Santiago vs Buenos Aires Cost of Living
Santiago (Chile) · Overall index 43.3 — Buenos Aires (Argentina) · Overall index 37.3
Summary
- Overall, Buenos Aires is 14% cheaper than Santiago.
- Rent in Buenos Aires is 23% cheaper than in Santiago.
- Dining out in Buenos Aires is 16% cheaper than in Santiago.
| Item | Santiago | Buenos Aires | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -23% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $1,364 | $1,039 | -24% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $986 | $720 | -27% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,591 | $1,957 | -24% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,757 | $1,427 | -19% |
| Groceries | -13% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $0.65 | $0.67 | +3% |
| White bread (500g) | $2.09 | $1.94 | -7% |
| Rice (1kg) | $2.63 | $2.2 | -16% |
| Eggs (12) | $2.65 | $2.15 | -19% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $7.53 | $6.64 | -12% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $7.22 | $6.42 | -11% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $10.8 | $9.29 | -14% |
| Apples (1kg) | $2.77 | $2.55 | -8% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.22 | $1.03 | -16% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $2.76 | $2.18 | -21% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $3.31 | $2.51 | -24% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $1.59 | $1.39 | -13% |
| Onions (1kg) | $1.44 | $1.22 | -15% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $1.48 | $1.13 | -24% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $1.18 | $1.19 | +1% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $7.59 | $7 | -8% |
| Transport | -8% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $1.3 | $1 | -23% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $49.5 | $46.7 | -6% |
| Taxi, base fare | $1.61 | $1.79 | +11% |
| Taxi, per km | $0.88 | $0.85 | -3% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.41 | $0.37 | -10% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $11,657 | $10,087 | -13% |
| Dining out | -16% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.4 | $8.77 | -16% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $50 | $51.1 | +2% |
| Fast food combo meal | $5.43 | $5.02 | -8% |
| Cappuccino | $2.65 | $2.15 | -19% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.38 | $1.06 | -23% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $3.8 | $2.96 | -22% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $4.26 | $3.3 | -23% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $0.92 | $0.8 | -13% |
| Telecom | -4% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $32.9 | $35.3 | +7% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $38.1 | $39.4 | +3% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.18 | $0.18 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $10.2 | $8.1 | -21% |
| Utilities & household | -10% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $93.7 | $77.6 | -17% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.13 | $0.11 | -15% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $2.43 | $2.47 | +2% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $0.73 | $0.67 | -8% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $13.3 | $11.9 | -11% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $42.6 | $40.9 | -4% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $8.81 | $8.07 | -8% |
| Men's haircut | $16.3 | $14.3 | -12% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $12.1 | $11.8 | -2% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $1,171 | $888 | -24% |
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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