Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Pachuca

For one person, living is cheaper in Pachuca: $886 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Pachuca
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Pachuca Living Index

Jump to prices

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Pachuca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$886

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Pachuca

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Santiago versus $886 in Pachuca.

Santiago $1,190
Pachuca $886

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Santiago versus $1,483 in Pachuca.

Santiago $1,892
Pachuca $1,483

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Santiago versus $2,079 in Pachuca.

Santiago $2,595
Pachuca $2,079

Living in Santiago is roughly 34% more expensive than in Pachuca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santiago 12% lower, Pachuca 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$4.80 MX$88.8

116.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$26.48 MX$489

95.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$8.03 MX$148

11.33%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$3.09 MX$57.0

5.50%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$1.16 MX$21.50

43.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.82 MX$15.16

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$1.61 MX$29.79

147.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$3.36 MX$62.2

35.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.58 MX$29.20

-18.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$2.54 MX$46.99

-27.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$1.89 MX$34.93

-15.87%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$2.72 MX$50.4

50.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$7.22 MX$133

58.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$4.74 MX$87.5

41.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$7.44 MX$138

45.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$2.08 MX$38.53

-6.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.29 MX$23.82

17.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$1.52 MX$28.10

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$1.62 MX$29.91

4.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$1.53 MX$28.33

-28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$1.34 MX$24.70

13.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$0.93 MX$17.14

26.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$0.94 MX$17.46

14.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$4.33 MX$80.0

17.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$8.19 MX$151

-27.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$1.39 MX$25.71

7.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$2.49 MX$46.08

-4.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$0.57 MX$10.52

45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

$26.85 MX$496

49.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.63 MX$48.55

-84.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$2.62 MX$48.34

-65.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$11.11 MX$205

4.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.38 MX$25.51

9.42%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$21.4K MX$395.5K

-17.88%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$23.5K MX$433.6K

-6.30%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$47.05 MX$869

221.81%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$19.21 MX$355

-35.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$22.45 MX$415

-16.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$23.51 MX$434

43.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$10.99 MX$203

7.37%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$4.30 MX$79.4

73.26%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$165 MX$3,049

160.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$2,599 MX$48.0K

315.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$53.2 MX$983

-6.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$40.32 MX$745

-28.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$94.8 MX$1,751

-30.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$77.4 MX$1,430

4.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$400 MX$7,386

39.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$269 MX$4,963

42.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$603 MX$11.1K

66.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$688 MX$12.7K

13.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

$728 MX$13.5K

262.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

$638 MX$11.8K

298.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

$663 MX$12.2K

21.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

10.8

-50.09%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Pachuca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Pachuca

$269 30.3% 30% $115

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Pachuca

$210 23.7% 10.9% $26

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Pachuca

$122 13.8% 35.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Pachuca

$89 10% 51.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Pachuca

$120 13.5% 18.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Pachuca

$32 3.6% 34% $17

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Pachuca

$45 5.1% 7.4% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santiago and $400 in Pachuca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santiago pays 21% 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 $26.00 in Pachuca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $210 per month, with Pachuca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇲🇽 Pachuca

🕒 Local time

06:29 6:29 AM

03:29 3:29 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

297,848

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Pachuca 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Pachuca

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 Pachuca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pachuca is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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 $400 in Pachuca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Santiago versus $165 in Pachuca. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Santiago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $886 in Pachuca versus $1,190 in Santiago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Pachuca but tight or insufficient in Santiago. The gap between the two cities makes Pachuca 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.

Safety-wise, Santiago and Pachuca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Pachuca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Santiago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.