Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Buenos Aires Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Buenos Aires

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,288 in Santiago versus $1,393 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,020 in Santiago versus $2,191 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,752 in Santiago versus $2,988 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 8% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 4% below, Buenos Aires is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.72 CLP 9,983

$14.82 ARS 21.9K

-27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.8 CLP 51.0K

$60.1 ARS 88.8K

-8.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,601

$11.97 ARS 17.7K

-31.83%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 2,941

$3.99 ARS 5,898

-20.80%

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

$1.78 CLP 1,660

$2.17 ARS 3,207

-17.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,162

$1.47 ARS 2,169

-14.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 3,086

$3.68 ARS 5,440

-10.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 CLP 3,946

$3.90 ARS 5,761

8.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,101

$1.60 ARS 2,371

-26.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 CLP 1,429

$2.53 ARS 3,738

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 2,031

$2.22 ARS 3,279

-1.80%

Eggs

$4.19 CLP 3,898

$3.17 ARS 4,683

32.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.65 CLP 9,913

$12.03 ARS 17.8K

-11.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.59 CLP 6,135

$7.84 ARS 11.6K

-15.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.13 CLP 10.4K

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

20.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.09 CLP 1,947

$2.45 ARS 3,624

-14.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,440

$2.04 ARS 3,012

-24.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 CLP 1,923

$1.31 ARS 1,932

58.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,730

$2.53 ARS 3,745

-26.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,820

$1.45 ARS 2,150

34.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,514

$1.48 ARS 2,191

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,194

$1.79 ARS 2,643

-28.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CLP 1,160

$1.45 ARS 2,141

-13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.75 CLP 5,359

$3.18 ARS 4,697

80.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 CLP 6,051

$5.83 ARS 8,622

11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,452

$2.22 ARS 3,277

-29.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 CLP 2,308

$3.07 ARS 4,535

-19.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 788

$0.67 ARS 988

26.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.60 CLP 39.7K

$16.26 ARS 24.0K

161.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 477

$1.58 ARS 2,333

-67.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 CLP 1,351

$0.86 ARS 1,267

68.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.30 CLP 10.5K

$5.97 ARS 8,826

89.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 CLP 1,290

$1.12 ARS 1,653

24.11%

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

$19.5K CLP 18.2M

$24.8K ARS 36.6M

-21.12%

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

$22.6K CLP 21.0M

$29.2K ARS 43.2M

-22.82%

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

$134 CLP 124.6K

$109 ARS 161.0K

22.80%

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

$13.59 CLP 12.7K

$21.47 ARS 31.7K

-36.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.02 CLP 20.5K

$28.58 ARS 42.2K

-22.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.67 CLP 32.3K

$41.73 ARS 61.7K

-16.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.24 CLP 19.8K

$11.77 ARS 17.4K

80.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.29 CLP 5,857

$9.25 ARS 13.7K

-32.00%

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

$436 CLP 406.4K

$325 ARS 479.6K

34.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,744 CLP 8.1M

$5,275 ARS 7.8M

65.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.3 CLP 51.5K

$112 ARS 165.0K

-50.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.30 CLP 30.1K

$85.9 ARS 127.0K

-62.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.3 CLP 71.9K

$123 ARS 181.5K

-37.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 CLP 79.6K

$129 ARS 190.6K

-33.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$515 CLP 479.3K

$657 ARS 970.6K

-21.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$462 CLP 430.1K

$448 ARS 661.6K

3.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 920.7K

$1,150 ARS 1.7M

-13.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 856.6K

$814 ARS 1.2M

13.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 CLP 2.7M

$2,577 ARS 3.8M

11.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,757 CLP 2.6M

$1,844 ARS 2.7M

49.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$803 CLP 747.6K

$842 ARS 1.2M

-4.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

52.71

-90.17%

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

Last update for Santiago: July 11, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $515 in Santiago and $657 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 5% 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: $55.0 in Santiago vs $60.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $243 vs $269 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,288 vs $1,393 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 5% 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: $515 in Santiago versus $657 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $325 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,288 in Santiago versus $1,393 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 8% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.