Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and San Francisco de Macoris

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco de Macoris: $694 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Santiago
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,190
/mo nomad
San Francisco de Macoris
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
$694
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in San Francisco de Macoris

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 San Francisco de Macoris actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $694 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,190
  • San Francisco de Macoris $694

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $1,144 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Santiago $1,892
  • San Francisco de Macoris $1,144

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $1,595 in San Francisco de Macoris, rent included.

  • Santiago $2,595
  • San Francisco de Macoris $1,595

Santiago costs about 72% more than San Francisco de Macoris, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santiago and San Francisco de Macoris are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 12% lower, San Francisco de Macoris 49% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.37 CLP 10.2K
$9.74 DOP 595
6.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$51.7 CLP 50.9K
$49.20 DOP 3,005
5.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.94 CLP 8,803
$7.53 DOP 460
18.73%
Cappuccino
$3.26 CLP 3,211
$2.19 DOP 134
48.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.67 CLP 1,640
$1.00 DOP 61.3
67.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 CLP 1,212
$0.54 DOP 33.23
127.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.98 CLP 3,913
$2.44 DOP 149
63.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.54 CLP 4,464
$3.15 DOP 192
44.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.28 CLP 1,262
$1.39 DOP 84.9
-7.91%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 CLP 1,817
$1.47 DOP 90.0
25.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 CLP 1,567
$1.59 DOP 97.3
-
Eggs
$4.10 CLP 4,030
$2.38 DOP 146
72.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.41 CLP 11.2K
$7.16 DOP 437
59.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.69 CLP 6,585
$5.40 DOP 330
23.89%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.81 CLP 10.6K
$6.43 DOP 392
68.12%
Apples (1kg)
$1.94 CLP 1,905
$3.10 DOP 189
-37.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 CLP 1,497
$0.81 DOP 49.55
87.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.60 CLP 1,576
$2.65 DOP 162
-39.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.69 CLP 1,668
$1.84 DOP 113
-8.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.10 CLP 1,084
$1.96 DOP 120
-43.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.52 CLP 1,499
$2.17 DOP 133
-29.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 CLP 1,164
$0.99 DOP 60.4
19.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,061
$1.02 DOP 62.2
5.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.07 CLP 4,994
$5.24 DOP 320
-3.24%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.95 CLP 5,857
$10.46 DOP 639
-43.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 CLP 1,470
$2.57 DOP 157
-42.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 CLP 2,342
$2.99 DOP 183
-20.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 CLP 820
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.14 CLP 39.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.40 CLP 393
$3.24 DOP 198
-87.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.91 CLP 896
$2.27 DOP 139
-59.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.63 CLP 11.4K
$5.60 DOP 342
107.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.51 CLP 1,486
$1.45 DOP 88.3
4.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.6K CLP 17.3M
$23.4K DOP 1.4M
-24.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$22.0K CLP 21.6M
$33.2K DOP 2.0M
-33.73%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 CLP 149.0K
$91.2 DOP 5,569
66.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.34 CLP 12.1K
$31.66 DOP 1,934
-61.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.73 CLP 18.4K
$36.44 DOP 2,226
-48.60%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.71 CLP 33.2K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$11.80 CLP 11.6K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.45 CLP 7,332
$7.28 DOP 445
2.34%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$430 CLP 423.6K
$250 DOP 15.3K
72.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.8K CLP 10.6M
$7,404 DOP 452.2K
45.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.65 CLP 48.9K
$45.90 DOP 2,803
8.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.94 CLP 28.5K
$46.47 DOP 2,838
-37.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.7 CLP 64.6K
$84.8 DOP 5,181
-22.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$80.7 CLP 79.4K
$123 DOP 7,537
-34.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$559 CLP 550.2K
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$384 CLP 377.7K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 CLP 988.2K
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$780 CLP 767.7K
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,640 CLP 2.6M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,546 CLP 2.5M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Santiago
San Francisco de Macoris
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$804 CLP 790.8K
-
-
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 San Francisco de Macoris: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Santiago
$384
San Francisco de Macoris
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Santiago
$236
San Francisco de Macoris
$219 7.4% $17
Eating Out
Santiago
$189
San Francisco de Macoris
$152 20% $38
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Santiago
$182
San Francisco de Macoris
$159 12.7% $23
Clothing & Footwear
Santiago
$101
San Francisco de Macoris
$135 33.6% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Santiago
$49
San Francisco de Macoris
$15 * 70% $34
Getting Around
Santiago
$48
San Francisco de Macoris
$15 * 69.9% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago versus $49.00 in San Francisco de Macoris. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $219 – making San Francisco de Macoris the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Santiago
🇩🇴 San Francisco de Macoris
🕒 Local time
17:00 5:00 PM
16:00 4:00 PM
1 h behind Santiago
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,139,087 Capital
245,397
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DOP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,102 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

Dominican Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 61.07 DOP (100 DOP = 1.64 USD). 1 EUR = 68.39 DOP (100 DOP = 1.46 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Santiago San Francisco de Macoris 5,860 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Santiago
  • San Francisco de Macoris

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 San Francisco de Macoris: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Santiago or San Francisco de Macoris?
Santiago costs about 72% more than San Francisco de Macoris, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Santiago and in San Francisco de Macoris?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $1,041 in San Francisco de Macoris. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do dining costs compare in Santiago and in San Francisco de Macoris?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $49.00 in San Francisco de Macoris. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Santiago or in San Francisco de Macoris?
Groceries cost about 8% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Santiago or in San Francisco de Macoris?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Francisco de Macoris, where all-in costs run around $694, than in Santiago at $1,190. In San Francisco de Macoris it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward San Francisco de Macoris – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Santiago or to San Francisco de Macoris?
If budget matters most, go with San Francisco de Macoris. 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.

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