Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tena and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Tena: $831 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

41

Cost of Living Index in Tena
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Tena Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Tena

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$831

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $831 per month in Tena vs $1,190 in Santiago, rent included.

Tena $831
Santiago $1,190

A couple spends around $1,425 per month in Tena vs $1,892 in Santiago, rent included.

Tena $1,425
Santiago $1,892

A family of three spends $2,018 per month in Tena vs $2,595 in Santiago, rent included.

Tena $2,018
Santiago $2,595

Tena is about 30% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Tena and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Tena 38% lower, Santiago 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.03 $6.03

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

-41.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.9 $54.9

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

6.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 $7.61

$8.94 CLP 8,805

-14.88%

Cappuccino

$3.39 $3.39

$3.26 CLP 3,211

3.99%

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

$1.38 $1.38

$1.67 CLP 1,640

-17.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.23 CLP 1,212

-10.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-13.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.54 CLP 4,465

34.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.28 CLP 1,263

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.85 CLP 1,817

-17.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.59 CLP 1,567

-1.89%

Eggs

$2.16 $2.16

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-47.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

-43.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$6.69 CLP 6,586

-15.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 $7.77

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

-28.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.94 CLP 1,905

14.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.52 CLP 1,497

-22.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.60 CLP 1,577

-20.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.69 CLP 1,668

-33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.10 CLP 1,084

8.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.52 CLP 1,500

-29.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.18 CLP 1,164

-22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.08 CLP 1,061

-2.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.87 $5.87

$5.07 CLP 4,995

15.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.91 $9.91

$5.95 CLP 5,858

66.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.49 CLP 1,470

6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.38 CLP 2,342

33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.33 $0.33

$0.83 CLP 821

-60.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.94 $16.94

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

-57.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.40 CLP 393

277.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.91 CLP 897

-16.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 $9.95

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

-14.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-47.02%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

21.01%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

29.68%

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

$29.16 $29.16

$151 CLP 149.0K

-80.74%

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

$17.66 $17.66

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

43.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.72 $28.72

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

53.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.43 $32.43

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

-3.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.44 $15.44

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

30.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.45 $6.45

$7.45 CLP 7,334

-13.42%

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

$226 $226

$430 CLP 423.7K

-47.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,840 $8,840

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

-18.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

40.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

74.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

73.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

31.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 $300

$559 CLP 550.4K

-46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 $186

$384 CLP 377.8K

-51.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 $728

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

-27.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 $417

$780 CLP 767.9K

-46.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,120 $1,120

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

-57.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$717 $717

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

-71.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

5.39

87.76%

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

Last update for Tena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Tena

$197 23.8%

Santiago

$236 19.8% 19.6% $39

Accommodation & Living

Tena

$186 22.3%

Santiago

$384 32.3% 107% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Tena

$153 18.4%

Santiago

$101 8.5% 33.8% $52

Eating Out

Tena

$151 18.2%

Santiago

$189 15.9% 25.4% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tena

$76 9.1%

Santiago

$182 15.3% 142% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Tena

$45 5.5%

Santiago

$49 4.1% 7.2% $3.3

Getting Around

Tena

$24 2.8%

Santiago

$48 4.1% 106% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $300 in Tena versus $559 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Tena versus $52.0 in Santiago. Groceries tell a different story – $197 in Tena vs $236 in Santiago – so Tena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Tena

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

22:37 10:37 PM

2 h ahead of Tena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,669

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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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

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Between locations

Tena Santiago 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Tena
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

Tena vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,247 per month in Tena and $1,785 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 137% less in Tena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $226 per month in Tena and $430 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 Tena, where all-in costs run around $831, than in Santiago at $1,190. In Tena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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