Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lima, OH and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,594 in Lima, OH, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Lima, OH
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Lima, OH Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Lima, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,594

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,594 in Lima, OH versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Lima, OH $2,594
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,690 in Lima, OH versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Lima, OH $3,690
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,785 in Lima, OH versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Lima, OH $4,785
Santiago $2,581

Living in Lima, OH is roughly 119% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lima, OH is 91% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.30 $22.30

$10.15 CLP 9,995

119.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.3 $77.3

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

48.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$8.56 CLP 8,423

42.17%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$3.15 CLP 3,101

75.56%

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

$2.55 $2.55

$1.71 CLP 1,685

49.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.28 CLP 1,255

58.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.18 CLP 4,118

43.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$4.46 CLP 4,390

56.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-57.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 $3.18

$1.76 CLP 1,737

80.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$1.66 CLP 1,630

222.89%

Eggs

$3.02 $3.02

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-28.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 $8.76

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

-20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.63 $14.63

$6.75 CLP 6,641

116.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 $15.92

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

47.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.96 CLP 1,927

120.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.54 CLP 1,518

-26.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$1.58 CLP 1,560

186.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.74 CLP 1,713

152.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.09 CLP 1,075

107.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.53 CLP 1,509

45.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.18 CLP 1,163

65.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.08 CLP 1,060

87.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.99 $9.99

$5.18 CLP 5,101

92.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.61 $16.61

$6.17 CLP 6,070

169.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.53 CLP 1,511

41.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.36 CLP 2,325

-13.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.84 CLP 824

134.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.37 $42.37

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

2.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.42 CLP 416

604.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 $1.24

$0.88 CLP 869

40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.59 $26.59

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

131.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-42.95%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

78.17%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

-7.41%

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

$225 $225

$149 CLP 146.3K

51.59%

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

$67.9 $67.9

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

461.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.9 $66.9

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

249.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.23 $42.23

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

26.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.94 $47.94

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

316.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.05 $13.05

$7.32 CLP 7,208

78.28%

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

$1,615 $1,615

$436 CLP 429.2K

270.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.3K $34.3K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

212.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.6 $50.6

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

2.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.69 $40.69

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

39.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 $82.6

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

26.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

37.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 $1,278

$554 CLP 545.8K

130.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,257 $1,257

$383 CLP 376.6K

228.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 $2,211

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

120.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$775 CLP 762.5K

135.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,393 $1,393

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-48.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,402 $1,402

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-46.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,089 $5,089

$778 CLP 766.3K

553.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

5.39

23.19%

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

Last update for Lima, OH: October 17, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lima, OH

$1.3K 48.5%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 69.6% $874

Groceries & Markets

Lima, OH

$378 14.6%

Santiago

$236 20% 37.5% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lima, OH

$360 13.9%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 50.1% $180

Eating Out

Lima, OH

$343 13.2%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 45.7% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Lima, OH

$128 4.9%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 21.2% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lima, OH

$68 2.6%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 29.8% $20

Getting Around

Lima, OH

$59 2.3%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 16.4% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,278 in Lima, OH and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lima, OH pays 554% 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: $77.0 in Lima, OH vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lima, OH

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

10:11 10:11 AM

1 h ahead of Lima, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

35,868

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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Lima, OH Santiago 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lima, OH
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

Lima, OH vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lima, OH and Santiago differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,594 vs $1,183 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 554% higher in Lima, OH, 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: $1,278 in Lima, OH versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lima, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $77.0 in Lima, OH. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,594 in Lima, OH, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Lima, OH. 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, Lima, OH 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 119% less than in Lima, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.