Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Puerto Vallarta

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index

Jump to prices

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta.

Santiago $1,206
Puerto Vallarta $1,635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,885 in Santiago versus $2,465 in Puerto Vallarta.

Santiago $1,885
Puerto Vallarta $2,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,564 in Santiago versus $3,295 in Puerto Vallarta.

Santiago $2,564
Puerto Vallarta $3,295

Living in Santiago costs roughly 26% less than in Puerto Vallarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 10% below, Puerto Vallarta is 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$13.94 MX$256

-26.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$57.4 MX$1,054

-9.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

$10.90 MX$200

-21.65%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

$4.06 MX$74.5

-21.43%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,637

$1.95 MX$35.86

-13.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$1.39 MX$25.45

-12.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$3.09 MX$56.7

36.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$4.34 MX$79.7

7.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

$1.91 MX$34.99

-30.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

$3.49 MX$64.1

-48.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

$2.02 MX$37.07

-21.78%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

$2.25 MX$41.33

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$9.93 MX$182

12.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

$11.00 MX$202

-38.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$16.15 MX$296

-33.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

$2.86 MX$52.5

-28.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

$1.54 MX$28.23

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

$1.93 MX$35.50

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

$2.12 MX$38.99

-17.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

$2.34 MX$43.02

-53.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

$3.19 MX$58.5

-52.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

$1.39 MX$25.55

-15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

$1.15 MX$21.16

-6.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

$4.48 MX$82.3

14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

$10.88 MX$200

-45.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

$1.87 MX$34.42

-17.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

$2.71 MX$49.77

-16.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

$0.62 MX$11.42

37.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

$21.37 MX$392

94.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$4.60 MX$84.4

-91.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

$3.01 MX$55.3

-72.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

$4.48 MX$82.3

166.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

$1.56 MX$28.71

-3.85%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$21.4K MX$393.8K

-15.59%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$24.7K MX$453.5K

-12.52%

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

$151 CLP 147.3K

$85.6 MX$1,572

76.45%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

$26.25 MX$482

-54.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$32.63 MX$599

-41.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$36.80 MX$676

-8.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

$15.19 MX$279

-22.84%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

$8.75 MX$161

-15.77%

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

$434 CLP 423.3K

$328 MX$6,021

32.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$6,190 MX$113.6K

77.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

$55.0 MX$1,010

-7.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

$34.89 MX$641

-16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

$103 MX$1,897

-34.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

$97.8 MX$1,796

-17.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$1,303 MX$23.9K

-57.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

$699 MX$12.8K

-46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

$2,040 MX$37.5K

-50.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

$1,145 MX$21.0K

-32.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$5,090 MX$93.4K

-47.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$2,598 MX$47.7K

0.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 771.7K

$948 MX$17.4K

-16.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.7

-53.93%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Puerto Vallarta

$699 43.2% 87.6% $326

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.5% 33.6% $79

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Puerto Vallarta

$230 14.2% 22.9% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Puerto Vallarta

$145 8.9% 20.6% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Puerto Vallarta

$131 8.1% 27.9% $29

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.7% 12.1% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4% 11.8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $555 in Santiago and $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Puerto Vallarta pays 20% 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 $57.0 in Puerto Vallarta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $316 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🕒 Local time

05:50 5:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

224,166

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Puerto Vallarta 7,040 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Puerto Vallarta

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 Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 36% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Puerto Vallarta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $555 in Santiago versus $1,303 in Puerto Vallarta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Santiago runs roughly 94% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Santiago versus $328 in Puerto Vallarta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,206 in Santiago versus $1,635 in Puerto Vallarta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in Puerto Vallarta. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santiago is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Puerto Vallarta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santiago and Puerto Vallarta 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 Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Puerto Vallarta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.