Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
Santiago is easier to travel (2.4 vs 2.6). Biggest gap: getting around โ San Pedro de Atacama 3 vs Santiago 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
| Item | San Pedro de Atacama | Santiago | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | CLP$ 12,000$12.6 | CLP$ 11,000$11.6 | Santiago โ8% |
| Street food1 item | CLP$ 3,000$3.16 | CLP$ 3,000$3.16 | similar |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | CLP$ 28,000$29.5 | CLP$ 28,000$29.5 | similar |
| Coffeeone cup | CLP$ 3,500$3.68 | CLP$ 3,500$3.68 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | CLP$ 4,500$4.74 | CLP$ 4,000$4.21 | Santiago โ11% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | CLP$ 8,000$8.42 | CLP$ 6,000$6.32 | Santiago โ25% |
| Bottled water | CLP$ 1,200$1.26 | CLP$ 1,000$1.05 | Santiago โ17% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | CLP$ 1,200$1.26 | CLP$ 1,500$1.58 | San Pedro de Atacama โ20% |
| Taxi5 km in town | CLP$ 5,000$5.26 | CLP$ 5,000$5.26 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | CLP$ 3,000$3.16 | CLP$ 3,000$3.16 | similar |
| Transitone ride | CLP$ 6,000$6.32 | CLP$ 820$0.86 | Santiago โ86% |
| Scooter rentalper day | CLP$ 10,000$10.5 | CLP$ 15,000$15.8 | San Pedro de Atacama โ33% |
| Hotel night3-star | CLP$ 100,000$105 | CLP$ 70,000$73.7 | Santiago โ30% |
| Studio rent (month) | CLP$ 550,000$579 | CLP$ 480,000$505 | Santiago โ13% |
| Laundry | CLP$ 3,000$3.16 | CLP$ 6,000$6.32 | San Pedro de Atacama โ50% |
| SIM card1 week data | CLP$ 15,000$15.8 | CLP$ 8,000$8.42 | Santiago โ47% |
| Haircutcut | CLP$ 10,000$10.5 | CLP$ 15,000$15.8 | San Pedro de Atacama โ33% |
| Massage1 hour | CLP$ 35,000$36.8 | CLP$ 30,000$31.6 | Santiago โ14% |
| Half-day tourper person | CLP$ 30,000$31.6 | CLP$ 45,000$47.4 | San Pedro de Atacama โ33% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | CLP$ 11,000$11.6 | CLP$ 6,000$6.32 | Santiago โ45% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
Santiago is 17% cheaper than San Pedro de Atacama. Daily budget $197 vs $162; a month $3,006 vs $2,495.
Santiago is easier: Santiago 2.4/5 vs San Pedro de Atacama 2.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
With a short-term studio and living costs, San Pedro de Atacama is about $3,006 and Santiago about $2,495 per month.
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.