Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Antofagasta

For one person, living is cheaper in Antofagasta: $888 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Antofagasta
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Antofagasta Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Antofagasta

🇨🇱 Chile

$888

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Antofagasta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Santiago versus $888 in Antofagasta.

Santiago $1,190
Antofagasta $888

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Santiago versus $1,416 in Antofagasta.

Santiago $1,892
Antofagasta $1,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Santiago versus $1,944 in Antofagasta.

Santiago $2,595
Antofagasta $1,944

Living in Santiago is roughly 34% more expensive than in Antofagasta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 12% lower, Antofagasta 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$7.05 CLP 6,935

47.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$35.93 CLP 35.4K

43.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$7.29 CLP 7,179

22.63%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$2.57 CLP 2,528

26.85%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$1.28 CLP 1,264

30.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.88 CLP 862

39.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$1.51 CLP 1,488

163.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$1.79 CLP 1,765

153.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.07 CLP 1,054

19.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$1.86 CLP 1,834

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$1.22 CLP 1,199

30.33%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$2.59 CLP 2,553

58.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$9.02 CLP 8,878

26.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$3.31 CLP 3,260

102.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$7.72 CLP 7,599

40.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$2.03 CLP 1,996

-4.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$2.26 CLP 2,223

-32.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$2.85 CLP 2,809

-43.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$1.10 CLP 1,081

53.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$0.88 CLP 864

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$0.78 CLP 772

94.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.30 CLP 1,283

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$1.12 CLP 1,102

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$5.29 CLP 5,209

-4.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$5.13 CLP 5,048

15.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$1.35 CLP 1,328

10.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$1.01 CLP 992

135.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$0.62 CLP 613

33.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.63 CLP 2,584

-84.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.34 CLP 1,318

12.69%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$17.5K CLP 17.2M

25.61%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$46.23 CLP 45.5K

227.51%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$9.82 CLP 9,669

25.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$12.54 CLP 12.3K

49.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$41.34 CLP 40.7K

-18.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$25.15 CLP 24.8K

-53.08%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$5.17 CLP 5,086

44.10%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$255 CLP 250.6K

69.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$3,160 CLP 3.1M

241.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$39.01 CLP 38.4K

27.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$15.18 CLP 14.9K

90.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

12.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$67.7 CLP 66.6K

19.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$437 CLP 430.0K

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$359 CLP 352.9K

7.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$811 CLP 798.7K

23.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$659 CLP 648.9K

18.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

$711 CLP 700.2K

12.96%

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 Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Antofagasta

$359 40.4% 6.6% $25

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Antofagasta

$194 21.8% 17.9% $42

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Antofagasta

$129 14.5% 32% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Antofagasta

$69 7.7% 62.4% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Antofagasta

$81 9.1% 19.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Antofagasta

$52 5.8% 6.3% $3.1

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Antofagasta

$5.1 * 0.6% 89.4% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santiago and $437 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $36.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $194 per month, with Antofagasta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Antofagasta

🕒 Local time

17:30 5:30 PM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

348,517

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santiago Antofagasta 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Santiago
Antofagasta

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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

Santiago vs Antofagasta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Santiago. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Santiago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Santiago versus $437 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Santiago versus $255 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Antofagasta versus $1,190 in Santiago, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.