Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Guanacaste

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 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
75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
Learn more

Guanacaste Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Guanacaste

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $1,548 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Santiago $1,190
Guanacaste $1,548

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $2,428 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Santiago $1,892
Guanacaste $2,428

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $3,309 in Guanacaste, rent included.

Santiago $2,595
Guanacaste $3,309

Santiago is about 23% cheaper than Guanacaste, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 12% below the global median, while Guanacaste is 15% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$10.82 ₡4,860

-4.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$48.68 ₡21.9K

6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,803

$11.68 ₡5,248

-23.46%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$4.53 ₡2,036

-28.04%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$2.75 ₡1,236

-39.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$1.94 ₡872

-36.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,913

$3.16 ₡1,420

25.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,464

$4.54 ₡2,041

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,262

$2.00 ₡897

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$3.04 ₡1,366

-39.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$2.43 ₡1,092

-34.57%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,030

$3.54 ₡1,591

15.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$5.44 ₡2,442

109.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,585

$4.47 ₡2,006

49.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$10.84 ₡4,870

-0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$2.56 ₡1,149

-24.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.64 ₡737

-7.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,576

$4.51 ₡2,026

-64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$1.56 ₡699

8.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$3.90 ₡1,753

-71.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,499

$2.23 ₡1,004

-31.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$0.85 ₡384

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$3.09 ₡1,389

-65.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,994

$4.42 ₡1,988

14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,857

$20.31 ₡9,125

-70.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$2.90 ₡1,302

-48.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$2.66 ₡1,193

-10.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 820

$1.30 ₡583

-36.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.45 ₡1,102

-83.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 896

$1.55 ₡698

-41.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.4K

$8.80 ₡3,952

32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.55 ₡696

-2.58%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$21.8K ₡9.8M

-19.48%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$35.4K ₡15.9M

-37.96%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$96.5 ₡43.4K

56.93%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$36.34 ₡16.3K

-66.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$32.76 ₡14.7K

-42.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$72.0 ₡32.4K

-53.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,332

$7.57 ₡3,401

-1.59%

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

$430 CLP 423.6K

$974 ₡437.5K

-55.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$17.4K ₡7.8M

-37.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$65.6 ₡29.5K

-24.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$43.46 ₡19.5K

-33.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$88.9 ₡39.9K

-26.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$76.9 ₡34.5K

4.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.2K

$812 ₡364.9K

-31.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.7K

$625 ₡280.9K

-38.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.2K

$1,920 ₡862.8K

-47.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.7K

$1,264 ₡568.2K

-38.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 790.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Guanacaste: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Guanacaste

$625 40.4% 62.9% $241

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Guanacaste

$311 20.1% 31.8% $75

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Guanacaste

$220 14.2% 15.9% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Guanacaste

$166 10.7% 9.3% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Guanacaste

$124 8% 22.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Guanacaste

$87 5.6% 79.3% $39

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Guanacaste

$15 * 1% 68.2% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $812 in Guanacaste. 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 $49.00 in Guanacaste. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Santiago vs $311 in Guanacaste – so Santiago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🕒 Local time

04:25 4:25 AM

01:25 1:25 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

1,823

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.06 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.06 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santiago Guanacaste 5,090 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Guanacaste

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 Guanacaste: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Guanacaste is pricier by about 30%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $2,321 in Guanacaste. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santiago, 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 $1,190 in Santiago and $1,548 in Guanacaste. That's a gap of about 30%.

Kindergarten costs $430 per month in Santiago and $974 in Guanacaste. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Guanacaste at $1,548. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guanacaste it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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