Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Puerto Montt

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 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

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Puerto Montt

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

A single person spends $1,163 per month in Santiago vs $450 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Santiago $1,163
Puerto Montt $450

A couple spends around $1,844 per month in Santiago vs $754 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Santiago $1,844
Puerto Montt $754

A family of three spends $2,525 per month in Santiago vs $1,057 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Santiago $2,525
Puerto Montt $1,057

Santiago costs about 158% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santiago and Puerto Montt are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 15% lower, Puerto Montt 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 CLP 9,866

$8.20 CLP 8,150

21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 CLP 49.5K

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

42.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 CLP 8,585

$7.24 CLP 7,192

19.34%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 3,140

$2.76 CLP 2,742

14.49%

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

$1.65 CLP 1,642

$0.87 CLP 867

89.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CLP 1,235

$0.87 CLP 869

42.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CLP 4,091

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CLP 4,574

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,214

$1.09 CLP 1,080

11.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 CLP 1,803

$2.55 CLP 2,537

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,572

$1.38 CLP 1,370

14.49%

Eggs

$4.04 CLP 4,014

$3.09 CLP 3,070

30.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 CLP 10.9K

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

-0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 CLP 6,616

$5.70 CLP 5,660

16.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.3K

$7.04 CLP 6,991

46.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 CLP 2,002

$1.03 CLP 1,026

96.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,479

$1.40 CLP 1,389

6.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,568

$2.65 CLP 2,634

-40.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 CLP 1,704

$1.74 CLP 1,726

-1.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CLP 1,037

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,499

$1.54 CLP 1,531

-1.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,210

$1.28 CLP 1,269

-4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CLP 1,093

$1.49 CLP 1,485

-26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 CLP 5,063

$4.46 CLP 4,433

14.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 CLP 5,891

$5.40 CLP 5,360

9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,470

$1.34 CLP 1,332

10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,232

$1.48 CLP 1,468

52.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 832

$0.94 CLP 933

-10.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 CLP 378

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 813

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CLP 1,514

$1.28 CLP 1,267

18.75%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.7M

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

$24.9K CLP 24.8M

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

$146 CLP 144.7K

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

136.53%

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

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

7.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 CLP 18.7K

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

-36.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 CLP 32.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 CLP 7,534

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

$440 CLP 436.9K

$143 CLP 142.2K

207.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 80.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 CLP 493.6K

$502 CLP 498.3K

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 370.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 982.1K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 745.0K

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 765.9K

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 Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Puerto Montt

–

Eating Out

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Puerto Montt

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Puerto Montt

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Puerto Montt

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Santiago versus $502 in Puerto Montt. 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 $35 in Puerto Montt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $216 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

169,736

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Puerto Montt 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Puerto Montt

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 Puerto Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago costs about 158% more than Puerto Montt, 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 $675 in Puerto Montt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $497 in Santiago and $502 in Puerto Montt. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,163 in Santiago and $450 in Puerto Montt. That makes Puerto Montt about 61% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Santiago and $143 in Puerto Montt. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Santiago at $1,163. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.