Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Caye Caulker

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $1,852 in Caye Caulker, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Caye Caulker
Learn more

Caye Caulker Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Caye Caulker

🇧🇿 Belize

$1,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Caye Caulker

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Santiago vs $1,852 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Santiago $1,206
Caye Caulker $1,852

A couple spends around $1,885 per month in Santiago vs $2,718 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Santiago $1,885
Caye Caulker $2,718

A family of three spends $2,564 per month in Santiago vs $3,584 in Caye Caulker, rent included.

Santiago $2,564
Caye Caulker $3,584

Santiago is about 35% cheaper than Caye Caulker, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 10% below the global median, while Caye Caulker is 38% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$8.27 BZD 16.55

23.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$32.46 BZD 64.9

60.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

$7.56 BZD 15.13

12.96%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

$4.09 BZD 8.19

-22.00%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,637

$1.54 BZD 3.09

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$1.76 BZD 3.52

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$3.09 BZD 6.18

36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$4.47 BZD 8.94

4.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

$2.92 BZD 5.84

-54.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

$1.80 BZD 3.60

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

$4.36 BZD 8.72

-63.76%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

$4.11 BZD 8.23

3.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$11.12 BZD 22.24

0.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

$7.79 BZD 15.57

-13.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$13.32 BZD 26.63

-19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

$8.28 BZD 16.56

-75.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

$1.11 BZD 2.23

37.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

$1.41 BZD 2.82

12.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

$2.85 BZD 5.71

-38.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

$5.67 BZD 11.33

-80.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

$4.51 BZD 9.01

-66.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

$3.09 BZD 6.18

-62.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

$1.76 BZD 3.52

-39.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

$4.45 BZD 8.91

15.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

$22.26 BZD 44.53

-73.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

$2.26 BZD 4.53

-31.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

$2.52 BZD 5.05

-9.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

$4.91 BZD 9.83

-82.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

$22.81 BZD 45.62

81.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$3.56 BZD 7.13

-89.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

$3.17 BZD 6.34

-73.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

$4.88 BZD 9.76

144.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

$3.04 BZD 6.09

-50.66%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$10.7K BZD 21.3K

69.86%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$20.9K BZD 41.8K

3.44%

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

$151 CLP 147.3K

$197 BZD 394

-23.22%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

$34.43 BZD 68.9

-65.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$73.6 BZD 147

-74.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$34.75 BZD 69.5

-2.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

$14.05 BZD 28.10

-16.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

$11.85 BZD 23.71

-37.81%

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

$434 CLP 423.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

$73.5 BZD 147

-30.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

$59.5 BZD 119

-51.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

$149 BZD 299

-54.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

$50.0 BZD 100

60.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$986 BZD 1,971

-43.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

$739 BZD 1,478

-49.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

$771 BZD 1,542

30.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

$1,267 BZD 2,534

-38.55%

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 771.7K

$1,970 BZD 3,941

-59.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Caye Caulker: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Caye Caulker

$739 39.5% 98.3% $366

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Caye Caulker

$382 20.4% 61.6% $146

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Caye Caulker

$176 9.4% 6.3% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Caye Caulker

$305 16.3% 67.4% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Caye Caulker

$150 8% 46% $47

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Caye Caulker

$62 3.3% 25% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Caye Caulker

$58 3.1% 20.4% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Santiago versus $986 in Caye Caulker. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 149% higher in Caye Caulker, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago versus $32.00 in Caye Caulker. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Santiago vs $382 in Caye Caulker – so Santiago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇧🇿 Caye Caulker

🕒 Local time

08:40 8:40 AM

05:40 5:40 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

2,729

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Belize Dollar BZD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 BZD = 0.5 USD

1 BZD = 0.446 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BZD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

Belize Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 2 BZD (1 BZD = 0.5 USD). 1 EUR = 2.24 BZD (1 BZD = 0.446 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santiago Caye Caulker 5,980 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Caye Caulker

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 Caye Caulker: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Caye Caulker costs about 54% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Santiago and $2,779 in Caye Caulker. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,206 in Santiago and $1,852 in Caye Caulker. That's a gap of about 54%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $32.00 in Caye Caulker. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Caye Caulker at $1,852. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Caye Caulker it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Caye Caulker makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.