Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Puerto Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Plata: $824 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Plata
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Puerto Plata Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Puerto Plata

🇩🇴 Dominican Republic

$824

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $824 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Santiago $1,190
Puerto Plata $824

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $1,338 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Santiago $1,892
Puerto Plata $1,338

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $1,852 in Puerto Plata, rent included.

Santiago $2,595
Puerto Plata $1,852

Santiago costs about 44% more than Puerto Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santiago and Puerto Plata are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 12% lower, Puerto Plata 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$5.64 DOP 346

83.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$32.77 DOP 2,007

57.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$7.55 DOP 463

18.41%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$1.47 DOP 90.1

121.77%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$0.70 DOP 42.87

138.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.34 DOP 21.07

261.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$1.93 DOP 118

106.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$2.53 DOP 155

79.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.17 DOP 71.4

9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$1.51 DOP 92.8

22.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$1.01 DOP 62.0

57.43%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$1.32 DOP 80.6

210.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$3.82 DOP 234

198.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$5.38 DOP 329

24.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$5.38 DOP 330

100.93%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$2.42 DOP 148

-19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$0.79 DOP 48.17

92.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$1.72 DOP 105

-6.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$0.88 DOP 54.2

92.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$1.03 DOP 63.3

6.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$1.25 DOP 76.3

21.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$0.85 DOP 52.0

38.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$1.01 DOP 61.8

6.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$2.40 DOP 147

111.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$9.39 DOP 575

-36.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$2.07 DOP 127

-28.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$3.00 DOP 184

-20.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$0.97 DOP 59.2

-14.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$3.24 DOP 199

-87.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$2.28 DOP 140

-60.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$5.74 DOP 352

102.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.31 DOP 80.0

15.27%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$22.9K DOP 1.4M

-23.10%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$33.0K DOP 2.0M

-33.46%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$40.58 DOP 2,486

273.11%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$23.14 DOP 1,418

-46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$36.33 DOP 2,226

-48.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$5.00 DOP 306

49.00%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$253 DOP 15.5K

70.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$7,437 DOP 455.6K

45.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$19.30 DOP 1,182

157.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$13.03 DOP 798

122.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$86.6 DOP 5,304

-24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$123 DOP 7,528

-34.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$434 DOP 26.6K

28.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$308 DOP 18.8K

24.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$834 DOP 51.1K

20.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$669 DOP 41.0K

16.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

$328 DOP 20.1K

145.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

13.56

-60.25%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Puerto Plata: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Puerto Plata

$308 37.3% 19.9% $76

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Puerto Plata

$175 21.2% 25.9% $61

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Puerto Plata

$104 12.7% 44.9% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Puerto Plata

$100 12.1% 45.2% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Puerto Plata

$109 13.2% 7.5% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Puerto Plata

$10 * 1.2% 79.4% $39

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Puerto Plata

$19 * 2.3% 61.8% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $434 in Puerto Plata. 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 145% 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 $33.00 in Puerto Plata. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $175 – making Puerto Plata the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇩🇴 Puerto Plata

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

06:45 6:45 AM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

130,000

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Dominican Peso DOP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 DOP = 1.63 USD

100 DOP = 1.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 61.26 DOP (100 DOP = 1.63 USD). 1 EUR = 68.87 DOP (100 DOP = 1.45 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Puerto Plata 5,920 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Puerto Plata

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 Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $1,236 in Puerto Plata. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Plata, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $33.00 in Puerto Plata. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 35% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Plata, where all-in costs run around $824, than in Santiago at $1,190. In Puerto Plata it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Plata – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Plata. 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.