Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Manhattan, KS and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, rent and utilities included – about $12,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Manhattan, KS
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Manhattan, KS Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Manhattan, KS

🇺🇸 United States

$2,249

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Manhattan, KS $2,249
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Manhattan, KS versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Manhattan, KS $3,271
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,292 in Manhattan, KS versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Manhattan, KS $4,292
Santiago $2,595

Living in Manhattan, KS is roughly 89% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Manhattan, KS is 67% above, Santiago is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.10 $15.10

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

56.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$8.94 CLP 8,805

35.35%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$3.26 CLP 3,211

65.95%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$1.67 CLP 1,640

17.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.23 CLP 1,212

19.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.98 CLP 3,914

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.19 $9.19

$4.54 CLP 4,465

102.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.28 CLP 1,263

-31.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.85 CLP 1,817

75.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.59 CLP 1,567

294.97%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$4.10 CLP 4,031

9.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 $11.77

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

3.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.70 $8.70

$6.69 CLP 6,586

30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.68 $14.68

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

35.80%

Apples (1kg)

$6.79 $6.79

$1.94 CLP 1,905

250.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.52 CLP 1,497

42.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$1.60 CLP 1,577

261.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.69 CLP 1,668

153.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.10 CLP 1,084

206.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.52 CLP 1,500

148.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.18 CLP 1,164

55.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.08 CLP 1,061

146.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.57 $9.57

$5.07 CLP 4,995

88.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 $17.24

$5.95 CLP 5,858

189.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.49 CLP 1,470

14.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.38 CLP 2,342

6.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 $60.8

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

51.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.88 $4.88

$0.40 CLP 393

1120.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$0.91 CLP 897

109.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.39 $34.39

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

195.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-39.07%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

101.26%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

16.38%

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

$144 $144

$151 CLP 149.0K

-4.59%

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

$47.66 $47.66

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

286.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

253.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.5 $74.5

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

120.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$7.45 CLP 7,334

99.33%

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

$833 $833

$430 CLP 423.7K

93.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K $11.4K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.15 $48.15

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

-3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 $34.94

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

20.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.5 $89.5

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

36.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

42.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 $927

$559 CLP 550.4K

65.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$998 $998

$384 CLP 377.8K

160.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,457 $1,457

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

45.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$780 CLP 767.9K

86.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,366 $1,366

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-48.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,400 $1,400

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-45.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,433 $3,433

$804 CLP 791.0K

327.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

5.39

17.44%

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

Last update for Manhattan, KS: 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

Manhattan, KS

$998 44.4%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 61.6% $615

Groceries & Markets

Manhattan, KS

$404 18%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 41.6% $168

Eating Out

Manhattan, KS

$280 12.4%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 32.3% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Manhattan, KS

$258 11.5%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 29.4% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Manhattan, KS

$130 5.8%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 21.9% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Manhattan, KS

$104 4.6%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 53.3% $56

Getting Around

Manhattan, KS

$75 * 3.4%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 35.7% $27

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 $927 in Manhattan, KS and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Manhattan, KS pays 327% 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: $81.0 in Manhattan, KS vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Manhattan, KS

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

04:51 4:51 AM

2 h ahead of Manhattan, KS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,694,251

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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Manhattan, KS Santiago 8,510 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Manhattan, KS
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

Manhattan, KS vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 89% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 327% higher in Manhattan, KS, 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: $927 in Manhattan, KS versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $833 in Manhattan, KS 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 71% higher in Manhattan, KS. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $2,249 in Manhattan, KS, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Manhattan, KS. 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, Manhattan, KS 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 89% less than in Manhattan, KS. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.