Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Cape Town

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,078 a month against $1,527 in Cape Town, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,078

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pedro de Atacama and in Cape Town

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Pedro de Atacama and in Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,078 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,527 in Cape Town, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,078
Cape Town $1,527

A couple spends around $1,628 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $2,417 in Cape Town, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,628
Cape Town $2,417

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $3,306 in Cape Town, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $2,178
Cape Town $3,306

San Pedro de Atacama is about 29% cheaper than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Pedro de Atacama sits 20% below the global median, while Cape Town is 13% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 CLP 7,000

$12.01 R 199

-40.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 CLP 43.9K

$42.92 R 709

4.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 CLP 8,030

$6.15 R 102

33.33%

Cappuccino

$2.80 CLP 2,742

$2.37 R 39.16

18.14%

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

$1.58 CLP 1,546

$1.27 R 21.03

24.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,149

$0.94 R 15.50

24.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 CLP 3,387

$2.96 R 48.92

16.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 CLP 3,812

$3.69 R 61.0

5.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,155

$1.32 R 21.80

-10.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CLP 1,444

$1.21 R 19.93

21.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,604

$2.20 R 36.37

-25.45%

Eggs

$3.70 CLP 3,627

$3.10 R 51.3

19.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.1K

$8.73 R 144

18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 CLP 6,543

$6.89 R 114

-3.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 CLP 11.4K

$9.26 R 153

26.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 CLP 1,946

$1.83 R 30.17

8.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,534

$1.95 R 32.22

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,732

$1.66 R 27.40

6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 CLP 1,698

$2.14 R 35.30

-19.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,626

$1.58 R 26.09

5.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,512

$1.47 R 24.37

4.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,327

$1.35 R 22.25

0.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,200

$1.14 R 18.91

7.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,076

$3.58 R 59.1

44.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 CLP 5,114

$6.05 R 100

-13.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CLP 1,583

$1.39 R 23.02

16.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 CLP 2,121

$2.18 R 36.01

-0.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 612

$1.40 R 23.09

-55.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 1,004

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 681

$0.93 R 15.31

-24.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.88

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 82.0

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,348

$1.54 R 25.45

-10.39%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

$35.4K R 584.6K

-49.43%

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

$19.3K CLP 18.9M

$33.4K R 551.6K

-42.20%

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

$134 CLP 131.5K

$117 R 1,935

14.71%

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

$13.70 CLP 13.4K

$25.71 R 425

-46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 CLP 21.3K

$39.41 R 651

-44.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 CLP 37.3K

$51.6 R 853

-26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.29 CLP 22.8K

$11.35 R 188

105.20%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 CLP 5,212

$8.89 R 147

-40.16%

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

$386 CLP 377.7K

$308 R 5,085

25.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,304 CLP 8.1M

$8,141 R 134.6K

2.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.49 CLP 46.5K

$57.4 R 948

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.06 CLP 24.5K

$31.75 R 525

-21.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 CLP 59.4K

$116 R 1,917

-47.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CLP 79.8K

$101 R 1,665

-19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 CLP 473.8K

$1,047 R 17.3K

-53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 CLP 366.9K

$669 R 11.1K

-44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 CLP 870.9K

$1,861 R 30.8K

-52.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 CLP 572.2K

$1,407 R 23.3K

-58.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 CLP 2.3M

$2,410 R 39.8K

-4.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

10.89

-53.99%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro de Atacama

$375 34.8%

Cape Town

$669 43.8% 78.6% $294

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro de Atacama

$234 21.7%

Cape Town

$223 14.6% 4.4% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro de Atacama

$170 15.7%

Cape Town

$182 11.9% 7.3% $12

Eating Out

San Pedro de Atacama

$152 14.1%

Cape Town

$174 11.4% 14.9% $23

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro de Atacama

$97 9%

Cape Town

$138 9% 42.4% $41

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro de Atacama

$49 4.5%

Cape Town

$69 4.5% 42.3% $21

Getting Around

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3%

Cape Town

$72 4.7% 2143% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $1,047 in Cape Town. 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 $45 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $43 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 vs $223 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

19:49 7:49 PM

00:49 12:49 AM

5 h ahead of San Pedro de Atacama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,347

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.05 USD

100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 979 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.53 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.05 USD). 1 EUR = 18.47 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.41 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Pedro de Atacama Cape Town 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro de Atacama
Cape Town

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

San Pedro de Atacama vs Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 42% more than San Pedro de Atacama, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,617 per month in San Pedro de Atacama and $2,291 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $484 there versus $1,047 in Cape Town.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,527 in Cape Town. That makes San Pedro de Atacama about 29% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $386 per month in San Pedro de Atacama and $308 in Cape Town. 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 San Pedro de Atacama, where all-in costs run around $1,078, than in Cape Town at $1,527. In San Pedro de Atacama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cape Town has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama to $1,527 in Cape Town. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.