Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,438 in Saint Paul, MN, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,438 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $2,438
Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $3,743 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $3,743
Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $5,048 per month in Saint Paul, MN vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

Saint Paul, MN $5,048
Santiago $2,564

Saint Paul, MN costs about 102% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Saint Paul, MN sits 82% above the global median, while Santiago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 $15.75

$10.19 CLP 9,931

54.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

31.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.11 $10.11

$8.54 CLP 8,323

18.38%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$3.19 CLP 3,115

64.89%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$1.68 CLP 1,637

77.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.22 CLP 1,191

119.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.21 CLP 4,101

45.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$4.66 CLP 4,539

64.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-26.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.80 CLP 1,756

119.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.58 CLP 1,543

108.86%

Eggs

$3.06 $3.06

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-28.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.41 $9.41

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

-15.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 $9.71

$6.75 CLP 6,580

43.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

23.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.04 CLP 1,991

140.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.53 CLP 1,497

-24.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.94 $5.94

$1.59 CLP 1,549

273.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.75 CLP 1,708

179.43%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.08 CLP 1,051

261.11%

Onion (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.51 CLP 1,476

135.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.17 CLP 1,145

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.07 CLP 1,041

63.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.21 $12.21

$5.14 CLP 5,015

137.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.34 $14.34

$5.88 CLP 5,732

143.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.55 CLP 1,513

8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.27 CLP 2,218

51.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.85 CLP 829

157.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 $122

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

194.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 $2.52

$0.39 CLP 383

546.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.84 CLP 820

90.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.97 $30.97

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

159.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-34.67%

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

$36.2K $36.2K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

99.85%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

18.11%

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

$226 $226

$151 CLP 147.3K

49.37%

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

$51.4 $51.4

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

326.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

248.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.79 $33.79

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.29 $8.29

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

-29.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$7.37 CLP 7,185

75.85%

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

$1,499 $1,499

$434 CLP 423.3K

245.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

155.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.97 $40.97

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

-19.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.24 $40.24

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

38.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

36.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 $1,355

$555 CLP 540.8K

144.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 $1,100

$372 CLP 363.2K

195.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,529 $2,529

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

150.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,265 $2,265

$779 CLP 759.1K

190.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,903 $2,903

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

8.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-16.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,120 $4,120

$791 CLP 771.7K

420.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

5.39

17.07%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: 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

Saint Paul, MN

$1.1K 45.5%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 66.2% $728

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$363 15%

Santiago

$236 20% 34.9% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$343 14.2%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 46.9% $161

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$288 11.9%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 35% $101

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$141 5.9%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 65% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 15.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$60 2.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 18.7% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,355 in Saint Paul, MN 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 421% higher in Saint Paul, MN, 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 $69.0 in Saint Paul, MN versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $363 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

2 h ahead of Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

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 = 9.15 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 = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Santiago 9,010 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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

Saint Paul, MN vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Saint Paul, MN is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,657 per month in Saint Paul, MN 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.

Kindergarten costs $1,499 per month in Saint Paul, MN and $434 in Santiago. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 54% more in Saint Paul, MN, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Saint Paul, MN at $2,438. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint Paul, MN 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.

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 Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint Paul, MN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.