Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $34,000 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
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Reykjavik

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

A single person spends $1,206 per month in Santiago vs $4,037 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Santiago $1,206
Reykjavik $4,037

A couple spends around $1,885 per month in Santiago vs $5,666 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Santiago $1,885
Reykjavik $5,666

A family of three spends $2,564 per month in Santiago vs $7,295 in Reykjavik, rent included.

Santiago $2,564
Reykjavik $7,295

Santiago is about 70% cheaper than Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 10% below the global median, while Reykjavik is 201% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.19 CLP 9,954

$30.59 ISK 3,727

-66.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.2 CLP 51.0K

$136 ISK 16.5K

-61.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,342

$27.08 ISK 3,300

-68.46%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,122

$6.72 ISK 818

-52.53%

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

$1.68 CLP 1,641

$3.27 ISK 399

-48.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$3.16 ISK 386

-61.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.21 CLP 4,110

$13.91 ISK 1,695

-69.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 CLP 4,550

$12.06 ISK 1,469

-61.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 CLP 1,286

$2.04 ISK 248

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,760

$4.32 ISK 526

-58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,547

$3.67 ISK 447

-56.95%

Eggs

$4.25 CLP 4,151

$7.02 ISK 855

-39.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

$22.01 ISK 2,682

-49.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,596

$24.70 ISK 3,009

-72.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

$42.66 ISK 5,198

-74.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 CLP 1,995

$3.37 ISK 411

-39.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,500

$2.85 ISK 347

-46.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,553

$3.17 ISK 387

-49.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,712

$6.39 ISK 779

-72.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$4.01 ISK 489

-73.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,480

$1.64 ISK 200

-7.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$3.80 ISK 462

-69.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 CLP 1,043

$1.74 ISK 212

-38.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,027

$13.80 ISK 1,681

-62.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.88 CLP 5,745

$23.38 ISK 2,849

-74.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,516

$3.53 ISK 430

-56.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 CLP 2,223

$3.45 ISK 420

-34.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 CLP 831

$5.77 ISK 703

-85.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.6K

$95.1 ISK 11.6K

-56.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$6.63 ISK 808

-94.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 CLP 822

$2.79 ISK 340

-69.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.94 CLP 11.7K

$81.4 ISK 9,915

-85.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$2.11 ISK 257

-28.91%

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

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

$50.8K ISK 6.2M

-64.37%

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

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

$52.7K ISK 6.4M

-59.02%

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

$151 CLP 147.7K

$88.7 ISK 10.8K

70.40%

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

$12.04 CLP 11.8K

$31.53 ISK 3,842

-61.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

$84.6 ISK 10.3K

-77.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

$100 ISK 12.2K

-66.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.72 CLP 11.5K

$48.20 ISK 5,873

-75.68%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 CLP 7,202

$19.87 ISK 2,422

-62.91%

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

$434 CLP 424.3K

$1,277 ISK 155.7K

-66.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

$31.0K ISK 3.8M

-64.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 CLP 49.7K

$161 ISK 19.6K

-68.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.16 CLP 28.5K

$64.9 ISK 7,908

-55.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.4 CLP 65.8K

$183 ISK 22.3K

-63.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 CLP 78.4K

$254 ISK 30.9K

-68.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$555 CLP 542.0K

$2,499 ISK 304.6K

-77.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 364.0K

$2,000 ISK 243.7K

-81.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 CLP 986.6K

$3,452 ISK 420.6K

-70.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 CLP 760.9K

$2,742 ISK 334.2K

-71.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

$8,001 ISK 974.9K

-66.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

$6,249 ISK 761.5K

-58.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$791 CLP 773.5K

$4,691 ISK 571.6K

-83.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.81

-38.82%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$372 31.6%

Reykjavik

$2K 50.9% 437% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

Reykjavik

$625 15.9% 165% $389

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 15.9%

Reykjavik

$526 13.4% 181% $339

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.5%

Reykjavik

$205 5.2% 12.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$102 8.7%

Reykjavik

$298 7.6% 191% $196

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

Reykjavik

$139 3.5% 181% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Reykjavik

$140 3.6% 189% $92

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $555 in Santiago versus $2,499 in Reykjavik. 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 493% higher in Reykjavik, 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 $136 in Reykjavik. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $625 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

02:02 2:02 AM

3 h ahead of Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.21 USD). 1 EUR = 137 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.32 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago Reykjavik 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Reykjavik costs about 235% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,809 per month in Santiago and $6,055 in Reykjavik. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,206 in Santiago and $4,037 in Reykjavik. That's a gap of about 235%.

Public transport costs about 129% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,206, than in Reykjavik at $4,037. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Reykjavik it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Santiago costs $1,206 versus $4,037 in Reykjavik. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Reykjavik makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.