Buenos Aires vs Santiago Cost of Living
Buenos Aires (Argentina) · Overall index 37.3 — Santiago (Chile) · Overall index 43.3
Summary
- Overall, Santiago is 16% more expensive than Buenos Aires.
- Rent in Santiago is 31% more expensive than in Buenos Aires.
- Dining out in Santiago is 19% more expensive than in Buenos Aires.
| Item | Buenos Aires | Santiago | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | +31% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,039 | $1,364 | +31% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $720 | $986 | +37% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,957 | $2,591 | +32% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,427 | $1,757 | +23% |
| Groceries | +15% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.67 | $0.65 | -3% |
| White bread (500g) | $1.94 | $2.09 | +8% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.2 | $2.63 | +20% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.15 | $2.65 | +23% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $6.64 | $7.53 | +13% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $6.42 | $7.22 | +12% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $9.29 | $10.8 | +16% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.55 | $2.77 | +9% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.03 | $1.22 | +18% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.18 | $2.76 | +27% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $2.51 | $3.31 | +32% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.39 | $1.59 | +14% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.22 | $1.44 | +18% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.13 | $1.48 | +31% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.19 | $1.18 | -1% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7 | $7.59 | +8% |
| Transport | +9% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1 | $1.3 | +30% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $46.7 | $49.5 | +6% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.79 | $1.61 | -10% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.85 | $0.88 | +4% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.37 | $0.41 | +11% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $10,087 | $11,657 | +16% |
| Dining out | +19% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $8.77 | $10.4 | +19% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $51.1 | $50 | -2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.02 | $5.43 | +8% |
| Cappuccino | $2.15 | $2.65 | +23% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.06 | $1.38 | +30% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $2.96 | $3.8 | +28% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $3.3 | $4.26 | +29% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.8 | $0.92 | +15% |
| Telecom | +4% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $35.3 | $32.9 | -7% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $39.4 | $38.1 | -3% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.18 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $8.1 | $10.2 | +26% |
| Utilities & household | +12% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $77.6 | $93.7 | +21% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.11 | $0.13 | +18% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.47 | $2.43 | -2% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.67 | $0.73 | +9% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $11.9 | $13.3 | +12% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $40.9 | $42.6 | +4% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $8.07 | $8.81 | +9% |
| Men's haircut | $14.3 | $16.3 | +14% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $11.8 | $12.1 | +3% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $888 | $1,171 | +32% |
3,095 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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