Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,054 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santiago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Cali

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,054 in Cali.

Santiago $1,206
Cali $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $1,614 in Cali.

Santiago $1,885
Cali $1,614

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $2,174 in Cali.

Santiago $2,564
Cali $2,174

Living in Santiago is roughly 14% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 10% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,954

$7.26 COP 23.4K

40.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

$37.04 COP 119.3K

40.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,342

$8.05 COP 25.9K

6.09%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,122

$1.54 COP 4,972

107.14%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,641

$1.25 COP 4,027

34.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$0.84 COP 2,702

45.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,110

$3.16 COP 10.2K

33.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,550

$3.58 COP 11.5K

30.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,286

$1.55 COP 4,998

-14.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,760

$1.87 COP 6,026

-3.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,547

$1.50 COP 4,822

5.33%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,151

$2.77 COP 8,907

53.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$6.40 COP 20.6K

74.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,596

$6.89 COP 22.2K

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$9.92 COP 31.9K

7.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,995

$3.43 COP 11.0K

-40.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,500

$1.30 COP 4,186

17.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,553

$1.76 COP 5,659

-9.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,712

$1.68 COP 5,421

4.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$1.47 COP 4,730

-26.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,480

$1.47 COP 4,722

2.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$1.10 COP 3,551

6.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,043

$0.93 COP 3,004

15.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

$3.63 COP 11.7K

41.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,745

$12.56 COP 40.5K

-53.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,516

$1.42 COP 4,565

9.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,223

$2.40 COP 7,712

-5.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 831

$1.05 COP 3,370

-19.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

$29.00 COP 93.4K

43.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$0.83 COP 2,664

-53.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$1.25 COP 4,040

20.00%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$33.7K COP 108.5M

-35.88%

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

$151 CLP 147.7K

$111 COP 358.1K

35.86%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

$12.79 COP 41.2K

-5.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$29.75 COP 95.8K

-36.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$28.38 COP 91.4K

19.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,202

$8.24 COP 26.5K

-10.56%

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

$434 CLP 424.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

$75.8 COP 243.9K

-32.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

$53.8 COP 173.3K

-45.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

$122 COP 394.4K

-45.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

$109 COP 350.7K

-26.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 542.0K

$638 COP 2.1M

-13.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 364.0K

$291 COP 937.4K

27.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

$1,498 COP 4.8M

-32.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 760.9K

$479 COP 1.5M

62.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 773.5K

$567 COP 1.8M

39.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.58

-53.45%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Cali

$291 27.6% 21.8% $81

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Cali

$235 22.3% 0.5% $1.1

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Cali

$132 12.5% 29.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Cali

$154 14.6% 15.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Cali

$162 15.4% 58.6% $60

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Cali

$34 * 3.2% 31.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Cali

$45 4.3% 7.6% $3.7

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $638 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 40% 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 $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $235 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

00:43 12:43 AM

22:43 10:43 PM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, 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).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

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Santiago Cali 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
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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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 40% higher in Santiago, 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: $555 in Santiago versus $638 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Cali runs roughly 43% less than in Santiago. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,054 in Cali versus $1,206 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santiago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.