Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and El Progreso

For one person, living is cheaper in El Progreso: $145 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

El Progreso

🇭🇳 Honduras

$145

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in El Progreso

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Santiago versus $145 in El Progreso.

Santiago $1,183
El Progreso $145

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Santiago versus $285 in El Progreso.

Santiago $1,882
El Progreso $285

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Santiago versus $426 in El Progreso.

Santiago $2,581
El Progreso $426

Living in Santiago is roughly 716% more expensive than in El Progreso, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 13% lower, El Progreso 89% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$4.87 HNL 131

108.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$24.69 HNL 663

110.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$7.92 HNL 213

8.08%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$1.51 HNL 40.58

108.61%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$0.83 HNL 22.18

106.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$0.97 HNL 26.17

31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$1.53 HNL 41.02

173.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$2.03 HNL 54.6

119.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$1.27 HNL 34.19

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$1.08 HNL 28.94

53.70%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$1.62 HNL 43.48

159.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$1.48 HNL 39.74

4.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$1.63 HNL 43.87

-6.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$2.66 HNL 71.4

94.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

$1.35 HNL 36.22

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$1.37 HNL 36.92

72.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

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 17, 2026

Last update for El Progreso: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

El Progreso

–

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

El Progreso

–

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

El Progreso

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

El Progreso

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

El Progreso

–

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

El Progreso

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

El Progreso

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $25.00 in El Progreso for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $45.00 per month, with El Progreso cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇭🇳 El Progreso

🕒 Local time

21:06 9:06 PM

18:06 6:06 PM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

100,810

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Honduran Lempira HNL L

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 HNL = 3.72 USD

100 HNL = 3.31 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HNL, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Honduran Lempira exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 26.86 HNL (100 HNL = 3.72 USD). 1 EUR = 30.2 HNL (100 HNL = 3.31 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

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Between locations

Santiago El Progreso 5,730 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
El Progreso

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 El Progreso: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Progreso is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 716% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,775 in Santiago and $217 in El Progreso to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 423% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Progreso – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $52.0 in Santiago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $145 in El Progreso versus $1,183 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Progreso but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes El Progreso 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.

Expats usually find El Progreso gentler on the wallet – expenses run 716% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.