Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Ottawa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,388 in Ottawa, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
117

Cost of Living Index in Ottawa
Learn more

Ottawa Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Ottawa

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,388

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Ottawa

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Santiago vs $2,388 in Ottawa, rent included.

Santiago $1,206
Ottawa $2,388

A couple spends around $1,885 per month in Santiago vs $3,474 in Ottawa, rent included.

Santiago $1,885
Ottawa $3,474

A family of three spends $2,564 per month in Santiago vs $4,559 in Ottawa, rent included.

Santiago $2,564
Ottawa $4,559

Santiago is about 49% cheaper than Ottawa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 10% below the global median, while Ottawa is 78% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,954

$18.59 CA$26.44

-45.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

$77.0 CA$110

-32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,342

$10.60 CA$15.08

-19.43%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,122

$3.94 CA$5.60

-19.04%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,641

$2.01 CA$2.86

-16.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$1.78 CA$2.53

-31.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,110

$5.57 CA$7.92

-24.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,550

$6.19 CA$8.80

-24.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,286

$2.29 CA$3.26

-42.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,760

$3.10 CA$4.41

-41.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,547

$3.21 CA$4.56

-50.78%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,151

$3.47 CA$4.94

22.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$10.47 CA$14.90

6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,596

$11.17 CA$15.88

-39.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$17.68 CA$25.14

-39.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,995

$3.76 CA$5.35

-45.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,500

$1.38 CA$1.97

10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,553

$3.77 CA$5.36

-57.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,712

$3.54 CA$5.04

-50.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$2.65 CA$3.77

-59.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,480

$2.41 CA$3.43

-37.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$2.63 CA$3.75

-55.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,043

$1.59 CA$2.27

-32.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

$14.49 CA$20.61

-64.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,745

$11.80 CA$16.78

-50.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,516

$2.61 CA$3.71

-40.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,223

$3.29 CA$4.68

-31.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 831

$2.77 CA$3.94

-69.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

$93.9 CA$134

-55.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$2.72 CA$3.87

-85.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

$1.51 CA$2.15

-44.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

$19.16 CA$27.26

-37.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$1.20 CA$1.71

25.00%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$27.8K CA$39.6K

-34.94%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$21.1K CA$30.0K

2.58%

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

$151 CLP 147.7K

$136 CA$194

11.00%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

$36.63 CA$52.1

-67.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$50.4 CA$71.7

-62.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$45.79 CA$65.1

-26.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

$27.77 CA$39.51

-57.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,202

$12.82 CA$18.24

-42.51%

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

$434 CLP 424.3K

$913 CA$1,298

-52.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$16.1K CA$22.9K

-31.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

$61.2 CA$87.1

-16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

$38.63 CA$55.0

-24.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

$106 CA$151

-36.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

$97.6 CA$139

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 542.0K

$1,490 CA$2,119

-62.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 364.0K

$1,206 CA$1,715

-69.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

$2,204 CA$3,135

-54.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 760.9K

$1,836 CA$2,612

-57.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$4,287 CA$6,098

-37.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$4,457 CA$6,339

-41.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 773.5K

$3,712 CA$5,280

-78.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.14

30.19%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Ottawa: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Ottawa

$1.2K 50.2% 224% $833

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Ottawa

$366 15.3% 55.2% $130

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Ottawa

$283 11.8% 51.1% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Ottawa

$223 9.3% 22.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Ottawa

$137 5.7% 33.3% $34

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Ottawa

$115 4.8% 133% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Ottawa

$71 3% 47.1% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Santiago versus $1,490 in Ottawa. 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 369% higher in Ottawa, 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 $77.0 in Ottawa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $366 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇦 Ottawa

🕒 Local time

05:29 5:29 AM

04:29 4:29 AM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

1,000,000 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 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 = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Ottawa 8,780 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Ottawa

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 Ottawa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,206 in Santiago, $2,388 in Ottawa – roughly 98% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Santiago and $3,582 in Ottawa. 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 $1,206 in Santiago and $2,388 in Ottawa. That's a gap of about 98%.

Public transport costs about 126% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Ottawa at $2,388. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ottawa it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Ottawa has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,206 in Santiago to $2,388 in Ottawa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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