Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,684 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,684

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in San Juan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,684 in San Juan.

Santiago $1,190
San Juan $1,684

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Santiago versus $2,772 in San Juan.

Santiago $1,892
San Juan $2,772

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Santiago versus $3,861 in San Juan.

Santiago $2,595
San Juan $3,861

Living in Santiago costs roughly 29% less than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 12% below, San Juan is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$12.36 ₡5,541

-16.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$61.3 ₡27.5K

-15.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$11.46 ₡5,139

-21.99%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$4.42 ₡1,982

-26.24%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$2.77 ₡1,240

-39.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$1.94 ₡870

-36.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$3.31 ₡1,483

20.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$4.45 ₡1,996

2.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$2.34 ₡1,052

-45.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$3.18 ₡1,425

-41.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$2.51 ₡1,125

-36.65%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$3.46 ₡1,551

18.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$10.66 ₡4,782

7.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$10.33 ₡4,633

-35.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$13.90 ₡6,233

-22.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$4.97 ₡2,230

-60.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.59 ₡714

-4.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$4.64 ₡2,079

-65.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$3.95 ₡1,771

-57.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$3.86 ₡1,731

-71.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$3.75 ₡1,684

-59.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.07 ₡479

10.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$3.08 ₡1,379

-64.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$6.00 ₡2,691

-15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$19.72 ₡8,844

-69.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$2.76 ₡1,236

-46.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$3.69 ₡1,654

-35.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$1.37 ₡614

-39.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.41 ₡1,079

-83.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$1.54 ₡693

-40.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$8.58 ₡3,849

35.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.55 ₡695

-2.58%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$21.6K ₡9.7M

-18.76%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$34.9K ₡15.6M

-36.94%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$96.4 ₡43.2K

57.11%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$35.06 ₡15.7K

-64.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$59.3 ₡26.6K

-68.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$66.9 ₡30.0K

-49.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$7.50 ₡3,362

-0.67%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$1,001 ₡449.1K

-57.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$16.9K ₡7.6M

-35.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$70.9 ₡31.8K

-29.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$55.3 ₡24.8K

-47.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$126 ₡56.6K

-47.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$134 ₡60.2K

-39.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$717 ₡321.3K

-21.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$593 ₡266.1K

-35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$1,850 ₡829.6K

-45.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$1,386 ₡621.4K

-43.70%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

8.62

-37.47%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

San Juan

$593 35.2% 54.6% $209

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

San Juan

$398 23.6% 68.7% $162

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

San Juan

$231 13.7% 21.7% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

San Juan

$191 11.3% 4.5% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

San Juan

$174 10.3% 71.9% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

San Juan

$82 4.9% 68.5% $33

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

San Juan

$16 * 0.9% 67.8% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santiago and $717 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $61.0 in San Juan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $398 per month, with Santiago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

11:40 11:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

27,000

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, 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).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santiago San Juan 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
San Juan

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 Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santiago and San Juan differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($1,190 vs $1,684 including rent). Santiago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Santiago and $2,526 in San Juan to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Santiago versus $717 in San Juan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Santiago versus $1,001 in San Juan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $61.0 in San Juan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,684 in San Juan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in San Juan. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Santiago and San Juan 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 42% less than in San Juan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.