A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Edinburgh vs. Santiago for Vacations, Tours, and Honeymoons

Should you visit Edinburgh or Santiago?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Edinburgh and Santiago can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.

Where Should I go: Edinburgh or Santiago?

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the moderately sized capital of Scotland. It is a medieval city that has managed to perfect the combination of Georgian architecture and medieval relics with a cosmopolitan population and avant-garde atmosphere. The city's population is quite young, in large part because of the University of Edinburgh. This youthful vibe gives this city a lot of vitality. There's a thriving nightlife, many restaurants, theatres, galleries and museums.

Santiago

Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.

Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 3-Day Tours in United Kingdom, The Best 2-Week Tours in United Kingdom, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Chile.


Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Edinburgh?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Edinburgh is £142, while the average daily cost in Santiago is £109. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Edinburgh and Santiago in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Edinburgh £74
    Santiago £85
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Edinburgh £148
    Santiago £170
Compare Hotels in Edinburgh and Santiago

Looking for a hotel in Edinburgh or Santiago? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Edinburgh


Hotels in Santiago


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Edinburgh Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Edinburgh £17
    Santiago £4.17
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Edinburgh

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:


  • Local Bus
    £3.60

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh

Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:

  • Private Transfer from Newhaven Port to Edinburgh Airport EDI: $29
  • Private Transfer from South Queensferry Port to Edinburgh hotels: $29
  • Private Transfer from South Queensferry Port to Edinburgh Airport: $29
  • Private Transfer from Edinburgh Hotels to Newhaven Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Transfer - Edinburgh Airport(EDI) to Newhaven Cruise Port: $29
  • Private Airport transfer From or to Edinburgh airport (One way transfer): $40
  • Private One way Transfer Edinburgh Airport to or from Edinburgh: $41
  • Private Transfer - South Queensferry Port to Glasgow Airport(GLA): $46
  • Private Transfer from South Queensferry Port to Glasgow Hotels: $51
  • Private Transfer from Newhaven Cruise Port to Glasgow City Hotels: $51
  • Edinburgh Accommodation to Edinburgh Airport Departure Transfer: $60
  • Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Edinburgh Accommodation - Arrival Private Transfer: $60

Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago

Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:


  • Metro Ride
    £0.87

Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago

Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:

  • Try find your better than us! Airport transfer service in Santiago APT-HTL (SCL): $51
  • Transfer to Santiago or Santiago International Airport: $35
  • Transfer in Private Vehicle Santiago Airport (SCL) - Santiago de Chile City: $33
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from Santiago de Chile City - Santiago Airport (SCL): $50
  • Transfer in Private Minivan from Santiago Airport (SCL) - Santiago de Chile City: $49
  • Transfer from or to the airport in Santiago, Chile: $60
  • Transfer from Santiago to Portillo Ski Center: $160
  • Transfer To Valle Nevado Private for small groups: $250
  • Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $250
  • Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
  • Transfer Santiago - Viña del Mar: $210
  • Transfer Private hotel to Cruise ship in Puerto San Antonio or Valparaiso: $270

Is it cheaper to fly into Edinburgh or Santiago?

Prices for flights to both Santiago and Edinburgh change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Edinburgh £39
    Santiago £10
Typical Food Prices in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:


  • Breakfast
    £8.50
  • Dinner at Filling Station
    £10
  • Lunch for Two
    £15
  • Sandwich
    £1.85
  • Cheese & bread
    £7.23
  • Thai Restaurant Dinner (for 2)
    £25
  • 2 Coffees and Scones
    £5.80
  • Turkish Delight
    £1.40
  • Soup at the Pub
    £5.90

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:

  • Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $34
  • Edinburgh Delicious Donut Adventure & Walking Food Tour: $65
  • Private 3-Hour Scottish Dinner and Folk Music Experience: $90
  • Edinburgh Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $115
  • Edinburgh Food Tour for Families: $122
  • Edinburgh Food Tour with Lower Step Count: $136
  • The 10 Tastings of Edinburgh With Locals: Private Food Tour: $163
  • Edinburgh Food Tour with a Local Foodie Custom & Private: $169
  • PRIVATE Edinburgh Food Tour of Old Town by Chubby Fellow: $226

Typical Food Prices in Santiago

Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:


  • Empanada
    £1.45
  • Hamburger
    £1.93
  • Dinner
    £20

Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago

Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.

