Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Harare

For one person, living is cheaper in Harare: $1,021 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santiago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Harare
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Harare Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Harare

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$1,021

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Harare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,021 in Harare.

Santiago $1,190
Harare $1,021

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Santiago versus $1,695 in Harare.

Santiago $1,892
Harare $1,695

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Santiago versus $2,368 in Harare.

Santiago $2,595
Harare $2,368

Living in Santiago is roughly 17% more expensive than in Harare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 12% lower, Harare 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$9.96 ZWL 265

4.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$45.84 ZWL 1,220

12.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$5.87 ZWL 156

52.30%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$3.07 ZWL 81.7

6.19%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$0.93 ZWL 24.65

79.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.49 ZWL 13.10

151.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$1.28 ZWL 34.04

210.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$1.97 ZWL 52.4

130.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.50 ZWL 39.90

-14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$0.97 ZWL 25.89

90.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$1.70 ZWL 45.34

-6.47%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$1.89 ZWL 50.3

116.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$11.40 ZWL 303

0.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$5.58 ZWL 148

19.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$6.35 ZWL 169

70.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$2.98 ZWL 79.3

-34.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.63 ZWL 43.27

-6.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$2.08 ZWL 55.2

-23.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$1.52 ZWL 40.46

11.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$1.69 ZWL 44.88

-34.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$1.75 ZWL 46.51

-13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.30 ZWL 34.48

-9.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$0.95 ZWL 25.26

13.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$2.04 ZWL 54.4

148.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$8.12 ZWL 216

-26.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$1.32 ZWL 35.25

12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$1.99 ZWL 52.9

19.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$1.03 ZWL 27.37

-19.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

$60.1 ZWL 1,600

-33.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$4.06 ZWL 108

-90.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$2.01 ZWL 53.6

-54.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$4.85 ZWL 129

139.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.80 ZWL 47.89

-16.11%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$21.8K ZWL 580.4K

-19.42%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$27.6K ZWL 734.5K

-20.35%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$50.8 ZWL 1,352

197.99%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$21.38 ZWL 569

-42.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$70.3 ZWL 1,870

-73.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$48.57 ZWL 1,293

-30.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$22.24 ZWL 592

-46.94%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$10.12 ZWL 269

-26.38%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$428 ZWL 11.4K

0.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$8,559 ZWL 227.8K

26.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$22.89 ZWL 609

116.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$20.95 ZWL 558

38.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$38.61 ZWL 1,027

70.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$39.85 ZWL 1,060

102.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$383 ZWL 10.2K

45.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$314 ZWL 8,350

22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$830 ZWL 22.1K

20.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$736 ZWL 19.6K

5.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

$915 ZWL 24.4K

188.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

$387 ZWL 10.3K

557.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

$413 ZWL 11.0K

94.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

13.69

-60.63%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Harare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Harare

$314 30.7% 18.2% $70

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Harare

$213 20.8% 9.8% $23

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Harare

$150 14.7% 20.7% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Harare

$142 14% 21.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Harare

$55 5.4% 45.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Harare

$69 6.7% 41.5% $20

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Harare

$78 7.7% 61.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santiago and $383 in Harare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 94% 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 $46.00 in Harare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $213 per month, with Harare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇿🇼 Harare

🕒 Local time

03:15 3:15 AM

08:15 8:15 AM

5 h ahead of Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

1,606,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, 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).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Harare 9,960 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Harare

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 Harare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harare is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 94% higher in Santiago, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Santiago versus $383 in Harare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Santiago versus $428 in Harare. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 11% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,021 in Harare versus $1,190 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Harare but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Harare 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 Harare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.