Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and San Rafael

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,732 in San Rafael, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 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 Rafael
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San Rafael Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $1,732 in San Rafael, rent included.

Santiago $1,190
San Rafael $1,732

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $2,736 in San Rafael, rent included.

Santiago $1,892
San Rafael $2,736

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $3,739 in San Rafael, rent included.

Santiago $2,595
San Rafael $3,739

Santiago is about 31% cheaper than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 12% below the global median, while San Rafael is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$12.25 ₡5,496

-15.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$61.7 ₡27.7K

-16.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$11.42 ₡5,119

-21.72%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$4.40 ₡1,973

-25.91%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$2.73 ₡1,225

-38.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$1.87 ₡841

-34.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$3.37 ₡1,510

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$4.54 ₡2,038

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$2.33 ₡1,044

-45.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$3.02 ₡1,352

-38.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$2.42 ₡1,084

-34.30%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$3.52 ₡1,580

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$10.51 ₡4,712

8.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$10.25 ₡4,597

-34.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$14.22 ₡6,378

-23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$5.09 ₡2,282

-61.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.57 ₡704

-3.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$4.68 ₡2,098

-65.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$3.86 ₡1,730

-56.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$3.88 ₡1,741

-71.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$3.69 ₡1,653

-58.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.09 ₡488

8.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$3.13 ₡1,403

-65.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$6.11 ₡2,739

-17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$20.14 ₡9,031

-70.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$2.80 ₡1,254

-46.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$3.58 ₡1,606

-33.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$1.18 ₡527

-29.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.51 ₡1,124

-84.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$1.57 ₡703

-42.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$8.48 ₡3,803

37.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.54 ₡692

-1.95%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

-21.27%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$35.5K ₡15.9M

-38.13%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$93.5 ₡41.9K

61.97%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$36.26 ₡16.3K

-65.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$58.4 ₡26.2K

-67.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$63.0 ₡28.3K

-46.50%

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

$991 ₡444.6K

-56.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$16.8K ₡7.5M

-35.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

-29.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$55.6 ₡25.0K

-47.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$129 ₡58.0K

-49.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$133 ₡59.5K

-39.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$740 ₡332.0K

-24.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$649 ₡291.2K

-40.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$2,069 ₡927.9K

-51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$1,274 ₡571.5K

-38.79%

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 Rafael: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

San Rafael

$649 37.5% 69.2% $266

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

San Rafael

$398 23% 68.6% $162

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

San Rafael

$229 13.2% 21.1% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

San Rafael

$188 10.9% 3.1% $5.7

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

San Rafael

$175 10.1% 72.5% $73

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

San Rafael

$78 4.5% 60.5% $29

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

San Rafael

$15 * 0.9% 68.9% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $740 in San Rafael. 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 $62.0 in San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $398 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

07:52 7:52 AM

04:52 4:52 AM

3 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

30,000

💱 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 Rafael 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,190 in Santiago, $1,732 in San Rafael – roughly 46% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $2,599 in San Rafael. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52.0 in Santiago and $62.0 in San Rafael. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in San Rafael, 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 Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in San Rafael at $1,732. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santiago – 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 Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Rafael makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.