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: $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,632 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,947 in Santiago versus $2,712 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Santiago versus $3,793 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 24% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 10% below, Buenos Aires is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

$19.34 ARS 29.2K

-44.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.9 CLP 49.6K

$70.9 ARS 107.1K

-25.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 CLP 8,580

$12.81 ARS 19.4K

-28.57%

Cappuccino

$3.38 CLP 3,172

$4.00 ARS 6,036

-15.50%

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

$1.74 CLP 1,631

$2.06 ARS 3,110

-15.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 CLP 1,230

$1.65 ARS 2,497

-20.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.30 CLP 4,035

$3.67 ARS 5,539

17.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 CLP 4,633

$4.43 ARS 6,696

11.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,282

$1.43 ARS 2,167

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CLP 1,739

$2.51 ARS 3,784

-25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,583

$1.51 ARS 2,281

11.92%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,877

$2.71 ARS 4,097

52.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.39 CLP 10.7K

$10.12 ARS 15.3K

12.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.78 CLP 6,359

$9.98 ARS 15.1K

-32.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 10.6K

$13.85 ARS 20.9K

-18.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 CLP 1,882

$2.74 ARS 4,139

-26.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 CLP 1,545

$2.01 ARS 3,037

-17.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,636

$1.36 ARS 2,058

28.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,672

$2.11 ARS 3,193

-15.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 CLP 1,048

$1.14 ARS 1,729

-1.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 CLP 1,510

$1.16 ARS 1,748

38.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 CLP 1,238

$1.75 ARS 2,641

-24.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,054

$1.74 ARS 2,624

-35.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.61 CLP 5,262

$4.36 ARS 6,583

28.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.27 CLP 5,876

$5.67 ARS 8,569

10.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CLP 1,499

$2.10 ARS 3,165

-23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 CLP 2,353

$2.68 ARS 4,051

-6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 783

$0.75 ARS 1,126

10.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.10 CLP 39.5K

$27.38 ARS 41.4K

53.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.41 CLP 387

$1.56 ARS 2,355

-73.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 CLP 834

$0.98 ARS 1,485

-9.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 CLP 11.4K

$7.59 ARS 11.5K

60.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CLP 1,489

$1.35 ARS 2,038

17.78%

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

$18.3K CLP 17.2M

$28.8K ARS 43.6M

-36.39%

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

$22.5K CLP 21.1M

$33.2K ARS 50.1M

-32.22%

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

$155 CLP 145.2K

$208 ARS 314.0K

-25.50%

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

$13.12 CLP 12.3K

$24.04 ARS 36.3K

-45.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.80 CLP 19.5K

$30.70 ARS 46.4K

-32.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 CLP 32.7K

$50.9 ARS 76.8K

-31.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.43 CLP 11.6K

$16.96 ARS 25.6K

-26.71%

Cinema Ticket

$7.69 CLP 7,204

$10.94 ARS 16.5K

-29.71%

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

$456 CLP 427.1K

$461 ARS 696.1K

-1.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.4K CLP 10.6M

$8,744 ARS 13.2M

29.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 CLP 49.9K

$114 ARS 171.5K

-53.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.18 CLP 28.3K

$93.6 ARS 141.4K

-67.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 CLP 65.7K

$118 ARS 177.6K

-40.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 CLP 80.0K

$136 ARS 205.9K

-37.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 520.6K

$735 ARS 1.1M

-24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 CLP 364.4K

$514 ARS 775.9K

-24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 CLP 1.0M

$1,680 ARS 2.5M

-35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 CLP 766.5K

$1,295 ARS 2.0M

-36.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,686 CLP 2.5M

$2,679 ARS 4.0M

0.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,689 CLP 2.5M

$1,895 ARS 2.9M

41.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$836 CLP 783.6K

$901 ARS 1.4M

-7.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

56.56

-90.47%

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

Last update for Santiago: August 30, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $735 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 8% 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: $53.0 in Santiago vs $71.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $281 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 32% in total monthly costs ($1,233 vs $1,632 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% 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 $735 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $456 in Santiago versus $461 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,233 in Santiago versus $1,632 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 32% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.