Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pachuca and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Pachuca: $886 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pachuca
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Pachuca Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Pachuca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$886

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $886 in Pachuca versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Pachuca $886
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,483 in Pachuca versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Pachuca $1,483
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,079 in Pachuca versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Pachuca $2,079
Santiago $2,595

Living in Pachuca costs roughly 26% less than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pachuca 34% lower, Santiago 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MX$88.8

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

-53.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 MX$489

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-48.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$148

$8.94 CLP 8,805

-10.18%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MX$57.0

$3.26 CLP 3,211

-5.21%

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

$1.16 MX$21.50

$1.67 CLP 1,640

-30.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.16

$1.23 CLP 1,212

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MX$29.79

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-59.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$62.2

$4.54 CLP 4,465

-25.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.20

$1.28 CLP 1,263

23.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$46.99

$1.85 CLP 1,817

37.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.93

$1.59 CLP 1,567

18.87%

Eggs

$2.72 MX$50.4

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-33.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 MX$133

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-36.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 MX$87.5

$6.69 CLP 6,586

-29.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 MX$138

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

-31.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.53

$1.94 CLP 1,905

7.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MX$23.82

$1.52 CLP 1,497

-15.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.10

$1.60 CLP 1,577

-5.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.91

$1.69 CLP 1,668

-4.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 MX$28.33

$1.10 CLP 1,084

39.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MX$24.70

$1.52 CLP 1,500

-11.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MX$17.14

$1.18 CLP 1,164

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$17.46

$1.08 CLP 1,061

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$80.0

$5.07 CLP 4,995

-14.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 MX$151

$5.95 CLP 5,858

37.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.71

$1.49 CLP 1,470

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$46.08

$2.38 CLP 2,342

4.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.52

$0.83 CLP 821

-31.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.85 MX$496

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

-33.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$48.55

$0.40 CLP 393

557.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MX$48.34

$0.91 CLP 897

187.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 MX$205

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

-4.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.51

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-8.61%

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

$21.4K MX$395.5K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

21.77%

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

$23.5K MX$433.6K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

6.72%

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

$47.05 MX$869

$151 CLP 149.0K

-68.93%

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

$19.21 MX$355

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 MX$415

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

19.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.51 MX$434

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

-30.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 MX$203

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

-6.86%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 MX$79.4

$7.45 CLP 7,334

-42.28%

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

$165 MX$3,049

$430 CLP 423.7K

-61.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,599 MX$48.0K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

-75.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MX$983

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

7.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 MX$745

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

39.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 MX$1,751

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

44.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 MX$1,430

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

-4.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,386

$559 CLP 550.4K

-28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MX$4,963

$384 CLP 377.8K

-30.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 MX$11.1K

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

-39.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 MX$12.7K

$780 CLP 767.9K

-11.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$728 MX$13.5K

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-72.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 MX$11.8K

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-74.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$12.2K

$804 CLP 791.0K

-17.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

5.39

100.37%

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

Last update for Pachuca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pachuca

$269 30.3%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 42.9% $115

Groceries & Markets

Pachuca

$210 23.7%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 12.2% $26

Eating Out

Pachuca

$122 13.8%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 54.9% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Pachuca

$120 13.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 15.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pachuca

$89 10%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 106% $94

Getting Around

Pachuca

$45 5.1%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Pachuca

$32 3.6%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 51.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Pachuca and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 21% 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: $26.00 in Pachuca vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $236 per month, with Pachuca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Pachuca

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

04:15 4:15 AM

3 h ahead of Pachuca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,848

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Pachuca Santiago 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Pachuca
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

Pachuca vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pachuca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Santiago. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $400 in Pachuca versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $165 in Pachuca 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 12% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $886 in Pachuca versus $1,190 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca 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, Pachuca 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 Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.