Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Ángeles and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$906

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $906 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,163 in Santiago, rent included.

Los Ángeles $906
Santiago $1,163

A couple spends around $1,361 per month in Los Ángeles vs $1,844 in Santiago, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,361
Santiago $1,844

A family of three spends $1,816 per month in Los Ángeles vs $2,525 in Santiago, rent included.

Los Ángeles $1,816
Santiago $2,525

Los Ángeles is about 22% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Los Ángeles and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Los Ángeles 33% lower, Santiago 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 CLP 11.9K

$9.93 CLP 9,807

20.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.27 CLP 24.9K

$49.88 CLP 49.3K

-49.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 CLP 9,839

$8.64 CLP 8,533

15.28%

Cappuccino

$2.06 CLP 2,030

$3.16 CLP 3,121

-34.81%

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

$1.48 CLP 1,465

$1.65 CLP 1,632

-10.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,463

$1.24 CLP 1,228

19.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 CLP 2,572

$4.12 CLP 4,067

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 CLP 3,067

$4.60 CLP 4,547

-32.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,182

$1.22 CLP 1,207

-1.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CLP 2,619

$1.82 CLP 1,792

45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 CLP 2,819

$1.58 CLP 1,563

81.01%

Eggs

$4.12 CLP 4,068

$4.04 CLP 3,990

1.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 CLP 8,090

$10.96 CLP 10.8K

-25.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 CLP 10.4K

$6.66 CLP 6,576

58.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.00 CLP 13.8K

$10.32 CLP 10.2K

35.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,614

$2.02 CLP 1,990

31.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,576

$1.49 CLP 1,470

7.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.68 CLP 2,651

$1.58 CLP 1,558

69.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,153

$1.72 CLP 1,694

26.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,508

$1.04 CLP 1,030

47.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,622

$1.51 CLP 1,490

8.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,347

$1.22 CLP 1,202

11.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 CLP 1,112

$1.10 CLP 1,086

2.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 CLP 5,337

$5.10 CLP 5,033

5.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.13 CLP 4,082

$5.93 CLP 5,855

-30.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CLP 964

$1.48 CLP 1,462

-33.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,219

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 CLP 488

$0.84 CLP 827

-41.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 CLP 2,017

$0.38 CLP 376

436.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 808

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,215

$1.52 CLP 1,505

-19.08%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.6M

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

$24.9K CLP 24.6M

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

$121 CLP 119.8K

$146 CLP 143.9K

-16.76%

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

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.87 CLP 19.6K

$18.80 CLP 18.6K

5.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.3 CLP 80.3K

$32.41 CLP 32.0K

150.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

$11.68 CLP 11.5K

-12.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.35 CLP 4,296

$7.58 CLP 7,488

-42.61%

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

$440 CLP 434.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 79.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$271 CLP 267.7K

$497 CLP 490.7K

-45.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$219 CLP 216.5K

$373 CLP 368.7K

-41.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$440 CLP 434.3K

$989 CLP 976.2K

-55.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 CLP 337.2K

$750 CLP 740.5K

-54.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,960 CLP 2.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 CLP 761.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Groceries & Markets

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Eating Out

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Getting Around

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Los Ángeles

–

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $271 in Los Ángeles versus $497 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $25 in Los Ángeles versus $50 in Santiago. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Los Ángeles vs $232 in Santiago – so Santiago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Los Ángeles

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

143,023

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Los Ángeles vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago costs about 28% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,360 per month in Los Ángeles and $1,745 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $497 in Santiago.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $906 in Los Ángeles and $1,163 in Santiago. That makes Los Ángeles about 22% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Santiago – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $906 in Los Ángeles and $1,163 in Santiago. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.