  • Sunset Winery Tour with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $45
  • Sunset at Alyan Family Wines Winery with Dinner: $97
  • Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show: $116
  • Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show: $120
  • San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
  • Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $131
  • 4-Hour Private Night Tour with Dinner and Show: $150
  • Private Dinner and Show with Transfers: $158

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Edinburgh £20
    Santiago £36
Typical Entertainment Prices in Edinburgh

Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:


  • Show Tickets
    £32
  • Movie Tickets for Two
    £12
  • Donation for Storytellers
    £6.00

Tours and Activities in Edinburgh

For Edinburgh, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:

  • Self Guided Royal mile Audio Tour in Edinburgh: $5.51
  • A History of Witchcraft in A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
  • Harry Potter’s A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $7.99
  • Edinburgh Royal Mile (New Self Guided Tour) : $8.09
  • Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Edinburgh by Operation City Quest: $10
  • Edinburgh Hidden Gems Self-Guided Private Tour: $12
  • Edinburgh Outlander Self-Guided Private Tour: $12
  • Edinburgh Harry Potter Self-Guided Private Tour: $12
  • Highlights from the Royal Mile: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $12
  • Edinburgh Self-Guided Audio Tour - Its History and Secrets: $13
  • Theatrical Tour in Spanish New City Edinburgh: $13
  • Edinburgh Magic Ticket entry at The Waldorf Astoria: $13

Tours and Activities in Santiago

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:

  • Private Half-Day Guided Tour of the City of Santiago.: $280
  • "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $23
  • 2-Hour Walking Tour of Yungay The Coolest Neighborhood in Chile: $35
  • 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
  • 4-hour city tour of Santiago in small groups: $80
  • Adventure and Viewpoints in Cajón del Maipo: $255
  • Andean Tour: $158
  • Andes Day Lagoon in Cajón del Maipo & Embalse el Yeso Private Tour: $200
  • Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago: $120
  • Andes Experience: Cajon de Maipo & Yeso Waterfall: $85
  • Andes Half-Day Private Tour with Wine and Cheese Tasting: $190
  • Andes Puesta de Sol: tour compartido con Asado en la montaña: $90

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Edinburgh £15
    Santiago £6.47
Typical Alcohol Prices in Edinburgh

Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:


  • Beer & Wine
    £14
  • Half Pint at Tollbooth Tavern
    £1.65

Sample the Local Flavors in Edinburgh

Also in Edinburgh, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Pub Crawl in Edinburgh: $19
  • The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour: $26
  • Holyrood Guided Distillery Tour Including Tastings: $28
  • Visit a Working South Loch Gin Distillery: $32
  • The Original Edinburgh Pub Crawl: $32
  • Pickering's Gin Jolly Distillery Tasting Tour: $32
  • Exclusive Whisky Tasting at Summerhall Distillery: $36
  • Rosslyn Chapel, Scottish Borders & Glenkinchie Distillery from Edinburgh: $58
  • Scottish Gin Experience & Distillery Tour in Edinburgh: $62
  • Stirling Distillery and Saint Andrews Italian Tour Guide: $76
  • Full-Day Tour of Stirling, Lindores Abbey Distillery and Saint Andrews: $76
  • Stirling, Highlands & Distillery in Spanish: $83

Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago

Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:

  • Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official: $37
  • Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $50
  • Concha y Toro Ticket and Tour with Wine Tasting: $50
  • Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $62
  • Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
  • Undurraga Wine tour: $70
  • Premium Wine Tasting in Santiago de Chile: $77
  • From Concha y Toro Marqués Half-Day Wine Tasting: $89
  • Private Tour: Undurraga Vineyard Experience with Premium Wine Tasting: $92
  • half day wine tour to concha y toro from Santiago seasonal offer: $95
  • Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $99
  • From Maipo Valley Wine Tour: $99


When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Edinburgh and Santiago, we can see that Edinburgh is more expensive. And not only is Santiago much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Edinburgh is in Europe and Santiago is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santiago would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santiago and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Edinburgh would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Edinburgh than you might in Santiago.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Edinburgh Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Edinburgh or Santiago?

