Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Atenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,546 in Atenas, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Atenas
Learn more

Atenas Living Index

Jump to prices

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Atenas

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Atenas

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $1,546 in Atenas, rent included.

Santiago $1,190
Atenas $1,546

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $2,543 in Atenas, rent included.

Santiago $1,892
Atenas $2,543

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $3,540 in Atenas, rent included.

Santiago $2,595
Atenas $3,540

Santiago is about 23% cheaper than Atenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 12% below the global median, while Atenas is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$9.58 ₡4,298

8.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$56.8 ₡25.5K

-9.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$11.85 ₡5,314

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$3.82 ₡1,711

-14.66%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$2.64 ₡1,186

-36.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$1.90 ₡852

-35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$3.25 ₡1,459

22.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$4.38 ₡1,966

3.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$2.39 ₡1,070

-46.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$3.12 ₡1,401

-40.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$2.13 ₡957

-25.35%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$3.41 ₡1,528

20.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$10.71 ₡4,802

6.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$9.87 ₡4,426

-32.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$10.36 ₡4,646

4.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$4.28 ₡1,921

-54.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.57 ₡704

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$2.56 ₡1,148

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$2.39 ₡1,071

-29.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$3.70 ₡1,660

-70.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$2.69 ₡1,205

-43.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.11 ₡500

6.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$3.09 ₡1,387

-65.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$6.00 ₡2,690

-15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$18.30 ₡8,207

-67.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$2.68 ₡1,200

-44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$2.69 ₡1,208

-11.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$2.23 ₡1,001

-62.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.38 ₡1,067

-83.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$1.62 ₡725

-43.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$8.83 ₡3,960

31.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.56 ₡701

-3.21%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

-21.24%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-36.49%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$95.7 ₡42.9K

58.26%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$35.36 ₡15.9K

-65.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$51.0 ₡22.8K

-63.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$48.47 ₡21.7K

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$10.78 ₡4,835

9.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$7.90 ₡3,542

-5.70%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$994 ₡445.7K

-56.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$6,652 ₡3.0M

62.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$71.0 ₡31.8K

-30.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$55.1 ₡24.7K

-47.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$128 ₡57.2K

-48.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$129 ₡58.0K

-37.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$648 ₡290.6K

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$550 ₡246.8K

-30.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$1,521 ₡682.3K

-34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$1,281 ₡574.3K

-39.09%

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

$1,322 ₡592.9K

-39.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Atenas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Atenas

$550 35.6% 43.4% $167

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Atenas

$356 23.1% 51% $120

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Atenas

$201 13% 6.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Atenas

$182 11.8% 0.3% $0.5

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Atenas

$172 11.2% 70.3% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Atenas

$64 4.2% 32.2% $16

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Atenas

$19 * 1.3% 60% $29

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $648 in Atenas. 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 65% higher in Atenas, 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 $52.0 in Santiago versus $57.0 in Atenas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $356 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇷 Atenas

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

7,000

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago Atenas 5,040 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Atenas

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 Atenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Atenas is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $2,319 in Atenas. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $57.0 in Atenas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 51% more in Atenas, 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 $1,190, than in Atenas at $1,546. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Atenas 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, Atenas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.