Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Arica

For one person, living is cheaper in Arica: $110 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Arica
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Arica Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Arica

🇨🇱 Chile

$110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Arica

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 Arica actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,183 per month in Santiago vs $110 in Arica, rent included.

Santiago $1,183
Arica $110

A couple spends around $1,882 per month in Santiago vs $177 in Arica, rent included.

Santiago $1,882
Arica $177

A family of three spends $2,581 per month in Santiago vs $245 in Arica, rent included.

Santiago $2,581
Arica $245

Santiago costs about 975% more than Arica, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santiago and Arica are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 13% lower, Arica 92% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$1.22 CLP 1,197

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$0.99 CLP 977

30.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$0.75 CLP 739

12.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$40.50 CLP 39.9K

21.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$20.06 CLP 19.7K

45.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$52.7 CLP 51.8K

24.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$91.8 CLP 90.3K

-12.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

$501 CLP 493.0K

55.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

7.80%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Arica: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Arica

$9.9 * 9% 95.8% $226

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

Arica

$4.9 * 4.4% 97.4% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Arica

$92 83.8% 8.4% $8.5

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Arica

$3 * 2.7% 94% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Arica

- * 0% 100%

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 55% higher in Santiago, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Arica

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

202,131

💱 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

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago Arica 1,660 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Arica

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

Santiago vs Arica: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,183 in Santiago, $110 in Arica – roughly 975% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Santiago and $165 in Arica. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,183 in Santiago and $110 in Arica. That's a gap of about 975%.

Groceries cost about 2279% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Arica, where all-in costs run around $110, than in Santiago at $1,183. In Arica it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Arica – 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 Arica. 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.