Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Santiago $1,183
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Santiago versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Santiago $1,882
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Santiago versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Santiago $2,581
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Santiago costs roughly 45% less than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 13% below, Des Moines, IA is 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$19.69 $19.69

-48.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$80.8 $80.8

-35.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$12.22 $12.22

-29.95%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$6.16 $6.16

-48.86%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$2.93 $2.93

-41.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$2.56 $2.56

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$4.99 $4.99

-16.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$5.89 $5.89

-24.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$0.91 $0.91

41.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

$3.03 $3.03

-41.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$3.38 $3.38

-50.89%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$4.00 $4.00

5.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

$9.69 $9.69

14.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

$9.91 $9.91

-31.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

$13.68 $13.68

-21.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

$4.33 $4.33

-54.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$1.51 $1.51

1.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

$4.54 $4.54

-65.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

$3.68 $3.68

-52.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

$3.07 $3.07

-64.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$2.14 $2.14

-28.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$2.38 $2.38

-50.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

$2.19 $2.19

-50.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$7.85 $7.85

-34.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

$14.79 $14.79

-58.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

$1.70 $1.70

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$3.09 $3.09

-23.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$1.73 $1.73

-51.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

$58.1 $58.1

-28.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

$1.97 $1.97

-78.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

$1.23 $1.23

-28.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

$19.70 $19.70

-41.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

$0.93 $0.93

60.22%

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

-36.54%

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

$25.1K $25.1K

1.81%

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

$185 $185

-19.50%

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

$53.6 $53.6

-77.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

$70.2 $70.2

-72.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

$63.8 $63.8

-47.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

$20.14 $20.14

-42.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

$9.99 $9.99

-26.73%

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

$1,187 $1,187

-63.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

$12.0K $12.0K

-8.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$59.5 $59.5

-17.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$42.98 $42.98

-32.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$101 $101

-35.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$145 $145

-44.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

$1,177 $1,177

-52.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

$872 $872

-56.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

$1,738 $1,738

-42.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

$1,394 $1,394

-44.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

$2,320 $2,320

16.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

$2,325 $2,325

12.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

$3,647 $3,647

-78.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.56

-17.84%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 128% $490

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 48.1% $113

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 75.2% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 71.5% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 55.7% $56

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 47.4% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 74.6% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Santiago and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 368% 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 $81.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $349 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

08:42 8:42 AM

06:42 6:42 AM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santiago Des Moines, IA 8,670 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 83% lower than in Des Moines, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 368% lower in Des Moines, IA. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $554 in Santiago versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $81.0 in Des Moines, IA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,183 per month in Santiago versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Des Moines, IA. 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 Des Moines, IA 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 83% less than in Des Moines, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.