Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joliet, IL and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,572 in Joliet, IL, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Joliet, IL
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Joliet, IL Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Joliet, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,572

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,572 in Joliet, IL versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Joliet, IL $2,572
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,769 in Joliet, IL versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Joliet, IL $3,769
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,967 in Joliet, IL versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Joliet, IL $4,967
Santiago $2,581

Living in Joliet, IL is roughly 117% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Joliet, IL is 90% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.77 $18.77

$10.15 CLP 9,995

84.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.3 $75.3

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

45.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$8.56 CLP 8,423

27.92%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$3.15 CLP 3,101

65.71%

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

$2.47 $2.47

$1.71 CLP 1,685

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.28 CLP 1,255

55.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.18 CLP 4,118

46.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$4.46 CLP 4,390

57.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-19.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.76 CLP 1,737

97.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$1.66 CLP 1,630

165.06%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$4.21 CLP 4,140

1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.50 $12.50

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

12.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.49 $11.49

$6.75 CLP 6,641

70.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.28 $15.28

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

42.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.96 CLP 1,927

148.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.54 CLP 1,518

6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$1.58 CLP 1,560

167.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.74 CLP 1,713

174.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.09 CLP 1,075

157.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.53 CLP 1,509

86.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.18 CLP 1,163

75.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.08 CLP 1,060

103.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.66 $9.66

$5.18 CLP 5,101

86.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 $13.80

$6.17 CLP 6,070

123.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.53 CLP 1,511

15.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.36 CLP 2,325

44.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.84 CLP 824

142.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.60 $3.60

$0.42 CLP 416

757.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.88 CLP 869

80.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.95 $28.95

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

151.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-38.93%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

72.89%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

1.19%

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

$186 $186

$149 CLP 146.3K

24.86%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

338.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.6 $66.6

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

247.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 $42.59

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

27.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 $13.61

$7.32 CLP 7,208

85.93%

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

$1,282 $1,282

$436 CLP 429.2K

193.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

117.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

3.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.24 $39.24

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

34.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

30.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$554 CLP 545.8K

192.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$383 CLP 376.6K

253.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 $2,600

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

159.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$775 CLP 762.5K

190.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,825 $2,825

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

4.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-4.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

5.39

20.78%

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

Last update for Joliet, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joliet, IL

$1.4K 52.6%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 71.7% $969

Groceries & Markets

Joliet, IL

$388 15.1%

Santiago

$236 20% 39.1% $152

Eating Out

Joliet, IL

$308 12%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 39.5% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joliet, IL

$305 11.9%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 41.1% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Joliet, IL

$129 5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 22.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Joliet, IL

$70 2.7%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 31.3% $22

Getting Around

Joliet, IL

$20 * 0.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 152% $30

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 $1,619 in Joliet, IL and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Joliet, IL vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joliet, IL

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

22:54 10:54 PM

00:54 12:54 AM

2 h ahead of Joliet, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,362

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 →

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Between locations

Joliet, IL Santiago 8,520 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Joliet, IL
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

Joliet, IL vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Joliet, IL and Santiago differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,572 vs $1,183 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,857 in Joliet, IL and $1,775 in Santiago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,619 in Joliet, IL versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,282 in Joliet, IL versus $436 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $75.0 in Joliet, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,572 in Joliet, IL, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Joliet, IL. 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.

Safety-wise, Joliet, IL 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 117% less than in Joliet, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.