Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Temuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Temuco: $1,064 a month against $1,163 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Temuco
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Temuco Living Index

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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,163

/mo nomad

Temuco

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Temuco

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

A single person spends $1,163 per month in Santiago vs $1,064 in Temuco, rent included.

Santiago $1,163
Temuco $1,064

A couple spends around $1,844 per month in Santiago vs $1,594 in Temuco, rent included.

Santiago $1,844
Temuco $1,594

A family of three spends $2,525 per month in Santiago vs $2,124 in Temuco, rent included.

Santiago $2,525
Temuco $2,124

Santiago costs about 9% more than Temuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Santiago and Temuco are more affordable than the global median – Santiago 15% lower, Temuco 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.93 CLP 9,866

$7.38 CLP 7,335

34.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.88 CLP 49.5K

$30.40 CLP 30.2K

64.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.64 CLP 8,585

$7.20 CLP 7,156

20.00%

Cappuccino

$3.16 CLP 3,140

$3.77 CLP 3,743

-16.18%

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

$1.65 CLP 1,642

$2.17 CLP 2,152

-23.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 CLP 1,235

$1.05 CLP 1,044

18.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 CLP 4,091

$3.56 CLP 3,539

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 CLP 4,574

$3.35 CLP 3,324

37.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,214

$1.15 CLP 1,143

6.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 CLP 1,803

$1.61 CLP 1,602

13.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,572

$1.18 CLP 1,171

33.90%

Eggs

$4.04 CLP 4,014

$3.46 CLP 3,432

16.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 CLP 10.9K

$8.27 CLP 8,215

32.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.66 CLP 6,616

$5.16 CLP 5,122

29.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.3K

$8.92 CLP 8,866

15.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 CLP 2,002

$2.08 CLP 2,063

-2.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,479

$2.08 CLP 2,066

-28.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,568

$2.03 CLP 2,021

-22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 CLP 1,704

$2.01 CLP 1,994

-14.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.04 CLP 1,037

$2.38 CLP 2,362

-56.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,499

$2.17 CLP 2,153

-30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,210

$1.49 CLP 1,481

-18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CLP 1,093

$1.17 CLP 1,166

-5.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 CLP 5,063

$4.67 CLP 4,635

9.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.93 CLP 5,891

$4.72 CLP 4,692

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,470

$1.51 CLP 1,503

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,232

$2.01 CLP 1,995

11.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 832

$0.82 CLP 810

2.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.64 CLP 40.4K

$32.91 CLP 32.7K

23.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.38 CLP 378

$0.77 CLP 766

-50.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 CLP 813

$1.48 CLP 1,474

-44.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.53 CLP 11.5K

$8.85 CLP 8,792

30.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 CLP 1,514

$1.30 CLP 1,291

16.92%

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

$16.8K CLP 16.7M

$11.9K CLP 11.8M

41.34%

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

$24.9K CLP 24.8M

$17.4K CLP 17.3M

43.36%

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

$146 CLP 144.7K

$137 CLP 136.2K

6.27%

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

$12.20 CLP 12.1K

$11.31 CLP 11.2K

7.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.80 CLP 18.7K

$22.74 CLP 22.6K

-17.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.41 CLP 32.2K

$47.54 CLP 47.2K

-31.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.68 CLP 11.6K

$45.80 CLP 45.5K

-74.50%

Cinema Ticket

$7.58 CLP 7,534

$4.42 CLP 4,392

71.49%

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

$440 CLP 436.9K

$210 CLP 208.4K

109.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.6M

$2,764 CLP 2.7M

285.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.81 CLP 48.5K

$44.54 CLP 44.2K

9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.87 CLP 28.7K

$17.35 CLP 17.2K

66.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 CLP 63.9K

$63.5 CLP 63.0K

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.9 CLP 80.4K

$82.2 CLP 81.7K

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 CLP 493.6K

$385 CLP 382.7K

28.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 370.9K

$319 CLP 316.4K

17.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 CLP 982.1K

$712 CLP 707.2K

38.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$750 CLP 745.0K

$503 CLP 499.6K

49.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,960 CLP 2.9M

$1,942 CLP 1.9M

52.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,517 CLP 2.5M

$1,632 CLP 1.6M

54.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$771 CLP 765.9K

$516 CLP 512.8K

49.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

4.8

12.29%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 25, 2026

Last update for Temuco: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$373 32.1%

Temuco

$319 29.9% 14.7% $55

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$232 19.9%

Temuco

$217 20.4% 6.4% $15

Eating Out

Santiago

$185 15.9%

Temuco

$163 15.3% 11.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$177 15.2%

Temuco

$171 16.1% 3.1% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$100 8.6%

Temuco

$93 8.8% 6.9% $6.9

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.2%

Temuco

$44 4.2% 8.5% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Temuco

$56 5.3% 18.5% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $497 in Santiago versus $385 in Temuco. 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 49% higher in Santiago. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Santiago versus $30 in Temuco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $217 – making Temuco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇱 Temuco

🕒 Local time

00:20 12:20 AM

Same time as Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

235,509

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Santiago Temuco 610 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
Temuco

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 Temuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,745 per month in Santiago and $1,596 in Temuco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Temuco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $497 in Santiago.

Public transport costs about 19% less in Temuco. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $440 per month in Santiago and $210 in Temuco. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,163 in Santiago and $1,064 in Temuco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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