Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Sydney, NS

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,144 a month against $1,620 in Sydney, NS, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Sydney, NS
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Sydney, NS Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,144

/mo nomad

Sydney, NS

🇨🇦 Canada

$1,620

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Sydney, NS

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

A single person spends $1,144 per month in Santiago vs $1,620 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Santiago $1,144
Sydney, NS $1,620

A couple spends around $1,851 per month in Santiago vs $2,580 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Santiago $1,851
Sydney, NS $2,580

A family of three spends $2,558 per month in Santiago vs $3,539 in Sydney, NS, rent included.

Santiago $2,558
Sydney, NS $3,539

Santiago is about 29% cheaper than Sydney, NS, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Santiago sits 15% below the global median, while Sydney, NS is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.15 CLP 9,938

$11.58 CA$16.29

-12.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.6K

$63.3 CA$89.0

-18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.93 CLP 8,744

$7.29 CA$10.25

22.50%

Cappuccino

$3.19 CLP 3,128

$2.80 CA$3.93

13.93%

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

$1.66 CLP 1,625

$2.23 CA$3.14

-25.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CLP 1,242

$2.09 CA$2.93

-39.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,901

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 CLP 4,597

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 CLP 1,243

$2.51 CA$3.53

-49.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,815

$2.57 CA$3.62

-28.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,625

$2.48 CA$3.48

-33.06%

Eggs

$4.19 CLP 4,103

$3.29 CA$4.63

27.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.13 CLP 10.9K

$6.61 CA$9.29

68.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.96 CLP 6,819

$8.45 CA$11.88

-17.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 CLP 10.5K

$13.02 CA$18.31

-17.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 CLP 1,961

$7.36 CA$10.35

-72.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 CLP 1,525

$1.12 CA$1.57

39.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 CLP 1,600

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 CLP 1,720

$1.41 CA$1.99

24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 CLP 1,108

$0.99 CA$1.39

14.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,518

$2.13 CA$3.00

-27.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 CLP 1,237

$6.28 CA$8.83

-79.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,059

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.22 CLP 5,113

$17.99 CA$25.31

-70.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 CLP 5,745

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,453

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 CLP 2,313

$4.17 CA$5.87

-43.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 CLP 793

$1.09 CA$1.53

-25.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.61 CLP 40.7K

$48.78 CA$68.6

-14.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 CLP 383

$4.27 CA$6.00

-90.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 CLP 848

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.52 CLP 11.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 CLP 1,470

$1.16 CA$1.63

29.31%

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

$16.7K CLP 16.4M

$26.4K CA$37.1K

-36.58%

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

$25.5K CLP 24.9M

$19.0K CA$26.7K

34.08%

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

$148 CLP 145.0K

$88.8 CA$125

66.79%

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

$12.00 CLP 11.8K

$36.35 CA$51.1

-66.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.81 CLP 18.4K

$73.3 CA$103

-74.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.43 CLP 31.8K

$49.08 CA$69.0

-33.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.82 CLP 11.6K

$3.51 CA$4.93

236.75%

Cinema Ticket

$7.80 CLP 7,636

$7.02 CA$9.87

11.11%

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

$449 CLP 439.3K

$721 CA$1,014

-37.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K CLP 13.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CLP 49.6K

$70.1 CA$98.6

-27.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.88 CLP 28.3K

$66.1 CA$92.9

-56.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.5 CLP 64.2K

$99.3 CA$140

-34.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 CLP 78.2K

$109 CA$153

-26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$522 CLP 511.3K

$913 CA$1,284

-42.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 CLP 334.0K

$715 CA$1,005

-52.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CLP 1.0M

$1,789 CA$2,515

-42.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 CLP 729.9K

$1,418 CA$1,994

-47.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 CLP 2.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,597 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$826 CLP 809.1K

$2,553 CA$3,590

-67.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.31

5.8

-8.45%

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

Last update for Santiago: November 2, 2026

Last update for Sydney, NS: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$341 29.8%

Sydney, NS

$715 44.1% 110% $373

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$238 20.8%

Sydney, NS

$266 * 16.4% 11.9% $28

Eating Out

Santiago

$187 16.4%

Sydney, NS

$165 * 10.2% 11.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$179 15.6%

Sydney, NS

$198 12.3% 10.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.9%

Sydney, NS

$155 9.6% 53.2% $54

Getting Around

Santiago

$50 4.3%

Sydney, NS

$57 * 3.5% 15.8% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Sydney, NS

$63 3.9% 31.4% $15

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $522 in Santiago versus $913 in Sydney, NS. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Sydney, NS are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $52 in Santiago versus $63 in Sydney, NS. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $238 vs $266 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇦 Sydney, NS

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

1 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

30,960

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.09 EUR

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 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 November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 979 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,100 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.09 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santiago Sydney, NS 8,910 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Sydney, NS

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 Sydney, NS: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sydney, NS is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,716 per month in Santiago and $2,430 in Sydney, NS. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $522 there versus $913 in Sydney, NS.

Public transport costs about 15% less in Santiago. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $449 per month in Santiago and $721 in Sydney, NS. 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 $1,144, than in Sydney, NS at $1,620. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Sydney, NS 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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sydney, NS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.