Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Orem, UT and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,604 in Orem, UT, rent and utilities included – about $17,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Orem, UT
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Orem, UT Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Orem, UT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,604

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,604 in Orem, UT versus $1,183 in Santiago.

Orem, UT $2,604
Santiago $1,183

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,537 in Orem, UT versus $1,882 in Santiago.

Orem, UT $3,537
Santiago $1,882

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,470 in Orem, UT versus $2,581 in Santiago.

Orem, UT $4,470
Santiago $2,581

Living in Orem, UT is roughly 120% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Orem, UT is 92% above, Santiago is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$10.15 CLP 9,995

46.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.1 $59.1

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

13.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.95 $10.95

$8.56 CLP 8,423

27.92%

Cappuccino

$4.54 $4.54

$3.15 CLP 3,101

44.13%

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

$1.87 $1.87

$1.71 CLP 1,685

9.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.28 CLP 1,255

15.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.18 CLP 4,118

45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.99 $6.99

$4.46 CLP 4,390

56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.76 CLP 1,737

78.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.66 CLP 1,630

52.41%

Eggs

$3.07 $3.07

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-27.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.22 $14.22

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

28.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$6.75 CLP 6,641

97.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 $18.88

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

75.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.96 CLP 1,927

42.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.54 CLP 1,518

10.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.58 CLP 1,560

64.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.74 CLP 1,713

154.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.53 CLP 1,509

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.18 CLP 1,163

40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.08 CLP 1,060

73.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 $9.53

$5.18 CLP 5,101

83.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$6.17 CLP 6,070

145.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.53 CLP 1,511

36.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.36 CLP 2,325

27.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$0.84 CLP 824

189.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.1 $82.1

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

98.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.42 CLP 416

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.88 CLP 869

10.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 $19.64

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

70.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-28.86%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

46.41%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

0.50%

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

$163 $163

$149 CLP 146.3K

9.43%

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

$44.72 $44.72

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

269.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

217.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 $30.23

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

-9.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.75 $14.75

$7.32 CLP 7,208

101.50%

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

$957 $957

$436 CLP 429.2K

119.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

-7.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.91 $40.91

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

40.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

30.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

68.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,747 $1,747

$554 CLP 545.8K

215.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$383 CLP 376.6K

267.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,230 $2,230

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

122.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 $1,864

$775 CLP 762.5K

140.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,435 $2,435

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-10.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,234 $2,234

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-14.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,724 $3,724

$778 CLP 766.3K

378.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.83

5.39

26.72%

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

Last update for Orem, UT: October 17, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Orem, UT

$1.4K 54%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 72.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Orem, UT

$365 * 14%

Santiago

$236 20% 35.3% $129

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Orem, UT

$268 10.3%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 32.9% $88

Eating Out

Orem, UT

$264 10.1%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 29.3% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Orem, UT

$142 5.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 29.1% $41

Getting Around

Orem, UT

$98 3.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 49.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Orem, UT

$60 2.3%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 19.7% $12

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 $1,747 in Orem, UT and $554 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Orem, UT pays 378% 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: $59.0 in Orem, UT vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $236 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Orem, UT

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

02:12 2:12 AM

3 h ahead of Orem, UT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

98,129

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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Between locations

Orem, UT Santiago 9,220 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Orem, UT
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

Orem, UT vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 120% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 378% higher in Orem, UT, 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: $1,747 in Orem, UT versus $554 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Orem, UT. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $59.0 in Orem, UT. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,604 in Orem, UT, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Orem, UT. 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, Orem, UT 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 120% less than in Orem, UT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.