Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Port Louis

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Louis: $964 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santiago
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,183
/mo nomad
Port Louis
🇲🇺 Mauritius
$964
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Port Louis

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

A single person spends $1,183 per month in Santiago vs $964 in Port Louis, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,183
  • Port Louis $964

A couple spends around $1,882 per month in Santiago vs $1,587 in Port Louis, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,882
  • Port Louis $1,587

A family of three spends $2,581 per month in Santiago vs $2,209 in Port Louis, rent included.

  • Santiago $2,581
  • Port Louis $2,209

Santiago costs about 23% more than Port Louis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Santiago and Port Louis are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 13% lower, Port Louis 29% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.15 CLP 9,995
$5.86 MUR 276
73.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.9 CLP 51.1K
$37.48 MUR 1,765
38.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.56 CLP 8,423
$7.56 MUR 356
13.23%
Cappuccino
$3.15 CLP 3,101
$2.66 MUR 125
18.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CLP 1,685
$1.13 MUR 53.4
51.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 CLP 1,255
$0.67 MUR 31.41
91.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.18 CLP 4,118
$2.70 MUR 127
54.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.46 CLP 4,390
$4.64 MUR 219
-3.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.29 CLP 1,269
$1.54 MUR 72.3
-16.23%
White Bread (500g)
$1.76 CLP 1,737
$0.73 MUR 34.46
141.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.66 CLP 1,630
$1.16 MUR 54.6
43.10%
Eggs
$4.21 CLP 4,140
$2.57 MUR 121
63.81%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.08 CLP 10.9K
$5.42 MUR 255
104.43%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.75 CLP 6,641
$6.49 MUR 306
4.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.76 CLP 10.6K
$11.07 MUR 521
-2.80%
Apples (1kg)
$1.96 CLP 1,927
$2.76 MUR 130
-28.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.54 CLP 1,518
$2.60 MUR 122
-40.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.58 CLP 1,560
$1.39 MUR 65.5
13.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 CLP 1,713
$3.01 MUR 142
-42.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.09 CLP 1,075
$1.01 MUR 47.34
7.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 CLP 1,509
$1.00 MUR 47.21
53.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 CLP 1,163
$0.70 MUR 32.91
68.57%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,060
$0.89 MUR 42.04
21.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.18 CLP 5,101
$6.49 MUR 305
-20.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.17 CLP 6,070
$8.63 MUR 406
-28.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.53 CLP 1,511
$1.68 MUR 79.0
-8.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 CLP 2,325
$2.40 MUR 113
-1.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 CLP 824
$0.99 MUR 46.41
-15.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.44 CLP 40.8K
$31.79 MUR 1,497
30.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.42 CLP 416
$4.35 MUR 205
-90.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.88 CLP 869
$3.22 MUR 151
-72.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.49 CLP 11.3K
$20.92 MUR 985
-45.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.49 CLP 1,462
$1.35 MUR 63.6
10.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.2K CLP 17.0M
$35.8K MUR 1.7M
-51.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K CLP 25.2M
$31.6K MUR 1.5M
-18.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$149 CLP 146.3K
$44.66 MUR 2,102
232.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 CLP 11.9K
$10.41 MUR 490
16.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$19.13 CLP 18.8K
$28.82 MUR 1,357
-33.62%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.30 CLP 32.8K
$25.78 MUR 1,214
29.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.51 CLP 11.3K
$3.92 MUR 184
193.62%
Cinema Ticket
$7.32 CLP 7,208
$6.49 MUR 305
12.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$436 CLP 429.2K
$127 MUR 5,976
243.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.0K CLP 10.8M
$7,666 MUR 360.9K
43.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.17 CLP 48.4K
$78.9 MUR 3,716
-37.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.11 CLP 28.7K
$72.9 MUR 3,431
-60.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.5 CLP 64.5K
$121 MUR 5,679
-45.69%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.1 CLP 78.9K
$76.1 MUR 3,584
5.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 CLP 545.8K
$483 MUR 22.7K
14.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$383 CLP 376.6K
$279 MUR 13.1K
37.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 CLP 986.5K
$746 MUR 35.1K
34.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$775 CLP 762.5K
$616 MUR 29.0K
25.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,708 CLP 2.7M
$4,072 MUR 191.7K
-33.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,613 CLP 2.6M
$1,076 MUR 50.7K
142.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santiago
Port Louis
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$778 CLP 766.3K
$696 MUR 32.8K
11.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.39
6.67
-19.19%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for Port Louis: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santiago
$383
Port Louis
$279 27.1% $104
Groceries & Markets
Santiago
$236
Port Louis
$218 7.4% $18
Eating Out
Santiago
$186
Port Louis
$132 29.5% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
$180
Port Louis
$84 53.3% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
$101
Port Louis
$157 55.7% $56
Getting Around
Santiago
$50
Port Louis
$56 13.2% $6.5
Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
$48
Port Louis
$39 19.2% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Santiago versus $483 in Port Louis. 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 12% higher in Santiago, 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 $37.00 in Port Louis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $218 – making Port Louis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Santiago
🇲🇺 Port Louis
🕒 Local time
02:55 2:55 AM
09:55 9:55 AM
7 h ahead of Santiago
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,139,087 Capital
147,688 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MUR, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Mauritian Rupee exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 47.08 MUR (100 MUR = 2.12 USD). 1 EUR = 52.93 MUR (100 MUR = 1.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santiago Port Louis 11,910 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santiago
  • Port Louis

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 Port Louis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Santiago or Port Louis?
Santiago costs about 23% more than Port Louis, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Santiago and in Port Louis?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Santiago and $1,447 in Port Louis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Santiago or Port Louis?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Louis, 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 Port Louis?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,183 in Santiago and $964 in Port Louis. That's a gap of about 23%.
How expensive is transport in Santiago compared to Port Louis?
Public transport costs about 30% less in Port Louis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Santiago or in Port Louis?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Louis, where all-in costs run around $964, than in Santiago at $1,183. In Port Louis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Santiago or Port Louis?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Port Louis costs $964 versus $1,183 in Santiago. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Santiago compared to Port Louis?
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.
Should I move to Santiago or to Port Louis?
If budget matters most, go with Port Louis. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santiago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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