Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Memphis, TN and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,484 in Memphis, TN, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Memphis, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,484
/mo nomad
Santiago
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,484 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $2,484
  • Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $3,630 per month in Memphis, TN vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $3,630
  • Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $4,775 per month in Memphis, TN vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

  • Memphis, TN $4,775
  • Santiago $2,564

Memphis, TN costs about 106% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Memphis, TN sits 85% above the global median, while Santiago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.83 $17.83
$10.19 CLP 9,931
74.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.9 $74.9
$52.2 CLP 50.9K
43.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.10 $12.10
$8.54 CLP 8,323
41.69%
Cappuccino
$5.56 $5.56
$3.19 CLP 3,115
74.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.68 CLP 1,637
42.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.22 CLP 1,191
61.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.18 $7.18
$4.21 CLP 4,101
70.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.23 $8.23
$4.66 CLP 4,539
76.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.32 CLP 1,283
-31.82%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.80 CLP 1,756
74.44%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$1.58 CLP 1,543
153.80%
Eggs
$3.78 $3.78
$4.25 CLP 4,141
-11.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$11.19 CLP 10.9K
20.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.36 $11.36
$6.75 CLP 6,580
68.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.44 $19.44
$10.67 CLP 10.4K
82.19%
Apples (1kg)
$5.73 $5.73
$2.04 CLP 1,991
180.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.53 CLP 1,497
15.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.00 $6.00
$1.59 CLP 1,549
277.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.83 $4.83
$1.75 CLP 1,708
176.00%
Potato (1kg)
$3.22 $3.22
$1.08 CLP 1,051
198.15%
Onion (1kg)
$4.18 $4.18
$1.51 CLP 1,476
176.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.56 $2.56
$1.17 CLP 1,145
118.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.07 CLP 1,041
99.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.63 $10.63
$5.14 CLP 5,015
106.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.87 $12.87
$5.88 CLP 5,732
118.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.55 CLP 1,513
15.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.64 $1.64
$2.27 CLP 2,218
-27.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.97 $0.97
$0.85 CLP 829
14.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.19 $39.19
$41.50 CLP 40.5K
-5.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.94 $1.94
$0.39 CLP 383
397.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 $1.41
$0.84 CLP 820
67.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.61 $19.61
$11.94 CLP 11.6K
64.24%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.50 CLP 1,467
-34.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.4K $37.4K
$18.1K CLP 17.7M
106.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$21.6K CLP 21.1M
23.99%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$186 $186
$151 CLP 147.3K
23.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$86.8 $86.8
$12.04 CLP 11.7K
620.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$76.2 $76.2
$18.93 CLP 18.5K
302.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.38 $31.38
$33.81 CLP 33.0K
-7.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.72 $16.72
$11.72 CLP 11.4K
42.66%
Cinema Ticket
$15.15 $15.15
$7.37 CLP 7,185
105.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,722 $1,722
$434 CLP 423.3K
296.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$25.0K $25.0K
$11.0K CLP 10.7M
127.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.26 $47.26
$50.9 CLP 49.6K
-7.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.34 $33.34
$29.16 CLP 28.4K
14.33%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$82.7 $82.7
$67.4 CLP 65.7K
22.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$152 $152
$80.3 CLP 78.2K
89.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,495 $1,495
$555 CLP 540.8K
169.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,157 $1,157
$372 CLP 363.2K
210.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,080 $2,080
$1,009 CLP 984.3K
106.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,884 $1,884
$779 CLP 759.1K
141.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,781 $1,781
$2,671 CLP 2.6M
-33.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,364 $1,364
$2,622 CLP 2.6M
-47.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Memphis, TN
Santiago
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,648 $3,648
$791 CLP 771.7K
360.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
5.39
22.45%

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

Last update for Memphis, TN: October 6, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Memphis, TN
$1.2K
Santiago
$372 67.8% $785
Groceries & Markets
Memphis, TN
$406
Santiago
$236 41.9% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Memphis, TN
$349
Santiago
$182 47.8% $167
Eating Out
Memphis, TN
$316
Santiago
$187 40.6% $128
Clothing & Footwear
Memphis, TN
$142
Santiago
$102 27.9% $40
Sport & Entertainment
Memphis, TN
$62
Santiago
$49 21.3% $13
Getting Around
Memphis, TN
$52
Santiago
$50 4.9% $2.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,495 in Memphis, TN versus $555 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 361% higher in Memphis, TN, 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 $75.0 in Memphis, TN versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Memphis, TN
🇨🇱 Santiago
🕒 Local time
22:37 10:37 PM
00:37 12:37 AM
2 h ahead of Memphis, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
633,104
6,139,087 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Memphis, TN Santiago 7,890 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Memphis, TN
  • 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
Memphis, TN vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Memphis, TN and in Santiago compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,484 in Memphis, TN, $1,206 in Santiago – roughly 106% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Memphis, TN compared to Santiago?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,726 per month in Memphis, TN and $1,809 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Memphis, TN and Santiago?
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.
How do commuting costs compare in Memphis, TN and in Santiago?
Public transport costs about 6% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Memphis, TN and Santiago?
Kindergarten costs $1,722 per month in Memphis, TN and $434 in Santiago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Memphis, TN at $2,484. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Memphis, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Memphis, TN or Santiago?
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.
How do I decide between Memphis, TN and Santiago?
If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Memphis, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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