Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Los Ángeles

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,163

/mo nomad

Los Ángeles

🇨🇱 Chile

$906

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Los Ángeles

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

A single person spends $1,163 per month in Santiago vs $906 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Santiago $1,163
Los Ángeles $906

A couple spends around $1,844 per month in Santiago vs $1,361 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Santiago $1,844
Los Ángeles $1,361

A family of three spends $2,525 per month in Santiago vs $1,816 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

Santiago $2,525
Los Ángeles $1,816

Santiago costs about 28% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santiago and Los Ángeles are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 15% lower, Los Ángeles 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 CLP 9,807

$12.01 CLP 11.9K

-17.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 CLP 49.3K

$25.27 CLP 24.9K

97.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 CLP 8,533

$9.96 CLP 9,839

-13.25%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 3,121

$2.06 CLP 2,030

53.40%

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

$1.65 CLP 1,632

$1.48 CLP 1,465

11.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CLP 1,228

$1.48 CLP 1,463

-16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CLP 4,067

$2.60 CLP 2,572

58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CLP 4,547

$3.11 CLP 3,067

47.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,207

$1.20 CLP 1,182

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 CLP 1,792

$2.65 CLP 2,619

-31.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,563

$2.86 CLP 2,819

-44.76%

Eggs

$4.04 CLP 3,990

$4.12 CLP 4,068

-1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 CLP 10.8K

$8.19 CLP 8,090

33.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 CLP 6,576

$10.57 CLP 10.4K

-36.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.2K

$14.00 CLP 13.8K

-26.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 CLP 1,990

$2.65 CLP 2,614

-23.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$1.60 CLP 1,576

-6.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,558

$2.68 CLP 2,651

-41.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 CLP 1,694

$2.18 CLP 2,153

-21.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CLP 1,030

$1.53 CLP 1,508

-32.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,490

$1.64 CLP 1,622

-7.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,202

$1.36 CLP 1,347

-10.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CLP 1,086

$1.13 CLP 1,112

-2.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 CLP 5,033

$5.40 CLP 5,337

-5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 CLP 5,855

$4.13 CLP 4,082

43.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,462

$0.98 CLP 964

51.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,219

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 827

$0.49 CLP 488

71.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 CLP 376

$2.04 CLP 2,017

-81.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 808

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CLP 1,505

$1.23 CLP 1,215

23.58%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.6M

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

$24.9K CLP 24.6M

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

$146 CLP 143.9K

$121 CLP 119.8K

20.14%

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

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 CLP 18.6K

$19.87 CLP 19.6K

-5.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 CLP 32.0K

$81.3 CLP 80.3K

-60.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 CLP 11.5K

$10.17 CLP 10.0K

14.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 CLP 7,488

$4.35 CLP 4,296

74.25%

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

$440 CLP 434.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.5K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 79.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 CLP 490.7K

$271 CLP 267.7K

83.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 368.7K

$219 CLP 216.5K

70.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 976.2K

$440 CLP 434.3K

124.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 740.5K

$341 CLP 337.2K

119.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,960 CLP 2.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 CLP 761.3K

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 25, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Los Ángeles

–

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Los Ángeles

–

Eating Out

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Los Ángeles

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Los Ángeles

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Los Ángeles

–

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Los Ángeles

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Los Ángeles

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Santiago versus $271 in Los Ángeles. 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 $50 in Santiago versus $25 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $232 in Santiago vs $270 in Los Ángeles – so Santiago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Los Ángeles

🕒 Local time

06:00 6:00 AM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

143,023

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Los Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago costs about 28% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,745 per month in Santiago and $1,360 in Los Ángeles. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $497 in Santiago.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,163 in Santiago and $906 in Los Ángeles. That makes Los Ángeles about 22% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Santiago – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,163 in Santiago and $906 in Los Ángeles. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.