Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Buenos Aires

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $1,685 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,685

/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: $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,685 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $1,206
Buenos Aires $1,685

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $2,742 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $1,885
Buenos Aires $2,742

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $3,799 in Buenos Aires.

Santiago $2,564
Buenos Aires $3,799

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 10% below, Buenos Aires is 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,954

$18.73 ARS 28.4K

-45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

$64.5 ARS 97.7K

-19.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,342

$12.88 ARS 19.5K

-33.70%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,122

$3.98 ARS 6,027

-19.85%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,641

$2.05 ARS 3,102

-18.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$1.55 ARS 2,348

-21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,110

$3.84 ARS 5,828

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,550

$4.60 ARS 6,968

1.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,286

$1.44 ARS 2,180

-8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,760

$2.46 ARS 3,737

-26.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,547

$1.63 ARS 2,466

-3.07%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,151

$2.89 ARS 4,384

47.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$10.65 ARS 16.1K

5.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,596

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

-32.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$13.74 ARS 20.8K

-22.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,995

$2.75 ARS 4,165

-25.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,500

$2.18 ARS 3,299

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,553

$1.45 ARS 2,204

9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,712

$1.99 ARS 3,012

-12.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$1.24 ARS 1,884

-12.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,480

$1.27 ARS 1,920

18.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$1.70 ARS 2,574

-31.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,043

$1.73 ARS 2,616

-38.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

$4.18 ARS 6,335

22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,745

$5.80 ARS 8,787

1.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,516

$2.09 ARS 3,162

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,223

$2.77 ARS 4,197

-18.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 831

$0.75 ARS 1,131

13.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

$27.15 ARS 41.2K

52.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$1.62 ARS 2,450

-75.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

$0.98 ARS 1,480

-14.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

$7.72 ARS 11.7K

54.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$1.36 ARS 2,057

10.29%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$28.0K ARS 42.5M

-35.37%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$34.5K ARS 52.3M

-37.42%

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

$151 CLP 147.7K

$216 ARS 326.8K

-29.91%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

$25.61 ARS 38.8K

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$31.36 ARS 47.5K

-39.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$49.82 ARS 75.5K

-32.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

$17.06 ARS 25.9K

-31.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,202

$10.43 ARS 15.8K

-29.34%

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

$434 CLP 424.3K

$466 ARS 706.5K

-6.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$9,057 ARS 13.7M

21.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

$122 ARS 185.1K

-58.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

$97.4 ARS 147.7K

-70.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

$117 ARS 177.3K

-42.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

$140 ARS 211.8K

-42.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 542.0K

$763 ARS 1.2M

-27.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 364.0K

$505 ARS 765.8K

-26.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

$1,598 ARS 2.4M

-36.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 760.9K

$1,185 ARS 1.8M

-34.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$2,678 ARS 4.1M

-0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$1,858 ARS 2.8M

41.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 773.5K

$954 ARS 1.4M

-17.08%

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 4, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Buenos Aires

$505 30.4% 35.6% $133

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Buenos Aires

$284 17.1% 20.3% $48

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Buenos Aires

$279 16.8% 48.9% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Buenos Aires

$273 16.4% 49.7% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Buenos Aires

$214 12.9% 109% $112

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2% 26% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Buenos Aires

$71 4.3% 45.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 21% 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 $64.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $284 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 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 = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,516 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.6 USD). 1 EUR = 1,700 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.88 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 40% in total monthly costs ($1,206 vs $1,685 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $555 in Santiago versus $763 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Santiago versus $466 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,685 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 40% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.