Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Hamilton

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,237 in Hamilton, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton
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Hamilton Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Hamilton

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,237

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Hamilton

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,237 in Hamilton.

Santiago $1,206
Hamilton $2,237

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $3,267 in Hamilton.

Santiago $1,885
Hamilton $3,267

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $4,297 in Hamilton.

Santiago $2,564
Hamilton $4,297

Living in Santiago costs roughly 46% less than in Hamilton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 10% below, Hamilton is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$17.65 CA$25.16

-42.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$60.7 CA$86.5

-13.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

$11.96 CA$17.05

-28.60%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

$3.48 CA$4.96

-8.33%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,637

$2.15 CA$3.06

-21.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$1.64 CA$2.34

-25.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$4.87 CA$6.95

-13.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$6.13 CA$8.74

-23.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

$2.17 CA$3.09

-39.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

$2.23 CA$3.17

-19.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

$2.54 CA$3.62

-37.80%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

$3.20 CA$4.55

32.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$7.91 CA$11.27

41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

$10.76 CA$15.34

-37.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$13.64 CA$19.44

-21.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

$3.82 CA$5.45

-46.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

$1.21 CA$1.73

26.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

$4.04 CA$5.76

-60.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

$3.80 CA$5.42

-53.95%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

$2.33 CA$3.32

-53.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

$1.58 CA$2.25

-4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

$2.17 CA$3.09

-46.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

$1.30 CA$1.85

-17.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

$12.33 CA$17.58

-58.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

$13.26 CA$18.90

-55.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

$2.45 CA$3.49

-36.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

$3.37 CA$4.81

-32.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

$2.49 CA$3.55

-65.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

$85.6 CA$122

-51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$3.40 CA$4.85

-88.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

$1.23 CA$1.75

-31.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

$23.37 CA$33.32

-48.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

$1.19 CA$1.70

26.05%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$27.5K CA$39.2K

-34.24%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$19.9K CA$28.3K

8.68%

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

$151 CLP 147.3K

$149 CA$212

1.37%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

$41.14 CA$58.7

-70.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$49.32 CA$70.3

-61.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$37.18 CA$53.0

-9.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

$17.33 CA$24.71

-32.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

$10.19 CA$14.52

-27.67%

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

$434 CLP 423.3K

$597 CA$852

-27.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$16.2K CA$23.1K

-32.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

$48.29 CA$68.8

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

$30.75 CA$43.83

-5.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

$86.2 CA$123

-21.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

$115 CA$163

-29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$1,263 CA$1,801

-56.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

$1,135 CA$1,617

-67.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

$2,006 CA$2,859

-49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

$1,869 CA$2,664

-58.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$2,659 CA$3,790

0.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$2,694 CA$3,840

-2.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 771.7K

$2,896 CA$4,128

-72.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.6

17.17%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Hamilton

$1.1K 50.2% 205% $762

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Hamilton

$327 14.5% 38.4% $91

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Hamilton

$271 12% 44.5% $83

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Hamilton

$240 10.6% 31.6% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Hamilton

$126 5.6% 22.9% $23

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Hamilton

$105 4.7% 112% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Hamilton

$58 2.6% 18.5% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 266% 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 $61.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $327 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇦 Hamilton

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

07:52 7:52 AM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

519,949

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 CAD = 0.702 USD

1 CAD = 0.626 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 CAD (1 CAD = 0.702 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.626 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Hamilton 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
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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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 266% lower in Hamilton. 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: $555 in Santiago versus $1,263 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $434 in Santiago versus $597 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $2,237 in Hamilton, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.