Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,076 a month against $1,183 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
52

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,076

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in San Pedro de Atacama

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 Pedro de Atacama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,183 per month in Santiago vs $1,076 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Santiago $1,183
San Pedro de Atacama $1,076

A couple spends around $1,882 per month in Santiago vs $1,633 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Santiago $1,882
San Pedro de Atacama $1,633

A family of three spends $2,581 per month in Santiago vs $2,191 in San Pedro de Atacama, rent included.

Santiago $2,581
San Pedro de Atacama $2,191

Santiago costs about 10% more than San Pedro de Atacama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Santiago and San Pedro de Atacama are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 13% lower, San Pedro de Atacama 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,995

$7.25 CLP 7,135

40.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

$44.15 CLP 43.5K

17.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.56 CLP 8,423

$8.21 CLP 8,083

4.26%

Cappuccino

$3.15 CLP 3,101

$2.81 CLP 2,771

12.10%

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

$1.71 CLP 1,685

$1.58 CLP 1,554

8.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 CLP 1,255

$1.22 CLP 1,197

4.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.18 CLP 4,118

$3.59 CLP 3,539

16.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 CLP 4,390

$4.02 CLP 3,956

10.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,269

$1.23 CLP 1,211

4.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 CLP 1,737

$1.46 CLP 1,441

20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,630

$1.70 CLP 1,674

-2.35%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,140

$3.70 CLP 3,642

13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

$10.31 CLP 10.2K

7.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.75 CLP 6,641

$6.84 CLP 6,733

-1.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

$11.47 CLP 11.3K

-6.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,927

$1.96 CLP 1,929

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$1.61 CLP 1,589

-4.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,560

$1.75 CLP 1,723

-9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,713

$1.68 CLP 1,658

3.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,075

$1.64 CLP 1,619

-33.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,509

$1.54 CLP 1,518

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$1.35 CLP 1,329

-12.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,060

$1.18 CLP 1,165

-8.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,101

$5.06 CLP 4,986

2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 CLP 6,070

$5.17 CLP 5,092

19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,511

$1.54 CLP 1,516

-0.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,325

$2.25 CLP 2,218

4.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

$0.61 CLP 601

37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 416

$0.71 CLP 700

-40.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 CLP 869

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,462

$1.43 CLP 1,403

4.20%

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

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

$17.7K CLP 17.4M

-2.62%

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

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

$19.1K CLP 18.8M

33.77%

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

$149 CLP 146.3K

$132 CLP 130.3K

12.24%

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

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

$13.60 CLP 13.4K

-10.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

$21.89 CLP 21.6K

-12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

$37.84 CLP 37.3K

-12.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

$22.99 CLP 22.6K

-49.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.32 CLP 7,208

$5.31 CLP 5,226

37.85%

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

$436 CLP 429.2K

$385 CLP 379.4K

13.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

$8,576 CLP 8.4M

27.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

$47.73 CLP 47.0K

3.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

$24.86 CLP 24.5K

17.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

$62.4 CLP 61.4K

4.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

$81.9 CLP 80.6K

-2.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CLP 545.8K

$485 CLP 477.4K

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 CLP 376.6K

$372 CLP 366.2K

2.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

$904 CLP 889.7K

10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$775 CLP 762.5K

$598 CLP 588.4K

29.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

$2,312 CLP 2.3M

17.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$778 CLP 766.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

5.01

7.58%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$383 32.3%

San Pedro de Atacama

$372 34.6% 2.8% $11

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 20%

San Pedro de Atacama

$233 21.7% 1.2% $2.9

Eating Out

Santiago

$186 15.8%

San Pedro de Atacama

$154 14.3% 17.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$180 15.2%

San Pedro de Atacama

$168 15.6% 6.6% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

San Pedro de Atacama

$98 9.1% 3.1% $3.1

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.2%

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3% 93.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

San Pedro de Atacama

$48 4.5% 1.1% $0.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Santiago versus $485 in San Pedro de Atacama. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago versus $44.00 in San Pedro de Atacama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $233 – making San Pedro de Atacama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🕒 Local time

09:36 9:36 AM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

5,347

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago San Pedro de Atacama 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
San Pedro de Atacama

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 Pedro de Atacama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,775 per month in Santiago and $1,614 in San Pedro de Atacama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $44.00 in San Pedro de Atacama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro de Atacama, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Santiago at $1,183. In San Pedro de Atacama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Pedro de Atacama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 San Pedro de Atacama. 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.