Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,666 in Raleigh, NC, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,666

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,666 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $2,666
Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $3,913 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $3,913
Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $5,159 per month in Raleigh, NC vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

Raleigh, NC $5,159
Santiago $2,564

Raleigh, NC costs about 121% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Raleigh, NC sits 99% above the global median, while Santiago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$10.19 CLP 9,931

132.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.9 $98.9

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

89.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$8.54 CLP 8,323

27.87%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$3.19 CLP 3,115

81.82%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$1.68 CLP 1,637

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.22 CLP 1,191

81.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.21 CLP 4,101

44.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 $7.10

$4.66 CLP 4,539

52.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.80 CLP 1,756

113.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$1.58 CLP 1,543

96.20%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.25 CLP 4,141

10.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.26 $15.26

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

36.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$6.75 CLP 6,580

45.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.08 $18.08

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

69.45%

Apples (1kg)

$6.54 $6.54

$2.04 CLP 1,991

220.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.53 CLP 1,497

-18.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$1.59 CLP 1,549

188.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$1.75 CLP 1,708

237.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.08 CLP 1,051

178.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$1.51 CLP 1,476

141.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.17 CLP 1,145

77.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.07 CLP 1,041

108.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 $9.60

$5.14 CLP 5,015

86.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$5.88 CLP 5,732

154.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.55 CLP 1,513

43.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.27 CLP 2,218

20.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.39 $1.39

$0.85 CLP 829

63.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.65 $40.65

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

-2.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$0.39 CLP 383

666.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.84 CLP 820

130.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.35 $18.35

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

53.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-35.33%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

100.33%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

15.64%

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

$193 $193

$151 CLP 147.3K

27.63%

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

$57.0 $57.0

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

373.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.1 $67.1

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

254.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.25 $36.25

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.10 $5.10

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

-56.48%

Cinema Ticket

$15.28 $15.28

$7.37 CLP 7,185

107.33%

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

$1,463 $1,463

$434 CLP 423.3K

237.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

120.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.9 $58.9

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

101.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 $92.6

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

37.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

76.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,750 $1,750

$555 CLP 540.8K

215.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,298 $1,298

$372 CLP 363.2K

248.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

202.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 $2,028

$779 CLP 759.1K

160.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,971 $3,971

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

48.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-18.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,299 $4,299

$791 CLP 771.7K

443.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

5.39

22.63%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: 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

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.7%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 71.3% $925

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$414 15.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 42.9% $178

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$357 13.4%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 47.5% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$317 11.9%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 42.5% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$156 5.9%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 34.4% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$67 2.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 27.3% $18

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$59 2.2%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 15.9% $9.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,750 in Raleigh, NC 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 443% higher in Raleigh, NC, 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 $99.0 in Raleigh, NC versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $414 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

03:46 3:46 AM

04:46 4:46 AM

1 h ahead of Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 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 = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Raleigh, NC Santiago 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Raleigh, NC costs about 121% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,998 per month in Raleigh, NC 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 Santiago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 2% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,463 per month in Raleigh, NC 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 Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Raleigh, NC at $2,666. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Raleigh, NC it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago – 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 Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Raleigh, NC makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.