Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and St. Thomas

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $2,432 in St. Thomas, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in St. Thomas
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St. Thomas Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

St. Thomas

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,432

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in St. Thomas

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

A single person spends $1,190 per month in Santiago vs $2,432 in St. Thomas, rent included.

Santiago $1,190
St. Thomas $2,432

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Santiago vs $3,274 in St. Thomas, rent included.

Santiago $1,892
St. Thomas $3,274

A family of three spends $2,595 per month in Santiago vs $4,117 in St. Thomas, rent included.

Santiago $2,595
St. Thomas $4,117

Santiago is about 51% cheaper than St. Thomas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Santiago sits 12% below the global median, while St. Thomas is 80% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$21.05 CA$29.92

-50.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$62.6 CA$89.0

-17.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,810

$11.38 CA$16.18

-21.44%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,213

$3.32 CA$4.71

-1.81%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,641

$2.19 CA$3.12

-23.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,213

$1.59 CA$2.25

-22.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,916

$5.02 CA$7.14

-20.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,467

$5.89 CA$8.37

-22.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$2.08 CA$2.96

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,818

$2.61 CA$3.70

-29.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,568

$3.73 CA$5.30

-57.37%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,034

$3.09 CA$4.39

32.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$9.94 CA$14.13

14.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,590

$15.43 CA$21.92

-56.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$19.20 CA$27.29

-43.70%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,906

$3.86 CA$5.49

-49.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,498

$1.24 CA$1.76

22.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$3.49 CA$4.97

-54.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,669

$3.97 CA$5.64

-57.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,085

$3.36 CA$4.78

-67.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,501

$3.07 CA$4.36

-50.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,165

$2.85 CA$4.06

-58.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,062

$1.46 CA$2.07

-26.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,998

$10.98 CA$15.61

-53.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,861

$12.74 CA$18.10

-53.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,471

$2.40 CA$3.41

-37.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,344

$2.78 CA$3.95

-14.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$2.25 CA$3.20

-63.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

$58.7 CA$83.4

-31.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$2.30 CA$3.27

-82.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$1.62 CA$2.30

-43.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$21.70 CA$30.85

-46.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,487

$1.13 CA$1.60

33.63%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$28.0K CA$39.8K

-37.30%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.7M

$19.7K CA$28.0K

11.54%

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

$151 CLP 149.1K

$123 CA$175

22.72%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.2K

$42.76 CA$60.8

-71.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$55.5 CA$78.8

-66.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$44.43 CA$63.1

-24.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$20.32 CA$28.87

-41.93%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,338

$10.33 CA$14.69

-27.88%

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

$430 CLP 423.9K

$399 CA$567

7.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$16.7K CA$23.7K

-35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$53.5 CA$76.1

-7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$35.84 CA$50.9

-19.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.7K

$82.2 CA$117

-20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.5K

$90.6 CA$129

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.7K

$1,148 CA$1,631

-51.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 378.0K

$1,267 CA$1,801

-69.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 989.0K

$1,794 CA$2,550

-44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 768.3K

$1,470 CA$2,089

-46.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

$4,187 CA$5,951

-36.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

$3,561 CA$5,061

-28.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.4K

$2,970 CA$4,221

-72.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.99

8.02%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for St. Thomas: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

St. Thomas

$1.3K 52.1% 230% $884

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

St. Thomas

$387 15.9% 64.2% $151

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

St. Thomas

$294 12.1% 55.4% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

St. Thomas

$222 9.1% 21.4% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

St. Thomas

$118 4.9% 16.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

St. Thomas

$65 2.7% 33.9% $16

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

St. Thomas

$78 3.2% 61.2% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $1,148 in St. Thomas. 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 270% higher in St. Thomas, 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 $63.0 in St. Thomas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $387 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇦 St. Thomas

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

22:21 10:21 PM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

38,909

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

1 CAD = 0.704 USD

1 CAD = 0.628 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.628 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago St. Thomas 8,540 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
St. Thomas

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 St. Thomas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – St. Thomas is pricier by about 104%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,785 per month in Santiago and $3,648 in St. Thomas. 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.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $430 per month in Santiago and $399 in St. Thomas. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Santiago, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in St. Thomas at $2,432. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in St. Thomas 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, St. Thomas makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.