Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palma Soriano and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,552 in Palma Soriano, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palma Soriano
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Palma Soriano Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Palma Soriano

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,552

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,552 in Palma Soriano versus $1,190 in Santiago.

Palma Soriano $1,552
Santiago $1,190

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,866 in Palma Soriano versus $1,892 in Santiago.

Palma Soriano $1,866
Santiago $1,892

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Palma Soriano versus $2,595 in Santiago.

Palma Soriano $2,180
Santiago $2,595

Living in Palma Soriano is roughly 30% more expensive than in Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Palma Soriano is 15% above, Santiago is 12% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.05 CUP 121

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

-51.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.36 CUP 609

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-50.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 CUP 124

$8.94 CLP 8,805

-42.39%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CUP 74.6

$3.26 CLP 3,211

-4.60%

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

$1.29 CUP 30.86

$1.67 CLP 1,640

-22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 CUP 21.94

$1.23 CLP 1,212

-26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-23.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 CUP 58.0

$4.54 CLP 4,465

-46.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CUP 47.48

$1.28 CLP 1,263

54.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 CUP 35.65

$1.85 CLP 1,817

-19.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$1.59 CLP 1,567

-38.36%

Eggs

$1.17 CUP 28.04

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-71.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.12 CUP 147

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-46.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 CUP 146

$6.69 CLP 6,586

-8.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.06 CUP 266

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

2.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 CUP 43.94

$1.94 CLP 1,905

-5.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 CUP 28.45

$1.52 CLP 1,497

-21.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 CUP 35.60

$1.60 CLP 1,577

-7.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CUP 35.35

$1.69 CLP 1,668

-13.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.44

$1.10 CLP 1,084

-10.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.33

$1.52 CLP 1,500

-36.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.33

$1.18 CLP 1,164

-14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CUP 25.83

$1.08 CLP 1,061

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 CUP 70.9

$5.07 CLP 4,995

-41.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.08 CUP 242

$5.95 CLP 5,858

69.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 73.9

$1.49 CLP 1,470

106.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 CUP 48.75

$2.38 CLP 2,342

-14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.26 CUP 6.26

$0.83 CLP 821

-68.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.79 CUP 715

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

-25.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 CUP 44.30

$0.40 CLP 393

362.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.36 CUP 8.74

$0.91 CLP 897

-60.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.10 CUP 314

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

12.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CUP 28.37

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-21.85%

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

$66.0K CUP 1.6M

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

275.31%

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

$47.3K CUP 1.1M

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

115.33%

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

$55.4 CUP 1,331

$151 CLP 149.0K

-63.38%

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

$10.01 CUP 240

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

-18.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$150 CUP 3,590

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

698.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 CUP 967

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

19.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.06 CUP 242

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

-14.75%

Cinema Ticket

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$7.45 CLP 7,334

-86.17%

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

$100 CUP 2,402

$430 CLP 423.7K

-76.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CUP 292.6K

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

12.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 CUP 1,530

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

28.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.61 CUP 855

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

23.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 CUP 2,019

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

28.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CUP 2,647

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

36.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 CUP 21.5K

$559 CLP 550.4K

60.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 CUP 18.9K

$384 CLP 377.8K

105.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$744 CUP 17.9K

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

-25.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$647 CUP 15.5K

$780 CLP 767.9K

-17.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$323 CUP 7,745

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-87.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$326 CUP 7,826

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-87.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$40.28 CUP 967

$804 CLP 791.0K

-94.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.33

5.39

54.55%

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

Last update for Palma Soriano: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palma Soriano

$790 50.9%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 51.4% $406

Groceries & Markets

Palma Soriano

$216 13.9%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 9.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palma Soriano

$215 13.9%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 15.1% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Palma Soriano

$132 8.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 23.4% $31

Eating Out

Palma Soriano

$122 7.9%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 55.3% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Palma Soriano

$42 2.7%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 14.8% $6.3

Getting Around

Palma Soriano

$35 2.2%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 40.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $896 in Palma Soriano and $559 in Santiago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 1895% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $25.00 in Palma Soriano vs $52.0 in Santiago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $216 vs $236 per month, with Palma Soriano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Palma Soriano

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

12:48 12:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

1 h ahead of Palma Soriano

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,930

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to CUP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Palma Soriano Santiago 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Palma Soriano
Santiago

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Palma Soriano vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Palma Soriano. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1895% 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: $896 in Palma Soriano versus $559 in Santiago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago runs roughly 35% less than in Palma Soriano. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $100 in Palma Soriano versus $430 in Santiago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,552 in Palma Soriano, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Palma Soriano. 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.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Palma Soriano. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.