Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Elizabeth, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
156

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth, NJ
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Elizabeth, NJ Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Elizabeth, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Elizabeth, NJ

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,183 in Santiago versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Santiago $1,183
Elizabeth, NJ $3,186

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,882 in Santiago versus $4,453 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Santiago $1,882
Elizabeth, NJ $4,453

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,581 in Santiago versus $5,720 in Elizabeth, NJ.

Santiago $2,581
Elizabeth, NJ $5,720

Living in Santiago costs roughly 63% less than in Elizabeth, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 13% below, Elizabeth, NJ is 135% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$19.71 $19.71

-48.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$80.4 $80.4

-35.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$11.89 $11.89

-28.01%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$5.45 $5.45

-42.20%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$2.43 $2.43

-29.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$1.49 $1.49

-14.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$7.78 $7.78

-46.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$7.15 $7.15

-37.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$1.27 $1.27

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

$4.50 $4.50

-60.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$5.96 $5.96

-72.15%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$6.52 $6.52

-35.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

$15.31 $15.31

-27.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

$11.83 $11.83

-42.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

$19.73 $19.73

-45.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

$5.95 $5.95

-67.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$3.55 $3.55

-56.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

$4.20 $4.20

-62.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

$5.42 $5.42

-67.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

$2.99 $2.99

-63.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$2.95 $2.95

-48.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$3.00 $3.00

-60.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

$2.52 $2.52

-57.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$14.62 $14.62

-64.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

$15.29 $15.29

-59.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

$2.70 $2.70

-43.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$3.41 $3.41

-30.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$2.88 $2.88

-70.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

$76.0 $76.0

-45.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

$2.92 $2.92

-85.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

$2.11 $2.11

-58.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

$42.39 $42.39

-72.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

$1.09 $1.09

36.70%

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

$27.9K $27.9K

-38.28%

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.63%

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

$247 $247

-39.93%

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

$51.0 $51.0

-76.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

$50.1 $50.1

-61.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

$24.78 $24.78

34.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

$20.03 $20.03

-63.45%

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

$2,012 $2,012

-78.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

$16.2K $16.2K

-32.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$49.63 $49.63

-0.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$77.6 $77.6

-62.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$87.9 $87.9

-25.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$122 $122

-34.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

$2,181 $2,181

-74.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

$1,718 $1,718

-77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

$2,668 $2,668

-62.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

$2,492 $2,492

-68.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

$1,297 $1,297

108.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

$1,143 $1,143

128.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

$3,997 $3,997

-80.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.67

-19.19%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Elizabeth, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

Elizabeth, NJ

$1.7K 53.9% 349% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Elizabeth, NJ

$475 14.9% 101% $239

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

Elizabeth, NJ

$328 10.3% 75.6% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$348 10.9% 93.8% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Elizabeth, NJ

$152 4.8% 50.4% $51

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Elizabeth, NJ

$101 3.2% 103% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Elizabeth, NJ

$65 2% 35.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Santiago and $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elizabeth, NJ pays 413% 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 $80.0 in Elizabeth, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $475 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇺🇸 Elizabeth, NJ

🕒 Local time

20:42 8:42 PM

19:42 7:42 PM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

126,179

💱 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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Elizabeth, NJ 8,250 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Elizabeth, NJ

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 Elizabeth, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and Elizabeth, NJ differ by about 169% in total monthly costs ($1,183 vs $3,186 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 413% lower in Elizabeth, NJ. 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 $2,181 in Elizabeth, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $436 in Santiago versus $2,012 in Elizabeth, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Elizabeth, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,183 in Santiago versus $3,186 in Elizabeth, NJ, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Elizabeth, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 169% less than in Elizabeth, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.