Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Hay River, NT

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santiago
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,183
/mo nomad
Hay River, NT
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,228
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,183 per month in Santiago vs $2,228 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,183
  • Hay River, NT $2,228

A couple spends around $1,882 per month in Santiago vs $3,228 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,882
  • Hay River, NT $3,228

A family of three spends $2,581 per month in Santiago vs $4,227 in Hay River, NT, rent included.

  • Santiago $2,581
  • Hay River, NT $4,227

Santiago is about 47% cheaper than Hay River, NT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 13% below the global median, while Hay River, NT is 64% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.15 CLP 9,995
$17.76 CA$25.11
-42.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.9 CLP 51.1K
$64.5 CA$91.1
-19.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.56 CLP 8,423
$10.38 CA$14.67
-17.53%
Cappuccino
$3.15 CLP 3,101
$3.54 CA$5.01
-11.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CLP 1,685
$2.03 CA$2.87
-15.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 CLP 1,255
$1.60 CA$2.27
-20.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.18 CLP 4,118
$5.28 CA$7.46
-20.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 CLP 4,390
$5.67 CA$8.01
-21.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 CLP 1,269
$2.00 CA$2.82
-35.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 CLP 1,737
$2.50 CA$3.53
-29.60%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,630
$3.28 CA$4.63
-49.39%
Eggs
$4.21 CLP 4,140
$3.44 CA$4.86
22.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.08 CLP 10.9K
$10.04 CA$14.19
10.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.75 CLP 6,641
$11.38 CA$16.09
-40.69%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.76 CLP 10.6K
$14.79 CA$20.91
-27.25%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 CLP 1,927
$3.71 CA$5.24
-47.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 CLP 1,518
$1.32 CA$1.87
16.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 CLP 1,560
$3.74 CA$5.29
-57.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 CLP 1,713
$3.79 CA$5.35
-54.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 CLP 1,075
$2.45 CA$3.46
-55.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 CLP 1,509
$2.25 CA$3.17
-32.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 CLP 1,163
$2.42 CA$3.42
-51.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,060
$1.62 CA$2.29
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 CLP 5,101
$14.17 CA$20.03
-63.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.17 CLP 6,070
$12.77 CA$18.05
-51.68%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 CLP 1,511
$2.63 CA$3.72
-41.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 CLP 2,325
$3.10 CA$4.38
-23.87%
🚌 Getting Around
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 CLP 824
$2.26 CA$3.20
-62.83%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.44 CLP 40.8K
$62.1 CA$87.7
-33.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.42 CLP 416
$2.79 CA$3.95
-84.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.88 CLP 869
$1.46 CA$2.07
-39.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.49 CLP 11.3K
$22.52 CA$31.83
-48.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 CLP 1,462
$1.15 CA$1.62
29.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.2K CLP 17.0M
$28.0K CA$39.6K
-38.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K CLP 25.2M
$19.1K CA$27.1K
33.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 CLP 146.3K
$131 CA$186
13.05%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 CLP 11.9K
$37.62 CA$53.2
-67.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.13 CLP 18.8K
$52.7 CA$74.4
-63.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.30 CLP 32.8K
$40.43 CA$57.2
-17.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.51 CLP 11.3K
$18.00 CA$25.45
-36.06%
Cinema Ticket
$7.32 CLP 7,208
$10.86 CA$15.35
-32.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$436 CLP 429.2K
$760 CA$1,074
-42.63%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K CLP 10.8M
$13.1K CA$18.5K
-16.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.17 CLP 48.4K
$52.6 CA$74.4
-6.54%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.11 CLP 28.7K
$38.34 CA$54.2
-24.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.5 CLP 64.5K
$83.9 CA$119
-21.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.1 CLP 78.9K
$104 CA$147
-22.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 CLP 545.8K
$1,130 CA$1,597
-50.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$383 CLP 376.6K
$1,120 CA$1,584
-65.85%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 CLP 986.5K
$1,928 CA$2,725
-48.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$775 CLP 762.5K
$1,716 CA$2,426
-54.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,708 CLP 2.7M
$4,164 CA$5,887
-34.97%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,613 CLP 2.6M
$3,582 CA$5,065
-27.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santiago
Hay River, NT
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$778 CLP 766.3K
$4,273 CA$6,041
-81.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
4.66
15.67%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Hay River, NT: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santiago
$383
Hay River, NT
$1.1K 193% $738
Groceries & Markets
Santiago
$236
Hay River, NT
$349 48.1% $113
Eating Out
Santiago
$186
Hay River, NT
$268 43.7% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
$180
Hay River, NT
$222 23.3% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
$101
Hay River, NT
$125 24.5% $25
Getting Around
Santiago
$50
Hay River, NT
$81 63.7% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
$48
Hay River, NT
$62 29.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Santiago versus $1,130 in Hay River, NT. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 449% higher in Hay River, NT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago versus $64.0 in Hay River, NT. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $349 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Santiago
🇨🇦 Hay River, NT
🕒 Local time
12:32 12:32 PM
09:32 9:32 AM
3 h behind Santiago
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,139,087 Capital
3,600
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santiago Hay River, NT 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santiago
  • Hay River, NT

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 Hay River, NT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Santiago or Hay River, NT?
Hay River, NT costs about 88% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Santiago and in Hay River, NT?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Santiago and $3,342 in Hay River, NT. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Santiago or Hay River, NT?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Santiago compared to Hay River, NT?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,183 in Santiago and $2,228 in Hay River, NT. That's a gap of about 88%.
How expensive is transport in Santiago compared to Hay River, NT?
Public transport costs about 50% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Santiago or in Hay River, NT?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,183, than in Hay River, NT at $2,228. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hay River, NT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
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.
Should I move to Santiago or to Hay River, NT?
If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hay River, NT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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