Santiago has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Edinburgh. When comparing the sizes of Edinburgh and Santiago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.


When is the best time to visit Edinburgh or Santiago?

Even though both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons, they experience these seasons at different times of the year. Santiago is in the southern hemisphere and summer is in January and winter is in July, but Edinburgh has summer in [NORTHERNSUMMERMONTH] and winter in [NORTHERNWINTERMONTH].

Should I visit Edinburgh or Santiago in the Summer?

The summer brings many poeple to Edinburgh as well as Santiago. The city activities, the music scene, and the family-friendly experiences are the main draw to Edinburgh this time of year.

Edinburgh is cooler than Santiago in the summer. The daily temperature in Edinburgh averages around 14°C (58°F) in July, and Santiago fluctuates around 21°C (70°F)in January.

Edinburgh usually gets more rain in July than Santiagoin January. Edinburgh gets 56 mm (2.2 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Summer Average Temperatures July and January
    Edinburgh 14°C (58°F) 
    Santiago 21°C (70°F)

Should I visit Edinburgh or Santiago in the Autumn?

Both Santiago and Edinburgh are popular destinations to visit in the autumn with plenty of activities. Many travelers come to Edinburgh for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, the music scene, and the natural beauty of the area.

In the autumn, Edinburgh is much colder than Santiago. Typically, the autumn temperatures in Edinburgh in October average around 10°C (49°F), and Santiago averages at about 15°C (59°F)in April.

In October, Edinburgh usually receives more rain than Santiagoin April. Edinburgh gets 67 mm (2.6 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the autumn.


  • Autumn Average Temperatures October and April
    Edinburgh 10°C (49°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Should I visit Edinburgh or Santiago in the Winter?

Both Santiago and Edinburgh during the winter are popular places to visit. Many visitors come to Edinburgh in the winter for the museums, the shopping scene, the theater shows, and the cuisine.

Edinburgh can get quite cold in the winter. In January, Edinburgh is generally much colder than Santiagoin July. Daily temperatures in Edinburgh average around 3°C (38°F), and Santiago fluctuates around 9°C (48°F).

Edinburgh usually gets less rain in January than Santiagoin July. Edinburgh gets 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain this time of the year.


  • Winter Average Temperatures January and July
    Edinburgh 3°C (38°F) 
    Santiago 9°C (48°F)

Should I visit Edinburgh or Santiago in the Spring?

The spring attracts plenty of travelers to both Edinburgh and Santiago. Most visitors come to Edinburgh for the activities around the city and the natural beauty during these months.

Edinburgh is much colder than Santiago in the spring. The daily temperature in Edinburgh averages around 7°C (45°F) in April, and Santiago fluctuates around 15°C (59°F)in October.

In April, Edinburgh usually receives more rain than Santiagoin October. Edinburgh gets 40 mm (1.6 in) of rain, while Santiago receives 10 mm (0.4 in) of rain each month for the spring.


  • Spring Average Temperatures April and October
    Edinburgh 7°C (45°F) 
    Santiago 15°C (59°F)

Typical Weather for Santiago and Edinburgh

Edinburgh Santiago
Temp (°C) Rain (mm) Temp (°C) Rain (mm)
Jan 3°C (38°F) 61 mm (2.4 in) 21°C (70°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Feb 3°C (38°F) 41 mm (1.6 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Mar 5°C (41°F) 58 mm (2.3 in) 18°C (64°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Apr 7°C (45°F) 40 mm (1.6 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
May 10°C (49°F) 46 mm (1.8 in) 12°C (54°F) 50 mm (2 in)
Jun 13°C (55°F) 50 mm (2 in) 9°C (48°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Jul 14°C (58°F) 56 mm (2.2 in) 9°C (48°F) 80 mm (3.1 in)
Aug 14°C (58°F) 58 mm (2.3 in) 10°C (50°F) 40 mm (1.6 in)
Sep 12°C (54°F) 63 mm (2.5 in) 12°C (54°F) 20 mm (0.8 in)
Oct 10°C (49°F) 67 mm (2.6 in) 15°C (59°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Nov 5°C (42°F) 54 mm (2.1 in) 17°C (63°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)
Dec 4°C (39°F) 64 mm (2.5 in) 20°C (68°F) 10 mm (0.4 in)