Cost of Living in Santiago de Chile for an expat

If you are planning a relocation to Santiago de Chile the following summary will help you estimate the cost of living in the country. Compared to other Latin American countries Chile is not a cheap country. Nevertheless, most of the main groceries, services, public transport, bus tours and simple restaurants are lower priced than in the Industrial countries. Fruit and vegetables are a lot cheaper, especially when sold on the street. Industrial goods are mostly imported and therefore more expensive than in Europe or North America.

The official currency is the Chilean Peso (CLP), which uses the confusing symbol for USD ($). Over the last few years, the rate of inflation has been around 5%.

Sample costs for restaurants, Cafés etc.:

  • Mineral water, Coca Cola 0,3 l: 0,90 EUR / 1,25 USD
  • Coffee (Espresso): 0,80 EUR / 1,10 USD
  • Draft beer 0,5 l: 2 EUR / 2,70 USD
  • Sandwich: 2 EUR / 2,70 USD
  • Lunch special: from 3,50 EUR / 4,50 USD
  • Dinner (3 meals and wine): from 10 EUR / 15 USD

Sample costs for shopping in supermarkets:

  • 1 Litter milk: 0,70 EUR / 0,90 USD
  • 1 kg apples: from 0,50 EUR / 0,75 USD
  • 1 kg avocados (Paltas): from 3,30 EUR / 4,50 USD
  • 1 kg tomatoes: 0,70 EUR / 0,90 USD
  • 1 lettuce: 0,40 EUR / 0,55 USD
  • 1 kg white bread: 1,35 EUR / 1,80 USD
  • 1 kg cheese: from 4 EUR / 5,50 USD
  • 1 kg beef: from 4 EUR / 5,50 USD
  •  Mineral water / Cola 500 ml: 0,45 EUR / 0,65 USD
  •  Mineral water / Cola 2 l: 1,2 EUR / 1,65 USD
  • 1 bottle Wine 0,7 l: from 1,75 EUR / 2,40 USD

Other sample costs:

  • Metro/bus ride: 0,50 EUR / 0,75 USD
  • Taxi (per km): 1,30 EUR / 1,80 USD
  • 1 Liter gas: 0,65 EUR / 0,80 USD
  • Long distance bus tour (500 km): 9 EUR / 13 USD
  • Accommodation in Hostel, per Person: from 9,50 EUR / 14 USD
  • Accommodation in three star hotel (double room): from 35 EUR / 45,50 USD
  • Internet-Café per hour: 0,50 EUR / 0,70 USD
  • Ticket at movie theatre: 4,50 EUR / 6,40 USD
  • Newspaper: 0,60 EUR / 0,90 USD
  • 20 cigarettes: 1,90 EUR / 2,50 USD

Tipping

In restaurants a tip of about 10% is expected; it is not included in the bill. It is customary to take all the change first and then leave a tip. Gas station and parking attendants also expect a tip of 100 to 200 pesos, but cab drivers are not tipped.

Budget per month

Following overview will help you to estimate the costs of living in Santiago de Chile. Chile boasts a range of accommodation options, and even top-quality housing tends to be affordable when compared to other global expat hotspots. Both the buying and renting prices in the country are among the cheapest in Latin America, and a construction boom yielding sleek skyscrapers and an array of housing developments means that standards aren't sacrificed even in the face of lower fees.For those who favour economy, there's plenty of opportunity to negotiate for incredibly cheap shared housing, either with a Chilean family or in a furnished space with others.A standard furnished one-bedroom apartment ranges from 350,000 CLP to 440,000 CLP and a standard furnished two-bedroom apartment ranges from 220,000 CLP to 380,000 CLP

Utilities are not included in rent, and should be factored into the monthly budget. Water, gas and electricity are reasonably priced, but as Chilean accommodation can lack insulation, heating bills during winter can become costly. For a couple, estimate spending between 31,000 CLP and 60,000 CLP, depending on your lifestyle, on utilities.