Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Chillan

For one person, living is cheaper in Chillan: $865 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
42

Cost of Living Index in Chillan
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Chillan Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,163

/mo nomad

Chillan

🇨🇱 Chile

$865

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Chillan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,163 in Santiago versus $865 in Chillan.

Santiago $1,163
Chillan $865

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Santiago versus $1,297 in Chillan.

Santiago $1,844
Chillan $1,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,525 in Santiago versus $1,730 in Chillan.

Santiago $2,525
Chillan $1,730

Living in Santiago is roughly 35% more expensive than in Chillan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 15% lower, Chillan 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 CLP 9,866

$4.94 CLP 4,907

101.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 CLP 49.5K

$44.97 CLP 44.7K

10.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 CLP 8,585

$5.89 CLP 5,847

46.69%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 3,140

$3.76 CLP 3,732

-15.96%

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

$1.65 CLP 1,642

$0.91 CLP 904

81.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CLP 1,235

$0.98 CLP 978

26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CLP 4,091

$3.67 CLP 3,642

12.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CLP 4,574

$4.45 CLP 4,421

3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,214

$1.04 CLP 1,036

17.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 CLP 1,803

$1.58 CLP 1,571

15.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,572

$1.74 CLP 1,725

-9.20%

Eggs

$4.04 CLP 4,014

$3.67 CLP 3,643

10.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 CLP 10.9K

$7.27 CLP 7,224

50.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 CLP 6,616

$2.50 CLP 2,487

166.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.3K

$7.96 CLP 7,909

29.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 CLP 2,002

$1.47 CLP 1,461

37.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,479

$1.69 CLP 1,677

-11.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,568

$1.20 CLP 1,197

31.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 CLP 1,704

$0.98 CLP 978

75.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CLP 1,037

$1.42 CLP 1,407

-26.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,499

$1.19 CLP 1,184

26.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,210

$1.01 CLP 1,004

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CLP 1,093

$1.23 CLP 1,223

-10.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 CLP 5,063

$4.47 CLP 4,442

14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 CLP 5,891

$3.32 CLP 3,293

78.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,470

$1.19 CLP 1,185

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,232

$1.98 CLP 1,965

13.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 832

$0.63 CLP 623

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.4K

$34.83 CLP 34.6K

16.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 CLP 378

$0.64 CLP 634

-40.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 813

$1.11 CLP 1,102

-26.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.5K

$12.10 CLP 12.0K

-4.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CLP 1,514

$1.32 CLP 1,308

15.15%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.7M

$11.8K CLP 11.8M

42.11%

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

$24.9K CLP 24.8M

$14.4K CLP 14.3M

73.00%

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

$146 CLP 144.7K

$125 CLP 124.0K

16.68%

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

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

$10.26 CLP 10.2K

18.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 CLP 18.7K

$23.04 CLP 22.9K

-18.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 CLP 32.2K

$15.35 CLP 15.2K

111.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 CLP 11.6K

$15.84 CLP 15.7K

-26.26%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 CLP 7,534

$10.94 CLP 10.9K

-30.71%

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

$440 CLP 436.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.5K

$35.94 CLP 35.7K

35.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.7K

$17.90 CLP 17.8K

61.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.9K

$48.55 CLP 48.2K

32.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 80.4K

$62.0 CLP 61.6K

30.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 CLP 493.6K

$308 CLP 306.0K

61.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 370.9K

$239 CLP 237.7K

56.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 982.1K

$444 CLP 441.0K

122.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 745.0K

$317 CLP 315.1K

136.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,960 CLP 2.9M

$2,362 CLP 2.3M

25.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 CLP 2.5M

$2,390 CLP 2.4M

5.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 CLP 765.9K

$650 CLP 645.7K

18.62%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Chillan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Chillan

$239 27.7% 35.9% $134

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Chillan

$175 20.3% 24.4% $57

Eating Out

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Chillan

$137 15.9% 25.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Chillan

$158 18.3% 10.5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Chillan

$74 8.6% 26.3% $26

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Chillan

$44 5% 10.2% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Chillan

$37 4.3% 21.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Santiago and $308 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 19% 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: $50 in Santiago vs $45 in Chillan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $175 per month, with Chillan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Chillan

🕒 Local time

15:44 3:44 PM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

164,270

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,163 in Santiago and $865 in Chillan, so Chillan is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $497 in Santiago versus $308 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,163 per month in Santiago versus $865 in Chillan – Chillan is about 26% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Expats usually find Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.