Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Chile

Name: Chile
Address: CL

For one person, living is cheaper in Chile: $1,054 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Chile
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Chile Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,054

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Chile

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in the United States versus $1,054 in Chile.

United States $2,701
Chile $1,054

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,980 in the United States versus $1,637 in Chile.

United States $3,980
Chile $1,637

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,258 in the United States versus $2,219 in Chile.

United States $5,258
Chile $2,219

Living in the United States is roughly 156% more expensive than in Chile on average.

The United States (100% above) and Chile (22% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$8.38 CLP 8,249

137.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$46.37 CLP 45.6K

74.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.99 CLP 6,884

72.68%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.87 CLP 2,827

93.38%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$1.32 CLP 1,295

102.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.03 CLP 1,015

102.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.65 CLP 3,595

63.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.76 $7.76

$4.01 CLP 3,947

93.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.19 CLP 1,172

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.62 CLP 1,592

119.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.52 CLP 1,500

205.26%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$3.44 CLP 3,385

21.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 $12.76

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.63 $12.63

$6.02 CLP 5,930

109.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$10.69 CLP 10.5K

61.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.85 CLP 1,821

178.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.66 CLP 1,637

-1.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.58 CLP 1,555

182.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.66 CLP 1,632

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.11 CLP 1,089

155.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.36 CLP 1,339

127.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.17 CLP 1,152

87.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.19 CLP 1,173

90.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$5.07 CLP 4,993

109.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.71 $14.71

$5.18 CLP 5,103

183.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.37 CLP 1,346

53.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.10 CLP 2,066

81.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.76 CLP 747

209.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.1 $64.1

$38.03 CLP 37.4K

68.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 $3.57

$0.80 CLP 789

346.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.24 CLP 1,223

49.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$12.15 CLP 12.0K

148.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.42 CLP 1,396

-24.65%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

100.48%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$19.5K CLP 19.2M

33.06%

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

$217 $217

$114 CLP 112.7K

89.24%

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

$61.4 $61.4

$12.10 CLP 11.9K

407.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.4 $74.4

$22.34 CLP 22.0K

233.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.08 $45.08

$35.36 CLP 34.8K

27.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.07 $23.07

$14.48 CLP 14.3K

59.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.79 $14.79

$6.23 CLP 6,136

137.40%

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

$1,480 $1,480

$343 CLP 337.6K

331.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.5K $25.5K

$6,665 CLP 6.6M

281.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 $53.0

$43.26 CLP 42.6K

22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$26.90 CLP 26.5K

58.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$59.3 CLP 58.3K

59.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$71.8 CLP 70.7K

60.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$437 CLP 430.0K

284.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,313 $1,313

$339 CLP 333.9K

287.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,649 $2,649

$750 CLP 738.2K

253.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$586 CLP 576.4K

272.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,374 $3,374

$2,302 CLP 2.3M

46.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$1,993 CLP 2.0M

33.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 $4,404

$657 CLP 646.3K

570.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.15

27.18%

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

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Last update for Chile: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.6%

Chile

$339 32.2% 74.2% $974

Groceries & Markets

United States

$411 15.2%

Chile

$221 21% 46.1% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$352 13%

Chile

$149 14.1% 57.7% $203

Eating Out

United States

$327 12.1%

Chile

$158 15% 51.6% $168

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5.1%

Chile

$91 8.6% 34.1% $47

Getting Around

United States

$86 3.2%

Chile

$48 4.6% 44.3% $38

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Chile

$48 4.5% 35.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,609 in the United States, $331 in Chile. Capital cities: $2,730 in Washington, DC vs $559 in Santiago.

National salary averages: $4,533 in the United States, $699 in Chile. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 386% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 121% more in the United States.

Public transport is 200% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are 548% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇱 Chile

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

1 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

19,458,000

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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United States Chile 7,870 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Chile: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $1,054 per month in Chile and $2,701 in the United States, there's a 156% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is cheaper in Chile: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 in the United States and $331 in Chile. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

In Chile, $1,500 covers most cities easily; in the United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Chile wins on affordability; the United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.