Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,206 a month against $2,994 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$2,994

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in South Portland, ME and in Santiago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in South Portland, ME and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,994 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,206 in Santiago, rent included.

South Portland, ME $2,994
Santiago $1,206

A couple spends around $4,563 per month in South Portland, ME vs $1,885 in Santiago, rent included.

South Portland, ME $4,563
Santiago $1,885

A family of three spends $6,131 per month in South Portland, ME vs $2,564 in Santiago, rent included.

South Portland, ME $6,131
Santiago $2,564

South Portland, ME costs about 148% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

South Portland, ME sits 123% above the global median, while Santiago is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.56 $24.56

$10.19 CLP 9,931

141.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$52.2 CLP 50.9K

129.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.81 $14.81

$8.54 CLP 8,323

73.42%

Cappuccino

$5.13 $5.13

$3.19 CLP 3,115

60.82%

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

$3.03 $3.03

$1.68 CLP 1,637

80.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.22 CLP 1,191

94.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$4.21 CLP 4,101

86.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.66 CLP 4,539

72.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.32 CLP 1,283

-21.97%

White Bread (500g)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.80 CLP 1,756

153.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.23 $7.23

$1.58 CLP 1,543

357.59%

Eggs

$3.93 $3.93

$4.25 CLP 4,141

-7.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.46 $15.46

$11.19 CLP 10.9K

38.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.02 $10.02

$6.75 CLP 6,580

48.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.91 $15.91

$10.67 CLP 10.4K

49.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.04 CLP 1,991

148.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.53 CLP 1,497

11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.59 CLP 1,549

242.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$1.75 CLP 1,708

321.71%

Potato (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.08 CLP 1,051

312.96%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.51 CLP 1,476

148.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.17 CLP 1,145

158.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.07 CLP 1,041

135.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 $11.11

$5.14 CLP 5,015

116.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$5.88 CLP 5,732

151.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.55 CLP 1,513

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.27 CLP 2,218

14.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$0.85 CLP 829

143.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.50 CLP 40.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.39 CLP 383

425.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.84 CLP 820

88.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 $11.11

$11.94 CLP 11.6K

-6.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.50 CLP 1,467

-27.33%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$18.1K CLP 17.7M

99.20%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$21.6K CLP 21.1M

16.20%

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

$239 $239

$151 CLP 147.3K

57.91%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$12.04 CLP 11.7K

480.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$18.93 CLP 18.5K

312.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.0 $61.0

$33.81 CLP 33.0K

80.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.63 $29.63

$11.72 CLP 11.4K

152.82%

Cinema Ticket

$15.21 $15.21

$7.37 CLP 7,185

106.38%

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

$402 $402

$434 CLP 423.3K

-7.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K $15.2K

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

38.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$50.9 CLP 49.6K

2.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.3 $52.3

$29.16 CLP 28.4K

79.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$67.4 CLP 65.7K

53.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$80.3 CLP 78.2K

67.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,933 $1,933

$555 CLP 540.8K

248.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,521 $1,521

$372 CLP 363.2K

308.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,149 $3,149

$1,009 CLP 984.3K

211.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,643 $2,643

$779 CLP 759.1K

239.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,801 $2,801

$2,671 CLP 2.6M

4.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$2,622 CLP 2.6M

-8.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,254 $4,254

$791 CLP 771.7K

437.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

5.39

23.38%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 3, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.7%

Santiago

$372 31.6% 75.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.9%

Santiago

$236 20% 47.1% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$387 12.9%

Santiago

$182 15.5% 52.9% $205

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$379 12.7%

Santiago

$187 15.9% 50.6% $192

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$154 5.1%

Santiago

$102 8.7% 33.5% $52

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$91 3.1%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 46.9% $43

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$18 * 0.6%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 172% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,933 in South Portland, ME versus $555 in Santiago. 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 438% higher in South Portland, ME, 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 $120 in South Portland, ME versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $446 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

03:59 3:59 AM

1 h ahead of South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

South Portland, ME Santiago 8,570 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
Santiago

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

South Portland, ME vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – South Portland, ME is pricier by about 148%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,491 per month in South Portland, ME and $1,809 in Santiago. 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,994 in South Portland, ME and $1,206 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 148%.

Kindergarten costs $402 per month in South Portland, ME and $434 in Santiago. 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 $1,206, than in South Portland, ME at $2,994. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in South Portland, ME 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.

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 Santiago. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, South Portland, ME makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.