Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Edinburgh?
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 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 Romantic Tours for Couples in Chile, and The Best Luxury Tours to Chile.
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Edinburgh Prices
UK PricesSantiago Prices
Chile Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayEdinburgh £171Santiago £112
The average daily cost (per person) in Edinburgh is £171, while the average daily cost in Santiago is £112. 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
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personEdinburgh £74Santiago £81
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomEdinburgh £148Santiago £162
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.
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
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Edinburgh £17Santiago £4.02
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Edinburgh:
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Local Bus£3.60
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Edinburgh
Also for Edinburgh, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Edinburgh Airport: Bus Transfer: $8.08
- EDI Airport to City Centre|Hotel Private Transfer: $40
- Edinburgh Airport: Private Arrival or Departure Transfers: $40
- Private One-Way Transfer from Edinburgh to Edinburgh Airport: $45
- Private One way Transfer Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh: $45
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Edinburgh - Arrival Private Transfer: $46
- Private luxury transfer from Edinburgh Airport to Edinburgh: $55
- Private luxury transfer from Edinburgh to Edinburgh Airport : $55
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Edinburgh Accommodation - Arrival Private Transfer: $55
- Private Transfer Edinburgh Airport EDI to Edinburgh: $64
- Private Edinburgh Departure Transfer - Hotel / Accommodation to Airport: $70
- Private Airport Transfer to City Centre: $82
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£0.84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- Transfer to Valparaiso Cruise Terminal with Winery & Town Tour: $109
- Transfer to Snowy Valley fullday for skiers : $49
- Transfer to San Antonio port with Valparaiso & Casablanca tour: $87
- Transfer from Valparaiso or San Antonio Port + Condor Watching Tour: $230
- Transfer from Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski to Santiago: $83
- Transfer from Santiago To Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski: $100
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer Santiago-Viña del Mar / Viña del Mar-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago-Valparaiso / Valparaiso-Santiago: $220
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $290
- Transfer Santiago de Chile airport: $40
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
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
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Food Meals for one dayEdinburgh £68Santiago £17
Typical Food Prices in Edinburgh
For Edinburgh, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast£8.50
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Dinner at Filling Station£10
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Lunch for Two£15
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Sandwich£1.85
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Cheese & bread£7.23
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Thai Restaurant Dinner (for 2)£25
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2 Coffees and Scones£5.80
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Turkish Delight£1.40
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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 with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $35
- Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh with Set Menu for Lunch or Dinner: $37
- Scottish Dinner and Folk Music Experience: $106
- Private 3-Hour Scottish Dinner and Folk Music Experience: $108
- Scottish Mezze Cooking Class: $115
- Food Tour with Scotch, Haggis, Secret Dish & More: $125
- Edinburgh Walking Food Tour With Secret Food Tours: $126
- Spirit of Scotland Show with 4-Course Dinner: $128
- VIP Food Tour at a Secret Traditional Restaurant: $133
- Scotch Whisky Tasting & 3 Course Dinner: $135
- The Best Food Tour in Edinburgh: $136
- Premium Edinburgh Traditional Food Tour: $149
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada£1.40
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Hamburger£1.86
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Dinner£19
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
- Best Street Food Tour With A Local Guide: $82
- 4-Hour Boozy Chilean Cooking Class in Santiago: $85
- Bali Hai Dinner & Show, Transport and Wine refill: $106
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai with Wine refill and transportation: $114
- Private Dinner & Chilean Folk Show with Transfers: $116
- Alyan Winery Sunset with Wine Tastings and Dinner: $117
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $122
- San Cristobal Hill Night Tour with Dinner Show: $129
- Bali Hai Polynesian Dinner Show with Transfer: $130
- Private Night City Tour with San Cristobal Hill And Dinner Show: $181
- Santiago Chilean and Peruvian Cooking Class with a Local Carol: $184
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Edinburgh £20Santiago £35
Typical Entertainment Prices in Edinburgh
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Edinburgh's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Show Tickets£32
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Movie Tickets for Two£12
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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:
- City Highlights Walking Tour: $5.39
- Stunning Old Town Walking Tour: $6.74
- Manchester Music Tour: $6.84
- Ghosts of Bloody Past Exploration Game and Tour: $7.20
- Edinburgh's Trainspotting Sites Audio Walking Tour: $7.75
- Old Town Walking Tour with an APP: $7.99
- Folklore & History Walking Tour: $8.08
- Edinburgh City of Wizards Exploration Game and Tour: $8.72
- Edinburgh Exploration Private Game and City Tour on your Phone: $9.61
- Mary Queen of Scots: Edinburgh Old Town Self-Guided Walking Tour: $9.99
- Edinburgh Old Town Walking Tour with an App: $9.99
- Edinburgh Self-Guided Murder Mystery Tour by the Royal Mile: $11
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
- Private Sightseeing City Tour in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar: $240
- "Tour Tradicional" Viña Cousiño Macul Oficial español: $26
- 1 Day Tour of Viña Concha y Toro from Santiago: $120
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- A Fabulous Walking tour by the Old Santiago of Chile -small group: $25
- A full Private Tour of Valparaiso from Santiago : $240
- A historical tour of Santiago, Chile: $18
- An Architect's Tour of Downtown Santiago: $55
- Andean Adventure: Cajón del Maipo & Santuario del Río Spa: $132
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
- Andes Day Lagoon in Cajón del Maipo & Embalse el Yeso Private Tour: $200
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayEdinburgh £15Santiago £6.24
Typical Alcohol Prices in Edinburgh
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Edinburgh from other travelers:
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Beer & Wine£14
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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:
- Edinburgh's Best Bar Crawl: Free Shots, Discounts, Photos: $11
- 7 Bar Pub Crawl with 7 Shots & Discounts: $16
- Ultimate Pub Crawl Party with 7 Bars & 1 Club: $16
- Guided Gin Tour & Tasting at 56 North Distillery: $19
- Pub Crawl 7 Bars with 6 Shots: $20
- The Original Edinburgh Pub Crawl: $21
- Visit a Working South Loch Gin Distillery: $26
- Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour with "Real-Actors": $27
- Haggis paired with whisky & gins in 56 North distillery!: $28
- Tranent: Glenkinchie Whisky Distillery Tour and Tasting: $28
- Pickering's Gin Jolly Tour (Distillery & Tasting): $34
- St Patrick's Day Bar Crawl Edinburgh: $34
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Ludwig's Original Pub Crawl with VIP Club Entry: $34
- Viña del Mar, Valparaiso, with Wine Tasting: $60
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $63
- Undurraga Wine tour: $70
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with Casablanca Wine Tasting: $79
- Valparaiso Port and Viña del Mar with wine tasting in Casablanca: $79
- Inca Lagoon and Vineyard Visit with Wine Tasting: $80
- Half Day Trip to Cousiño Macul Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Half Day Trip to Concha y Toro Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $87
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $89
- Kross Brewery Tour: A Craft Beer Tasting Experience: $93
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.
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Summer Average Temperatures July and JanuaryEdinburgh 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.
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Autumn Average Temperatures October and AprilEdinburgh 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.
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Winter Average Temperatures January and JulyEdinburgh 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.
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Spring Average Temperatures April and OctoberEdinburgh 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) |
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.