Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $1,646 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Buenos Aires

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Santiago versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $1,183
Buenos Aires $1,646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Santiago versus $2,680 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $1,882
Buenos Aires $2,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Santiago versus $3,714 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $2,581
Buenos Aires $3,714

Living in Santiago costs roughly 28% less than in Buenos Aires, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 13% below, Buenos Aires is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$17.81 ARS 27.0K

-43.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$65.2 ARS 98.9K

-20.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$13.12 ARS 19.9K

-34.76%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$3.86 ARS 5,863

-18.39%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$2.06 ARS 3,133

-16.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$1.68 ARS 2,542

-23.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$4.10 ARS 6,218

1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$4.73 ARS 7,181

-5.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$1.51 ARS 2,285

-14.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

$2.60 ARS 3,950

-32.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$1.57 ARS 2,380

5.73%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$2.73 ARS 4,144

54.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

$10.86 ARS 16.5K

2.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

$10.07 ARS 15.3K

-32.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

$13.22 ARS 20.1K

-18.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

$2.80 ARS 4,255

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$2.09 ARS 3,170

-26.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

$1.45 ARS 2,194

8.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

$2.00 ARS 3,040

-13.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

$1.20 ARS 1,826

-9.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$1.20 ARS 1,821

27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$1.69 ARS 2,569

-30.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

$1.79 ARS 2,711

-39.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$4.00 ARS 6,074

29.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

$5.53 ARS 8,388

11.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

$2.12 ARS 3,219

-27.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$2.78 ARS 4,212

-15.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$0.69 ARS 1,049

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

$27.90 ARS 42.3K

48.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

$1.63 ARS 2,471

-74.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

$0.97 ARS 1,478

-9.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

$7.89 ARS 12.0K

45.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

$1.42 ARS 2,156

4.93%

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

$23.3K ARS 35.4M

-26.11%

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

$31.9K ARS 48.5M

-19.84%

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

$199 ARS 302.7K

-25.50%

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

$23.36 ARS 35.4K

-48.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

$31.44 ARS 47.7K

-39.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

$49.81 ARS 75.6K

-33.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

$16.63 ARS 25.2K

-30.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

-32.22%

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

$462 ARS 701.7K

-5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

$8,790 ARS 13.3M

24.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$120 ARS 181.6K

-58.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$94.6 ARS 143.6K

-69.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$116 ARS 176.4K

-43.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$137 ARS 208.6K

-41.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

$750 ARS 1.1M

-26.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

$514 ARS 780.5K

-25.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

$1,567 ARS 2.4M

-36.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

$1,196 ARS 1.8M

-35.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

$2,632 ARS 4.0M

2.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

$1,874 ARS 2.8M

39.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

$924 ARS 1.4M

-15.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

57.25

-90.59%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

Buenos Aires

$514 31.3% 34.4% $132

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Buenos Aires

$285 17.3% 20.6% $49

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.6% 46.5% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

Buenos Aires

$254 15.5% 41.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Buenos Aires

$211 12.8% 109% $110

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.3% 25.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 48.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Santiago and $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 19% 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 $65.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $285 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

13:23 1:23 PM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

2,891,082 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Buenos Aires 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Buenos Aires

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 Buenos Aires: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and Buenos Aires differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $1,646 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Buenos Aires. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Santiago versus $750 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $462 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $1,646 in Buenos Aires, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago 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.

Safety-wise, Santiago and Buenos Aires are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.