4.54 CLP 4,465

104.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.28 CLP 1,263

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.85 CLP 1,817

80.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.20 $7.20

$1.59 CLP 1,567

352.83%

Eggs

$4.10 $4.10

$4.10 CLP 4,031

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.42 $14.42

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

26.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$6.69 CLP 6,586

0.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

41.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$1.94 CLP 1,905

143.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.52 CLP 1,497

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.60 CLP 1,577

240.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.69 CLP 1,668

178.11%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.10 CLP 1,084

197.27%

Onion (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.52 CLP 1,500

135.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.18 CLP 1,164

96.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.08 CLP 1,061

90.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$5.07 CLP 4,995

79.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.03 $14.03

$5.95 CLP 5,858

135.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.49 CLP 1,470

22.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.38 CLP 2,342

61.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.83 CLP 821

136.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.65 $45.65

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

13.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.01 $5.01

$0.40 CLP 393

1152.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.91 CLP 897

56.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 $29.94

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

157.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-29.80%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

106.91%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

13.85%

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

$164 $164

$151 CLP 149.0K

8.47%

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

$47.70 $47.70

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

286.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.0 $51.0

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

172.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 $35.26

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

4.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$10.84 $10.84

$7.45 CLP 7,334

45.50%

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

$1,466 $1,466

$430 CLP 423.7K

240.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K $16.9K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

56.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 $46.46

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

-6.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.18 $40.18

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

38.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

20.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$559 CLP 550.4K

290.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 $1,714

$384 CLP 377.8K

346.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,728 $2,728

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

171.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 $1,844

$780 CLP 767.9K

136.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,196 $2,196

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-16.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-15.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,464 $3,464

$804 CLP 791.0K

331.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

5.39

19.85%

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

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 58.3%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 77.6% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Ithaca, NY

$387 13.1%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 39% $151

Eating Out

Ithaca, NY

$333 11.3%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 43.1% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ithaca, NY

$263 8.9%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 30.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Ithaca, NY

$122 4.2%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 17.2% $21

Getting Around

Ithaca, NY

$66 2.2%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 26.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Ithaca, NY

$57 1.9%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 14.6% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,183 in Ithaca, NY versus $559 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 331% higher in Ithaca, NY, 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

00:10 12:10 AM

01:10 1:10 AM

1 h ahead of Ithaca, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,283

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

Ithaca, NY Santiago 8,460 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ithaca, NY
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

Ithaca, NY vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,941 in Ithaca, NY, $1,190 in Santiago – roughly 147% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,412 per month in Ithaca, NY and $1,785 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 $81.0 in Ithaca, NY 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 $2,941 in Ithaca, NY and $1,190 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 147%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Ithaca, NY at $2,941. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ithaca, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.