Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quito and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $979 per month in Quito vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

Quito $979
Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $1,607 per month in Quito vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

Quito $1,607
Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $2,234 per month in Quito vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

Quito $2,234
Santiago $2,564

Quito is about 19% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Quito and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Quito 27% lower, Santiago 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 $6.14

$10.19 CLP 9,954

-39.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.54 CLP 8,342

-8.55%

Cappuccino

$3.42 $3.42

$3.19 CLP 3,122

7.21%

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

$1.44 $1.44

$1.68 CLP 1,641

-14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.22 CLP 1,194

-6.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.21 CLP 4,110

-17.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.66 CLP 4,550

26.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.32 CLP 1,286

-13.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.80 CLP 1,760

-14.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.58 CLP 1,547

-4.43%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$4.25 CLP 4,151

-49.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-42.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$6.75 CLP 6,596

-18.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

-26.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.04 CLP 1,995

14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.53 CLP 1,500

-18.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.59 CLP 1,553

-17.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.75 CLP 1,712

-34.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.08 CLP 1,054

12.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 CLP 1,480

-32.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.17 CLP 1,148

-20.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.07 CLP 1,043

-1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.02 $6.02

$5.14 CLP 5,027

17.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.93 $9.93

$5.88 CLP 5,745

68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.55 CLP 1,516

2.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.27 CLP 2,223

35.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 $0.37

$0.85 CLP 831

-56.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.95 $20.95

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

-49.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.39 CLP 383

294.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.84 CLP 822

82.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.01 $10.01

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

-16.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.50 CLP 1,470

-42.00%

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

$21.0K $21.0K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

15.91%

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

$28.6K $28.6K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

32.13%

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

$28.97 $28.97

$151 CLP 147.7K

-80.83%

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

$17.57 $17.57

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

45.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.14 $28.14

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

48.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.48 $46.48

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

37.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.70 $17.70

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

51.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 $6.38

$7.37 CLP 7,202

-13.43%

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

$746 $746

$434 CLP 424.3K

71.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,015 $9,015

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

-18.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

35.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

72.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

74.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

35.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 $478

$555 CLP 542.0K

-13.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 $313

$372 CLP 364.0K

-15.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 $967

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

-4.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$549 $549

$779 CLP 760.9K

-29.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

-34.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$720 $720

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-72.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 $597

$791 CLP 773.5K

-24.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.39

87.76%

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

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Quito

$313 31.8%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 18.9% $59

Groceries & Markets

Quito

$198 20.1%

Santiago

$236 20% 19.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Quito

$156 15.8%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 34.1% $53

Eating Out

Quito

$153 15.5%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 22.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quito

$75 7.6%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 144% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Quito

$59 6%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 18% $11

Getting Around

Quito

$32 3.2%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 56.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $478 in Quito versus $555 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 33% 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 $54.0 in Quito versus $52.0 in Santiago. Groceries tell a different story – $198 in Quito vs $236 in Santiago – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Quito

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

21:54 9:54 PM

23:54 11:54 PM

2 h ahead of Quito

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,671,191 Capital

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Quito Santiago 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Quito
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

Quito vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,468 per month in Quito and $1,809 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quito, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 98% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $746 per month in Quito and $434 in Santiago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Santiago at $1,206. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Quito. 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.