Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Starkville, MS and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,183 a month against $1,796 in Starkville, MS, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in Starkville, MS
Learn more

Starkville, MS Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index

Jump to prices

Starkville, MS

🇺🇸 United States

$1,796

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,183

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Starkville, MS 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 Starkville, MS and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,796 per month in Starkville, MS vs $1,183 in Santiago, rent included.

Starkville, MS $1,796
Santiago $1,183

A couple spends around $2,733 per month in Starkville, MS vs $1,882 in Santiago, rent included.

Starkville, MS $2,733
Santiago $1,882

A family of three spends $3,669 per month in Starkville, MS vs $2,581 in Santiago, rent included.

Starkville, MS $3,669
Santiago $2,581

Starkville, MS costs about 52% more than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Starkville, MS sits 33% above the global median, while Santiago is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.85 $14.85

$10.15 CLP 9,995

46.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.8 $59.8

$51.9 CLP 51.1K

15.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 $8.46

$8.56 CLP 8,423

-1.17%

Cappuccino

$4.27 $4.27

$3.15 CLP 3,101

35.56%

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

$2.38 $2.38

$1.71 CLP 1,685

39.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.28 CLP 1,255

44.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.18 CLP 4,118

-5.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$4.46 CLP 4,390

55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.29 CLP 1,269

-31.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.76 CLP 1,737

81.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.66 CLP 1,630

61.45%

Eggs

$4.21 $4.21

$4.21 CLP 4,140

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.34 $9.34

$11.08 CLP 10.9K

-15.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.36 $11.36

$6.75 CLP 6,641

68.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.76 CLP 10.6K

39.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.96 CLP 1,927

94.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.54 CLP 1,518

-9.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.58 CLP 1,560

118.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.74 CLP 1,713

69.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.09 CLP 1,075

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.53 CLP 1,509

43.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.18 CLP 1,163

81.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.08 CLP 1,060

77.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.41 $8.41

$5.18 CLP 5,101

62.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.11 $10.11

$6.17 CLP 6,070

63.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.53 CLP 1,511

6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.36 CLP 2,325

39.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 CLP 824

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.44 CLP 40.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 $4.41

$0.42 CLP 416

950.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.88 CLP 869

112.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.98 $32.98

$11.49 CLP 11.3K

187.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.49 CLP 1,462

-41.61%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$17.2K CLP 17.0M

76.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.6K CLP 25.2M

0.41%

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

$169 $169

$149 CLP 146.3K

13.91%

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

$30.57 $30.57

$12.11 CLP 11.9K

152.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.3 $52.3

$19.13 CLP 18.8K

173.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.28 $17.28

$33.30 CLP 32.8K

-48.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.51 CLP 11.3K

Cinema Ticket

$8.19 $8.19

$7.32 CLP 7,208

11.89%

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

$1,534 $1,534

$436 CLP 429.2K

251.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,370 $8,370

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

-23.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$49.17 CLP 48.4K

47.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.2 $52.2

$29.11 CLP 28.7K

79.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.9 $86.9

$65.5 CLP 64.5K

32.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 $168

$80.1 CLP 78.9K

110.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$942 $942

$554 CLP 545.8K

69.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 $748

$383 CLP 376.6K

95.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,002 CLP 986.5K

58.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 $1,349

$775 CLP 762.5K

74.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,125 $2,125

$2,708 CLP 2.7M

-21.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,183 $2,183

$2,613 CLP 2.6M

-16.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,273 $4,273

$778 CLP 766.3K

448.91%

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 Starkville, MS: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Starkville, MS

$748 41.6%

Santiago

$383 32.3% 48.9% $366

Groceries & Markets

Starkville, MS

$332 18.5%

Santiago

$236 20% 28.8% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Starkville, MS

$252 14%

Santiago

$180 15.2% 28.7% $72

Eating Out

Starkville, MS

$246 13.7%

Santiago

$186 15.8% 24.2% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Starkville, MS

$171 9.5%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 41.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Starkville, MS

$34 1.9%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 42.5% $14

Getting Around

Starkville, MS

$14 * 0.8%

Santiago

$50 4.2% 260% $36

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $942 in Starkville, MS versus $554 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 449% higher in Starkville, MS, 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 $60.0 in Starkville, MS versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $236 – making Santiago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Starkville, MS

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

06:57 6:57 AM

2 h ahead of Starkville, MS

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,638

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Starkville, MS Santiago 7,680 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Starkville, MS
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

Starkville, MS vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Starkville, MS is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,695 per month in Starkville, MS and $1,775 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 $1,796 in Starkville, MS and $1,183 in Santiago. That's a gap of about 52%.

Kindergarten costs $1,534 per month in Starkville, MS and $436 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 $1,183, than in Starkville, MS at $1,796. In Santiago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Starkville, MS 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, Starkville, MS makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.