Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Cusco

For one person, living is cheaper in Cusco: $688 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 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
33

Cost of Living Index in Cusco
Learn more

Cusco Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Cusco

🇵🇪 Peru

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Cusco

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Santiago versus $688 in Cusco.

Santiago $1,206
Cusco $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $1,096 in Cusco.

Santiago $1,885
Cusco $1,096

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $1,505 in Cusco.

Santiago $2,564
Cusco $1,505

Living in Santiago is roughly 75% more expensive than in Cusco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 10% lower, Cusco 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,954

$1.99 PEN 6.85

412.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

$20.55 PEN 70.7

154.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,342

$6.70 PEN 23.04

27.46%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,122

$2.11 PEN 7.24

51.18%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,641

$0.78 PEN 2.69

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$0.33 PEN 1.13

269.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,110

$1.72 PEN 5.92

144.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,550

$4.33 PEN 14.90

7.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,286

$1.24 PEN 4.27

6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,760

$2.32 PEN 7.97

-22.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,547

$1.29 PEN 4.43

22.48%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,151

$3.63 PEN 12.48

17.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$4.69 PEN 16.14

138.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,596

$4.43 PEN 15.24

52.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$7.37 PEN 25.35

44.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,995

$2.55 PEN 8.78

-20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,500

$0.77 PEN 2.63

98.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,553

$1.47 PEN 5.04

8.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,712

$0.85 PEN 2.94

105.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$1.02 PEN 3.52

5.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,480

$1.10 PEN 3.80

37.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$0.49 PEN 1.67

138.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,043

$0.75 PEN 2.58

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,745

$5.93 PEN 20.41

-0.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,516

$1.85 PEN 6.38

-16.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,223

$4.12 PEN 14.16

-44.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 831

$0.30 PEN 1.04

183.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$1.72 PEN 5.91

-77.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

$1.93 PEN 6.65

-56.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

$2.82 PEN 9.69

323.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$1.57 PEN 5.42

-4.46%

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

$28.9K PEN 99.5K

-25.32%

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

$151 CLP 147.7K

$29.31 PEN 101

415.49%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

$14.31 PEN 49.22

-15.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$44.13 PEN 152

-57.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$28.51 PEN 98.1

18.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,202

$4.26 PEN 14.64

73.00%

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

$37.39 PEN 129

36.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

$33.43 PEN 115

-12.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

$54.4 PEN 187

23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

$72.2 PEN 248

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 542.0K

$218 PEN 748

154.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 364.0K

$191 PEN 657

95.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

$538 PEN 1,849

87.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 760.9K

$416 PEN 1,431

87.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$3,249 PEN 11.2K

-17.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$1,823 PEN 6,270

43.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 773.5K

$433 PEN 1,490

82.70%

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 Cusco: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Cusco

$191 27.8% 48.8% $182

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Cusco

$187 27.2% 21% $50

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Cusco

$83 12.1% 55.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Cusco

$88 12.8% 51.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Cusco

$89 12.9% 13.3% $14

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Cusco

$13 * 1.8% 74.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Cusco

$37 5.4% 23.7% $12

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 $218 in Cusco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 83% 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 $21.00 in Cusco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $187 per month, with Cusco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇵🇪 Cusco

🕒 Local time

04:11 4:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

428,450

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, 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).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.44 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Cusco 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Cusco

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 Cusco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cusco is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 83% 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 $218 in Cusco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cusco – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $688 in Cusco versus $1,206 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cusco but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Cusco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cusco 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 Cusco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.