Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $3,154 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

151

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,154

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,154 per month in Medford, MA vs $1,183 in Santiago, rent included.

Medford, MA $3,154
Santiago $1,183

A couple spends around $4,274 per month in Medford, MA vs $1,882 in Santiago, rent included.

Medford, MA $4,274
Santiago $1,882

A family of three spends $5,393 per month in Medford, MA vs $2,581 in Santiago, rent included.

Medford, MA $5,393
Santiago $2,581

Medford, MA costs about 167% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medford, MA sits 133% above the global median, while Santiago is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 $18.19

$10.15 CLP 9,995

79.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.1 $96.1

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

85.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.11 $12.11

$8.56 CLP 8,423

41.47%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$3.15 CLP 3,101

72.38%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.71 CLP 1,685

68.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.28 CLP 1,255

92.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$4.18 CLP 4,118

90.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.22 $9.22

$4.46 CLP 4,390

106.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-16.28%

White Bread (500g)

$4.04 $4.04

$1.76 CLP 1,737

129.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.66 CLP 1,630

228.31%

Eggs

$4.83 $4.83

$4.21 CLP 4,140

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

1.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$6.75 CLP 6,641

110.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.78 $17.78

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

65.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.55 $6.55

$1.96 CLP 1,927

234.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.54 CLP 1,518

12.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$1.58 CLP 1,560

255.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$1.74 CLP 1,713

212.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.09 CLP 1,075

312.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.53 CLP 1,509

163.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.18 CLP 1,163

144.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.08 CLP 1,060

174.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.37 $13.37

$5.18 CLP 5,101

158.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.66 $13.66

$6.17 CLP 6,070

121.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.53 CLP 1,511

34.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.36 CLP 2,325

74.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.84 CLP 824

194.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 $88.6

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

113.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.42 CLP 416

526.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.88 CLP 869

102.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

146.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-30.87%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

58.59%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

1.71%

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

$239 $239

$149 CLP 146.3K

60.83%

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

$56.3 $56.3

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

364.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.5 $84.5

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

341.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.19 $45.19

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

35.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.32 CLP 7,208

95.08%

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

$1,818 $1,818

$436 CLP 429.2K

317.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

168.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

17.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.35 $38.35

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

24.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,606 $1,606

$554 CLP 545.8K

189.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$383 CLP 376.6K

339.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,543 $2,543

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

153.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$775 CLP 762.5K

174.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,666 $2,666

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-1.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 $2,577

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-1.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

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 Medford, MA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, MA

$1.7K 53.3%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 77.2% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Medford, MA

$458 14.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 48.4% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, MA

$380 12%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 52.6% $200

Eating Out

Medford, MA

$327 10.4%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 42.9% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, MA

$125 4%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 19.4% $24

Getting Around

Medford, MA

$110 3.5%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 54.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, MA

$74 2.3%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 35% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,606 in Medford, MA versus $554 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 $96.0 in Medford, MA versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $458 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

02:52 2:52 AM

03:52 3:52 AM

1 h ahead of Medford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

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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Medford, MA Santiago 8,430 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medford, MA
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

Medford, MA vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medford, MA is pricier by about 167%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,732 per month in Medford, MA and $1,775 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,154 in Medford, MA and $1,183 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 167%.

Public transport costs about 114% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Medford, MA at $3,154. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medford, MA 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, Medford, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.