Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Louis and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Louis: $964 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Port Louis
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Port Louis Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Port Louis

🇲🇺 Mauritius

$964

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $964 per month in Port Louis vs $1,183 in Santiago, rent included.

Port Louis $964
Santiago $1,183

A couple spends around $1,587 per month in Port Louis vs $1,882 in Santiago, rent included.

Port Louis $1,587
Santiago $1,882

A family of three spends $2,209 per month in Port Louis vs $2,581 in Santiago, rent included.

Port Louis $2,209
Santiago $2,581

Port Louis is about 18% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Port Louis and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Port Louis 29% lower, Santiago 13% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.86 MUR 276

$10.15 CLP 9,995

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.48 MUR 1,765

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

-27.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.56 MUR 356

$8.56 CLP 8,423

-11.68%

Cappuccino

$2.66 MUR 125

$3.15 CLP 3,101

-15.56%

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

$1.13 MUR 53.4

$1.71 CLP 1,685

-33.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 MUR 31.41

$1.28 CLP 1,255

-47.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 MUR 127

$4.18 CLP 4,118

-35.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 MUR 219

$4.46 CLP 4,390

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MUR 72.3

$1.29 CLP 1,269

19.38%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 MUR 34.46

$1.76 CLP 1,737

-58.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MUR 54.6

$1.66 CLP 1,630

-30.12%

Eggs

$2.57 MUR 121

$4.21 CLP 4,140

-38.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.42 MUR 255

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

-51.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.49 MUR 306

$6.75 CLP 6,641

-3.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 MUR 521

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 MUR 130

$1.96 CLP 1,927

40.82%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 MUR 122

$1.54 CLP 1,518

68.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.39 MUR 65.5

$1.58 CLP 1,560

-12.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.01 MUR 142

$1.74 CLP 1,713

72.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 MUR 47.34

$1.09 CLP 1,075

-7.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 MUR 47.21

$1.53 CLP 1,509

-34.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 MUR 32.91

$1.18 CLP 1,163

-40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 MUR 42.04

$1.08 CLP 1,060

-17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.49 MUR 305

$5.18 CLP 5,101

25.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.63 MUR 406

$6.17 CLP 6,070

39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MUR 79.0

$1.53 CLP 1,511

9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 MUR 113

$2.36 CLP 2,325

1.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 MUR 46.41

$0.84 CLP 824

17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.79 MUR 1,497

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

-23.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.35 MUR 205

$0.42 CLP 416

935.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.22 MUR 151

$0.88 CLP 869

265.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.92 MUR 985

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

82.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MUR 63.6

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-9.40%

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

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

107.68%

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

$31.6K MUR 1.5M

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

23.34%

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

$44.66 MUR 2,102

$149 CLP 146.3K

-69.95%

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

$10.41 MUR 490

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.82 MUR 1,357

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

50.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.78 MUR 1,214

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

-22.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.92 MUR 184

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

-65.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.49 MUR 305

$7.32 CLP 7,208

-11.34%

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

$127 MUR 5,976

$436 CLP 429.2K

-70.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,666 MUR 360.9K

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

-30.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 MUR 3,716

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

60.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.9 MUR 3,431

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

150.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 MUR 5,679

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

84.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.1 MUR 3,584

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

-4.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 MUR 22.7K

$554 CLP 545.8K

-12.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 MUR 13.1K

$383 CLP 376.6K

-27.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 MUR 35.1K

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

-25.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 MUR 29.0K

$775 CLP 762.5K

-20.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,072 MUR 191.7K

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

50.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,076 MUR 50.7K

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-58.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$696 MUR 32.8K

$778 CLP 766.3K

-10.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.39

23.75%

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

Last update for Port Louis: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Louis

$279 28.9%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 37.3% $104

Groceries & Markets

Port Louis

$218 22.7%

Santiago

$236 20% 8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Port Louis

$157 16.3%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 35.8% $56

Eating Out

Port Louis

$132 13.6%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 41.8% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Louis

$84 8.7%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 114% $96

Getting Around

Port Louis

$56 5.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 11.6% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Port Louis

$39 4%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 23.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Port Louis versus $554 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 12% higher in Santiago, 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 $37.00 in Port Louis versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $236 – making Port Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇺 Port Louis

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

7 h behind Port Louis

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,688 Capital

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Mauritian Rupee MUR ₨

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MUR = 2.12 USD

100 MUR = 1.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to MUR – Mauritian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇺 Mauritian Rupee (₨)

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 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).

USD to MUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Port Louis Santiago 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Louis
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

Port Louis vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago costs about 23% more than Port Louis, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,447 per month in Port Louis and $1,775 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Louis, 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 $964 in Port Louis and $1,183 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Port Louis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Louis, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Santiago at $1,183. In Port Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Port Louis costs $964 versus $1,183 in Santiago. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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