Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,163

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $450 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,163 in Santiago, rent included.

Puerto Montt $450
Santiago $1,163

A couple spends around $754 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,844 in Santiago, rent included.

Puerto Montt $754
Santiago $1,844

A family of three spends $1,057 per month in Puerto Montt vs $2,525 in Santiago, rent included.

Puerto Montt $1,057
Santiago $2,525

Puerto Montt is about 61% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Montt and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Montt 67% lower, Santiago 15% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 CLP 8,150

$9.93 CLP 9,866

-17.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

$49.88 CLP 49.5K

-29.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 CLP 7,192

$8.64 CLP 8,585

-16.20%

Cappuccino

$2.76 CLP 2,742

$3.16 CLP 3,140

-12.66%

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

$0.87 CLP 867

$1.65 CLP 1,642

-47.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CLP 869

$1.24 CLP 1,235

-29.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CLP 4,091

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CLP 4,574

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 CLP 1,080

$1.22 CLP 1,214

-10.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CLP 2,537

$1.82 CLP 1,803

40.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,370

$1.58 CLP 1,572

-12.66%

Eggs

$3.09 CLP 3,070

$4.04 CLP 4,014

-23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

$10.96 CLP 10.9K

0.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 CLP 5,660

$6.66 CLP 6,616

-14.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 CLP 6,991

$10.32 CLP 10.3K

-31.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 1,026

$2.02 CLP 2,002

-49.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,389

$1.49 CLP 1,479

-6.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,634

$1.58 CLP 1,568

67.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,726

$1.72 CLP 1,704

1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CLP 1,037

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,531

$1.51 CLP 1,499

1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,269

$1.22 CLP 1,210

4.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,485

$1.10 CLP 1,093

35.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 CLP 4,433

$5.10 CLP 5,063

-12.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.40 CLP 5,360

$5.93 CLP 5,891

-8.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CLP 1,332

$1.48 CLP 1,470

-9.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,468

$2.25 CLP 2,232

-34.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 CLP 933

$0.84 CLP 832

11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 CLP 378

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 813

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,267

$1.52 CLP 1,514

-15.79%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.7M

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

$24.9K CLP 24.8M

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

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

$146 CLP 144.7K

-57.72%

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

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

-7.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

$18.80 CLP 18.7K

58.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 CLP 32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 CLP 7,534

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

$143 CLP 142.2K

$440 CLP 436.9K

-67.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 80.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 CLP 498.3K

$497 CLP 493.6K

0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 370.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 982.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 745.0K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,960 CLP 2.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 CLP 765.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Eating Out

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Getting Around

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Montt

–

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Puerto Montt versus $497 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Puerto Montt versus $50 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $232 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

22:08 10:08 PM

Same time as Puerto Montt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,736

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Puerto Montt Santiago 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Montt
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

Puerto Montt vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago costs about 158% more than Puerto Montt, 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 $675 per month in Puerto Montt and $1,745 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $502 in Puerto Montt and $497 in Santiago. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $450 in Puerto Montt and $1,163 in Santiago. That makes Puerto Montt about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $143 per month in Puerto Montt and $440 in Santiago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Santiago at $1,163. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.