Cost of living in Santiago
The most functional institutions in South America, with a metro to match — winter smog in the valley is the trade.
Build your own budget
Monthly spending by category: Housing $700, Food $548, Transport $58, Utilities $111, Healthcare $22, Lifestyle $139, Other $70.
1-bed, city centre Median advertised rent for this unit type Estimated $700
Salary and tax in Santiago
| Gross salary (USD/yr) | Income tax | Social contributions | Take-home / month | Effective rate | Left after costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | $2,034 | $8,000 | $2,497 | 25.1% | $849 |
| $75,000 | $9,382 | $8,124 | $4,791 | 23.3% | $3,143 |
| $120,000 | $24,424 | $8,124 | $7,288 | 27.1% | $5,639 |
| $200,000 | $52,424 | $8,124 | $11,621 | 30.3% | $9,973 |
- UTA-indexed brackets approximated in pesos.
People who actually live in Santiago
Quality of life
A year of weather in Santiago
Average monthly temperature in Santiago: January 22.3 degrees, February 23.2 degrees, March 20.9 degrees, April 16.8 degrees, May 12.6 degrees, June 11.1 degrees, July 11.3 degrees, August 11.2 degrees, September 13 degrees, October 15.9 degrees, November 17.8 degrees, December 20.6 degrees. The shaded band is the average daily high and low.
Where these numbers come from
Share of this budget, weighted by money rather than by field count, that rests on a published source rather than our model.
- Measured0%
- Taken directly from a published source. No modelling in between.
- Derived46%
- Anchored to a measured source, then adjusted. The adjustment is stated.
- Estimated54%
- Modelled from regional relationships. Nobody measured this one.
Prices in Santiago
| Item | USD | CLP |
|---|---|---|
| Housing (monthly rent) | ||
| One-bedroom, city centre | $700 | CLP 689,301 |
| One-bedroom, outside the centre | $480 | CLP 472,663 |
| Three-bedroom, city centre | $1,400 | CLP 1,378,601 |
| Three-bedroom, outside the centre | $900 | CLP 886,244 |
| Buy price per m², city centre | $2,800 | CLP 2,757,203 |
| Bills | ||
| Utilities, 85m² apartment | $90 | CLP 88,624 |
| Home internet, 60 Mbps+ | $33 | CLP 32,496 |
| Mobile plan | $19 | CLP 18,710 |
| Food | ||
| Groceries, one adult per month | $358 | CLP 352,528 |
| Meal at an inexpensive restaurant | $9.76 | CLP 9,611 |
| Three-course dinner for two | $56 | CLP 55,144 |
| Coffee | $3.48 | CLP 3,427 |
| Beer in a bar | $5.58 | CLP 5,495 |
| Transport | ||
| Monthly transit pass | $34 | CLP 33,480 |
| Taxi, per km | $0.68 | CLP 670 |
| Petrol, per litre | $1.25 | CLP 1,231 |
| Health, family & lifestyle | ||
| Health insurance, per adult | $100 | CLP 98,472 |
| Doctor visit, out of pocket | $40 | CLP 39,389 |
| Full-time childcare, one child | $400 | CLP 393,886 |
| International school, per year | $16,000 | CLP 15,755,445 |
| Gym membership | $40 | CLP 39,389 |
| Cinema ticket | $6.00 | CLP 5,908 |
Prices are held in USD and converted at the August 2026 snapshot rate. Last reviewed 2026-08-01. Every figure carries its own provenance — see where these numbers come from.
Living and working here
Temporary residence for professionals; no dedicated nomad visa.
1 USD ≈ CLP 984.72
America/Santiago
mediterranean climate
Compare Santiago with…
Getting set up in Santiago
The things people end up arranging in the first month in Santiago — usually in roughly this order. We have picked services that work before you have local residency, which is the constraint that catches most people out.
- AiraloesimData eSIM for the first weeks before you get a local number.
- SafetyWinginsuranceHealth and travel cover written for people living outside their home country.
- WisetransferMoving money between currencies without the bank spread.
- RevolutbankingA multi-currency account that works before you have local residency.
- Kiwi.comflightsOne-way and multi-city routing for a move rather than a return trip.
- Booking.comstaysSomewhere to land for the first month while you look at flats.
These are affiliate links: if you sign up, we may be paid a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what any of them costs, and it has no bearing on the numbers anywhere else on this page — those come from the model, not from anyone paying us.
Know what things really cost here?
No submissions yet. Yours would be the first.
We publish the median, not the mean — one mis-keyed rent should not move the number.
Frequently asked
How much money do you need per month to live in Santiago?
A single adult renting a one-bedroom in the centre and living moderately needs roughly $1,648 a month, of which $700 is rent. A couple sharing that flat needs about $2,404, and a family of four in a three-bedroom outside the centre with childcare needs about $4,368.
Is Santiago expensive?
On our index Santiago scores 26 where New York is 100 — about 74% below New York for the same household. The average local net salary of $950 a month covers 0.6× that budget.
What salary do you need in Santiago?
To cover the single-adult budget of $1,648 a month after tax, you need roughly $25,500 gross a year — before any saving. Add 30–40% on top if you want to save meaningfully.
How much is rent in Santiago?
A one-bedroom in the centre averages $700 a month, $480 outside the centre. A three-bedroom runs $1,400 central and $900 further out.
Can you work remotely from Santiago?
Temporary residence for professionals; no dedicated nomad visa.
Sources
- World Bank – ICP price level & PPP indicators— price levels, purchasing power normalisation
- OECD – Prices and purchasing power parities— price levels, household consumption
- Open-Meteo historical climate archive— climate
- exchangerate.host / ECB reference rates— currency conversion
Figures are modelled estimates built for comparison between cities, not a quote for any individual. Read the full methodology.