Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medicine Hat and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,806 in Medicine Hat, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Medicine Hat
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Medicine Hat Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Medicine Hat

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,806

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,190 in Santiago, rent included.

Medicine Hat $1,806
Santiago $1,190

A couple spends around $2,707 per month in Medicine Hat vs $1,892 in Santiago, rent included.

Medicine Hat $2,707
Santiago $1,892

A family of three spends $3,608 per month in Medicine Hat vs $2,595 in Santiago, rent included.

Medicine Hat $3,608
Santiago $2,595

Medicine Hat costs about 52% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medicine Hat sits 34% above the global median, while Santiago is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.42 CA$20.39

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

39.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.9 CA$100

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

37.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 CA$13.91

$8.94 CLP 8,805

10.07%

Cappuccino

$3.65 CA$5.16

$3.26 CLP 3,211

11.96%

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

$1.91 CA$2.70

$1.67 CLP 1,640

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 CA$2.46

$1.23 CLP 1,212

41.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 CA$6.88

$3.98 CLP 3,914

22.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.81 CA$5.39

$4.54 CLP 4,465

-16.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 CA$2.14

$1.28 CLP 1,263

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CA$2.45

$1.85 CLP 1,817

-6.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 CA$4.82

$1.59 CLP 1,567

114.47%

Eggs

$3.04 CA$4.30

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-25.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.36 CA$13.23

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-17.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.75 CA$15.19

$6.69 CLP 6,586

60.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.84 CA$18.15

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

18.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.47

$1.94 CLP 1,905

62.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.05

$1.52 CLP 1,497

-4.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 CA$4.06

$1.60 CLP 1,577

79.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.57 CA$5.05

$1.69 CLP 1,668

111.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 CA$3.71

$1.10 CLP 1,084

139.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.07

$1.52 CLP 1,500

-3.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.62 CA$3.71

$1.18 CLP 1,164

122.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.17

$1.08 CLP 1,061

42.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.29 CA$15.96

$5.07 CLP 4,995

122.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 CA$17.84

$5.95 CLP 5,858

112.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.46

$1.49 CLP 1,470

64.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 CA$4.44

$2.38 CLP 2,342

31.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.25 CA$3.18

$0.83 CLP 821

171.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.74 CA$70.3

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

23.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 CA$4.56

$0.40 CLP 393

705.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 CA$1.88

$0.91 CLP 897

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.09 CA$38.30

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

132.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 CA$1.42

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-33.77%

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

$27.7K CA$39.2K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

57.68%

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

$18.5K CA$26.2K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

-15.66%

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

$163 CA$231

$151 CLP 149.0K

7.72%

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

$38.36 CA$54.2

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

210.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 CA$71.9

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

171.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.1 CA$75.1

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

57.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.70 CA$50.5

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

202.54%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 CA$19.72

$7.45 CLP 7,334

87.25%

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

$782 CA$1,105

$430 CLP 423.7K

81.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.6K CA$22.0K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

44.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CA$72.0

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

2.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.16 CA$36.98

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

-9.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.9 CA$94.6

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

1.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.9 CA$93.2

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$800 CA$1,131

$559 CLP 550.4K

43.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 CA$1,073

$384 CLP 377.8K

97.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 CA$1,891

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,226 CA$1,733

$780 CLP 767.9K

57.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,314 CA$1,858

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-50.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,905 CA$2,693

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-25.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,951 CA$4,171

$804 CLP 791.0K

267.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

5.39

-16.33%

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

Last update for Medicine Hat: 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

Medicine Hat

$759 42%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 49.4% $375

Groceries & Markets

Medicine Hat

$316 17.5%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 25.3% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medicine Hat

$252 14%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 27.7% $70

Eating Out

Medicine Hat

$235 13%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 19.5% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medicine Hat

$94 5.2%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 7.1% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Medicine Hat

$81 4.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 40% $32

Getting Around

Medicine Hat

$69 3.8%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 29.4% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $800 in Medicine Hat versus $559 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 267% higher in Medicine Hat, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $71.0 in Medicine Hat versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Medicine Hat

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

09:50 9:50 AM

12:50 12:50 PM

3 h ahead of Medicine Hat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,997

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Medicine Hat Santiago 10,080 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medicine Hat
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

Medicine Hat vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medicine Hat costs about 52% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,710 per month in Medicine Hat and $1,785 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 $1,806 in Medicine Hat and $1,190 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 52%.

Public transport costs about 24% 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 $1,190, than in Medicine Hat at $1,806. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medicine Hat 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.

If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medicine Hat makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.