Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Nairobi?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Nairobi 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 Nairobi 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: Nairobi or Santiago?
Nairobi
Nairobi is Kenya's capital as well as the country's largest city. With a population of about 3 million, it is also one of the largest cities in Africa. It is a prominent city both politically and financially within the region. There are many international companies that are located in Nairobi and the Nairobi Securities and Exchange is one of the largest in Africa.
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 Safaris in Kenya, The Best Budget Safaris in Kenya, The Best Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Nairobi Prices
Kenya PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayNairobi $68Santiago $160
The average daily cost (per person) in Nairobi is $68, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $160. 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 Nairobi and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personNairobi $12Santiago $117
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomNairobi $24Santiago $234
Compare Hotels in Nairobi and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Nairobi 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.
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: Nairobi Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Nairobi $11Santiago $5.81
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Nairobi
Here are some examples of typical transportation prices from actual travelers in Nairobi:
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Taxi from Airport$9.27
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Nairobi
Also for Nairobi, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Nairobi Airport Transfer, Hotel Pick up and Drop Off: $20
- Private Airport Transfer in Nairobi Kenya: $20
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to City Hotels or Wilson Airport: $24
- Airport transfer; NBO to nairobi hotels: $27
- Nairobi Airport One Way Private Transfer: $27
- Airport Transfers in Nairobi: $28
- Nairobi Airport Transfers to Wilson Airport or City Hotels: $28
- From Wilson Airport: Nairobi private transfer in a car (3 pax): $30
- Nairobi Airport One Way Transfers: $30
- Professional Airport Transfer Service in Nairobi: $33
- Nairobi Airport Private Transfers: $35
- Nairobi Private Airport Transfer: $35
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.21
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Villard Winery with exclusive guide + Premium Transfer: $220
- Transfer to San Antonio port with Valparaiso & Casablanca tour: $95
- Transfer in/out cruise to/from Santiago plus tour Valparaiso: $135
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer by Electric Car SCL Airport Santiago, Chile: $61
- Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
- Transfer Parque Farellones Fullday 50%OFF: $59
- Transfer From Portillo Ski center to Santiago Airport or Hotel: $97
- Tour to Santiago and Valparaiso with Transfers included: $150
- TRANSFER TRANSFER AIRPORT-VIÑA DEL MAR VALPARAISO: $143
Is it cheaper to fly into Nairobi or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Nairobi 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
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Food Meals for one dayNairobi $13Santiago $24
Typical Food Prices in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Dinner for Two$5.02
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Karibu Kitchens Nairobi Food Tour with 15+ Tastings: $55
- Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class & Local Market Tour: $55
- Cooking Lesson of Local Food $ Lunch: $68
- Dinner/Lunch Eating Experience Carnivore Restaurant & Transport: $75
- Barbecue Lunch/ Dinner At The Carnivore Restaurant - Nairobi: $85
- Safari Park dinner with live band music and cat dance show.: $90
- BBQ Dinner & Cat Dancers Experience at Safari Park Hotel: $90
- Safari Park Dinner with Safari Cats Dance Show: $97
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Kenyan Cooking Class in Nairobi with a Local: $98
- Safari Cat Dancers Show And Dinner: $100
- Nairobi dinner and safari cat dancers: $100
- Nairobi National Park Afternoon Game Drive/ Dinner Carnivore Restaurant: $100
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$2.02
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Hamburger$2.69
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Dinner$28
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Legacy Family Tour Lunch or Dinner Pairing 4 Strokes: $40
- Street Food Tour in Santiago with a Local Guide: $58
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Food Tour STGO, Eat like Locals!: $99
- Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
- Lastarria Food Tour: Wine, Bites & Social Culinary Experience: $109
- Santiago Food Tour: Bohemian Flavors and Local Gems: $109
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Small-Group Tour: Night City Tour with Santa Lucia Hill and Dinner Show: $116
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Nairobi $46Santiago $51
Typical Entertainment Prices in Nairobi
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Nairobi's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Village Visit$15
Tours and Activities in Nairobi
For Nairobi, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Fashion African Fabric & Souvenir Market Tour: $12
- Kibera Slum Tour with a Local: $15
- Kibera Slum Cultural and Community Walking Tour: $15
- Private Tour in Kibera the Largest Slum: $15
- Nairobi Heritage Tour with Key Landmarks: $16
- Ankara Fabric Shopping and Same Day Tailoring Experience: $17
- Nairobi Matatu Culture Experience: $18
- Nairobi’s ultimate Walking City Tour with Hotel pickup: $20
- Nairobi Walking City Tour +pick-up: $20
- Nairobi City Walk Tour +pickup: $22
- Kibera Chocolate City Tour: $22
- Nairobi Artistic and Literary Walking Tour Experience: $22
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $27
- 1 Day Tour of Viña Concha y Toro from Santiago: $120
- 1 Day Undurraga Vineyard Tour from Santiago: $120
- A Private Tour of Santiago with an Experienced Local Guide: $180
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago: $280
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- Adventure in Portillo: Laguna del Inca and Mountain Picnic: $100
- All Santiago in One Day: Private Guided Tour: $250
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
- Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago: $120
- Andes Half-Day Private Tour with Wine and Cheese Tasting: $190
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayNairobi $16Santiago $9.02
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Traditional Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Official English: $27
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official: $45
- "Premium Wine Tour" Viña Cousiño Macul Official english: $45
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $59
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Santa Carolina History and Wine Tasting in Santiago: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $75
- Undurraga Wine Tasting Tour from Santiago: $75
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $75
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Nairobi and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Nairobi much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Nairobi is in Africa 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 Nairobi would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Nairobi 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago than you might in Nairobi.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Nairobi Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Nairobi or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 76% larger than the population of Nairobi. When comparing the sizes of Nairobi 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.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.