Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Frederiksted

For one person, living is cheaper in Frederiksted: $355 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Frederiksted

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Frederiksted

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Santiago vs $355 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Santiago $1,206
Frederiksted $355

A couple spends around $1,885 per month in Santiago vs $745 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Santiago $1,885
Frederiksted $745

A family of three spends $2,564 per month in Santiago vs $1,136 in Frederiksted, rent included.

Santiago $2,564
Frederiksted $1,136

Santiago costs about 240% more than Frederiksted, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Santiago and Frederiksted are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 10% lower, Frederiksted 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$30.02 $30.02

-66.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$79.4 $79.4

-34.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

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

$1.68 CLP 1,637

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$7.17 $7.17

-41.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$8.04 $8.04

-42.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

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

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

$151 CLP 147.3K

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

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$60.8 $60.8

-44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

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

$434 CLP 423.3K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$1,343 $1,343

-58.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 771.7K

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 Frederiksted: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Frederiksted

–

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Frederiksted

–

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Frederiksted

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Frederiksted

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Frederiksted

–

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Frederiksted

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Frederiksted

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Santiago versus $1,343 in Frederiksted. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago versus $79.0 in Frederiksted. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇻🇮 Frederiksted

🕒 Local time

20:17 8:17 PM

19:17 7:17 PM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

528

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 12, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago Frederiksted 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Frederiksted

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 Frederiksted: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 240%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Santiago and $532 in Frederiksted. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Frederiksted, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,206 in Santiago and $355 in Frederiksted. That's a gap of about 240%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $79.0 in Frederiksted. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Frederiksted, where all-in costs run around $355, than in Santiago at $1,206. In Frederiksted it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Frederiksted – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Frederiksted. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santiago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.