Santiago on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes: with hostels, set lunches, the metro and free hills and museums, Santiago works on a budget. A realistic minimum is about CLP$51,000 per person a day: CLP$22,000 for a bed, CLP$20,000 for food, CLP$6,000 for sights and CLP$3,000 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | CLP$22,000 | CLP$48,000 | CLP$110,000 |
| Food & drink | CLP$20,000 | CLP$40,000 | CLP$80,000 |
| Sights & tickets | CLP$6,000 | CLP$18,000 | CLP$40,000 |
| Local transport | CLP$3,000 | CLP$9,000 | CLP$25,000 |
| Per person, per day | CLP$51,000 | CLP$115,000 | CLP$255,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Santiago day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Cerro Santa Lucía, the hill where Santiago was founded (free, register at the gate).
- Plaza de Armas, the cathedral and the Correo Central.
- Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos (free, closed Mondays).
- The changing of the guard at La Moneda Palace (usually every other day; check times).
- La Vega Central market and its fruit stalls.
- Walking the Parque Forestal along the Mapocho river and the Lastarria streets.
Cheap eats
- Completo hot dog: about CLP$2,500–4,000.
- Empanada de pino: about CLP$2,000–3,500.
- Menú del día set lunch: about CLP$6,000–9,000.
- Fresh juice at La Vega: about CLP$2,000.
- Mote con huesillo, the summer peach drink: about CLP$1,500–2,500.
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in Barrio Brasil or Bellavista, in hostels and guesthouses in old mansions, with doubles about CLP$35,000–60,000 and dorm beds lower; check the street at night.
Getting around cheaply
Use the metro with a bip! card (about CLP$800–900 a ride). From the airport, the Centropuerto and TurBus coaches run to Los Héroes metro for about CLP$2,500 in 30–40 minutes. Buses to Valparaíso from Terminal Alameda cost about CLP$4,000–8,000 each way.
A sample budget day
- Morning: Plaza de Armas and the cathedral (free), then Cerro Santa Lucía (free).
- Lunch: menú del día in the centre (about CLP$7,500).
- Afternoon: La Vega Central with a fresh juice (about CLP$2,000) and the Museo de la Memoria (free) by metro.
- Evening: completo and a beer in Bellavista (about CLP$8,000), plus metro rides (about CLP$3,000).
- Total: about CLP$51,000 including a CLP$22,000 bed.
More ways to save
- Visit wineries reachable by metro rather than paying for tours.
- Do Valparaíso as a day trip by public bus.
- Buy wine in supermarkets such as Líder or Jumbo, where good bottles are cheap.
- Eat the main meal at lunch, when set menus are cheapest.
- Walk up Cerro San Cristóbal instead of taking the funicular.
- Choose hostels with kitchens and breakfast included.
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Common questions
Can you visit Santiago on a budget?
Yes: about CLP$51,000 a day with a hostel, menú del día lunches, the metro and free sights such as Cerro Santa Lucía.
How do I get from Santiago airport to the city cheaply?
Take the Centropuerto or TurBus coach to Los Héroes metro, about CLP$2,500 in 30–40 minutes.
Is Valparaíso a good day trip on a budget?
Yes. Buses from Terminal Alameda take about 1h45 and cost about CLP$4,000–8,000 each way.