Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Quito

For one person, living is cheaper in Quito: $979 a month against $1,206 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Quito
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Quito Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Quito

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$979

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Quito

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Santiago vs $979 in Quito, rent included.

Santiago $1,206
Quito $979

A couple spends around $1,885 per month in Santiago vs $1,607 in Quito, rent included.

Santiago $1,885
Quito $1,607

A family of three spends $2,564 per month in Santiago vs $2,234 in Quito, rent included.

Santiago $2,564
Quito $2,234

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

Both Santiago and Quito are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 10% lower, Quito 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,931

$6.14 $6.14

65.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

$53.9 $53.9

-3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,323

$7.81 $7.81

9.35%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,115

$3.42 $3.42

-6.73%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,637

$1.44 $1.44

16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$1.14 $1.14

7.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,101

$3.48 $3.48

20.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,539

$5.89 $5.89

-20.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,283

$1.14 $1.14

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,756

$1.54 $1.54

16.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,543

$1.51 $1.51

4.64%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,141

$2.16 $2.16

96.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$6.40 $6.40

74.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,580

$5.48 $5.48

23.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$7.81 $7.81

36.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,991

$2.33 $2.33

-12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,497

$1.24 $1.24

23.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,549

$1.31 $1.31

21.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,708

$1.14 $1.14

53.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,051

$1.21 $1.21

-10.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,476

$1.02 $1.02

48.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,145

$0.93 $0.93

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,041

$1.05 $1.05

1.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,015

$6.02 $6.02

-14.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,732

$9.93 $9.93

-40.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,513

$1.59 $1.59

-2.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,218

$3.08 $3.08

-26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 829

$0.37 $0.37

129.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

$20.95 $20.95

98.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$1.54 $1.54

-74.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 820

$1.53 $1.53

-45.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

$10.01 $10.01

19.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,467

$0.87 $0.87

72.41%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$21.0K $21.0K

-13.73%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$28.6K $28.6K

-24.31%

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

$151 CLP 147.3K

$28.97 $28.97

421.54%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

$17.57 $17.57

-31.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$28.14 $28.14

-32.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$46.48 $46.48

-27.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

$17.70 $17.70

-33.79%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,185

$6.38 $6.38

15.52%

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

$434 CLP 423.3K

$746 $746

-41.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$9,015 $9,015

21.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

$68.8 $68.8

-26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

$50.4 $50.4

-42.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

$117 $117

-42.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

$109 $109

-26.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 540.8K

$478 $478

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 363.2K

$313 $313

18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

$967 $967

4.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 759.1K

$549 $549

41.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$1,763 $1,763

51.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$720 $720

264.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 771.7K

$597 $597

32.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

10.12

-46.74%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Quito: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Quito

$313 31.8% 15.9% $59

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Quito

$198 20.1% 16.4% $39

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Quito

$153 15.5% 18.3% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Quito

$75 7.6% 59% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Quito

$156 15.8% 51.8% $53

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Quito

$32 3.2% 36.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Quito

$59 6% 22% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Santiago versus $478 in Quito. 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 33% 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 $54.0 in Quito. Groceries tell a different story – $236 in Santiago vs $198 in Quito – so Quito wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇪🇨 Quito

🕒 Local time

08:26 8:26 AM

06:26 6:26 AM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

2,671,191 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

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Between locations

Santiago Quito 3,780 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Quito

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 Quito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Santiago and $1,468 in Quito. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 98% less in Quito. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $434 per month in Santiago and $746 in Quito. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Quito, where all-in costs run around $979, than in Santiago at $1,206. In Quito it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Quito – 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 Quito. 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.