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: $1,270 in Santiago versus $1,412 in Buenos Aires.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santiago versus $2,197 in Buenos Aires.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,756 in Santiago versus $2,982 in Buenos Aires.

Living in Santiago costs roughly 10% less than in Buenos Aires, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 5% below, Buenos Aires is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.93 CLP 9,698

$15.09 ARS 21.5K

-27.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 CLP 47.1K

$60.7 ARS 86.6K

-12.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 7,367

$11.89 ARS 17.0K

-30.19%

Cappuccino

$3.11 CLP 2,762

$4.01 ARS 5,720

-22.44%

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

$1.79 CLP 1,587

$2.09 ARS 2,976

-14.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 CLP 1,144

$1.48 ARS 2,115

-12.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 CLP 2,829

$3.58 ARS 5,111

-10.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 CLP 3,897

$4.08 ARS 5,816

7.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,061

$1.60 ARS 2,276

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 CLP 1,409

$2.53 ARS 3,603

-37.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 CLP 1,931

$2.28 ARS 3,259

-4.39%

Eggs

$4.14 CLP 3,671

$3.32 ARS 4,739

24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 CLP 9,456

$12.15 ARS 17.3K

-12.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.48 CLP 5,748

$7.85 ARS 11.2K

-17.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 CLP 9,579

$9.66 ARS 13.8K

11.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,779

$2.49 ARS 3,548

-19.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,450

$2.06 ARS 2,938

-20.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 CLP 1,891

$1.27 ARS 1,805

67.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,630

$2.55 ARS 3,631

-27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,734

$1.49 ARS 2,126

30.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 CLP 1,487

$1.47 ARS 2,094

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 CLP 1,147

$1.84 ARS 2,628

-29.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$1.44 ARS 2,059

-17.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.56 CLP 4,935

$3.27 ARS 4,671

70.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 CLP 6,010

$5.75 ARS 8,199

17.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,365

$2.24 ARS 3,202

-31.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 CLP 2,195

$3.20 ARS 4,565

-22.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 754

$0.72 ARS 1,026

18.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.05 CLP 37.3K

$16.12 ARS 23.0K

160.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 445

$1.65 ARS 2,347

-69.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

$0.91 ARS 1,294

57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.70 CLP 10.4K

$5.93 ARS 8,461

97.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CLP 1,215

$1.11 ARS 1,584

23.42%

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

$19.6K CLP 17.4M

$24.6K ARS 35.0M

-20.06%

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

$22.6K CLP 20.1M

$28.8K ARS 41.1M

-21.56%

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

$133 CLP 118.4K

$109 ARS 155.6K

22.31%

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

$13.65 CLP 12.1K

$21.60 ARS 30.8K

-36.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.85 CLP 19.4K

$29.00 ARS 41.4K

-24.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.74 CLP 29.9K

$42.80 ARS 61.1K

-21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

$11.76 ARS 16.8K

78.06%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 CLP 5,817

$9.01 ARS 12.9K

-27.30%

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

$436 CLP 387.1K

$324 ARS 462.1K

34.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,621 CLP 7.7M

$5,180 ARS 7.4M

66.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.0 CLP 48.8K

$109 ARS 154.9K

-49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.75 CLP 29.1K

$86.8 ARS 123.8K

-62.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.0 CLP 67.4K

$124 ARS 176.4K

-38.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 CLP 74.1K

$133 ARS 189.3K

-37.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 CLP 460.6K

$658 ARS 939.0K

-21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 CLP 415.5K

$447 ARS 638.3K

4.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 897.8K

$1,155 ARS 1.6M

-12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 CLP 787.7K

$811 ARS 1.2M

9.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,891 CLP 2.6M

$2,627 ARS 3.7M

10.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,897 CLP 2.6M

$1,830 ARS 2.6M

58.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 CLP 784.5K

$820 ARS 1.2M

7.86%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Buenos Aires: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Santiago and $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $53.0 in Santiago vs $61.0 in Buenos Aires for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $272 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,270 vs $1,412 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Santiago pays 8% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $519 in Santiago versus $658 in Buenos Aires. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $324 in Buenos Aires. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Buenos Aires. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,270 in Santiago versus $1,412 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 11% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.