Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Concepcion and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $587 a month against $1,038 in Concepcion, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Concepcion
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Concepcion Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Concepcion

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,038

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Concepcion and in Calama

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Concepcion and in Calama actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,038 in Concepcion versus $587 in Calama.

Concepcion $1,038
Calama $587

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,616 in Concepcion versus $1,195 in Calama.

Concepcion $1,616
Calama $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,195 in Concepcion versus $1,802 in Calama.

Concepcion $2,195
Calama $1,802

Living in Concepcion is roughly 77% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Concepcion 24% lower, Calama 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 CLP 7,032

$6.93 CLP 6,816

3.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.95 CLP 44.2K

$31.87 CLP 31.4K

41.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 CLP 7,470

Cappuccino

$2.65 CLP 2,612

$1.99 CLP 1,957

33.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 CLP 1,333

$0.87 CLP 858

56.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 CLP 969

$0.87 CLP 851

13.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.68 CLP 3,621

$2.98 CLP 2,934

23.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 CLP 3,546

$4.91 CLP 4,828

-26.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,205

$1.12 CLP 1,103

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 CLP 1,404

$0.80 CLP 784

78.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 CLP 1,427

$2.68 CLP 2,636

-45.90%

Eggs

$3.41 CLP 3,351

$4.80 CLP 4,723

-28.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 CLP 10.4K

$8.98 CLP 8,835

17.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.76 CLP 6,651

$6.13 CLP 6,032

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.35 CLP 11.2K

$7.42 CLP 7,304

52.96%

Apples (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,393

$1.19 CLP 1,167

19.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 CLP 1,289

$1.03 CLP 1,010

27.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,468

$1.49 CLP 1,462

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 CLP 1,367

$1.08 CLP 1,065

28.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 1,018

$0.90 CLP 882

14.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 CLP 1,313

$0.98 CLP 960

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.11 CLP 1,093

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CLP 1,090

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.10 CLP 5,017

$5.19 CLP 5,102

-1.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.79 CLP 4,708

$4.15 CLP 4,080

15.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 CLP 920

$1.04 CLP 1,020

-9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 CLP 1,611

$1.20 CLP 1,180

36.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 CLP 540

$0.95 CLP 935

-42.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.70 CLP 31.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 CLP 1,466

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 CLP 2,340

$1.46 CLP 1,439

63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 CLP 1,328

$1.42 CLP 1,401

-4.93%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.7K CLP 19.4M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.7K CLP 27.2M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$115 CLP 113.5K

$40.80 CLP 40.1K

182.79%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.95 CLP 15.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

$13.16 CLP 13.0K

115.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.33 CLP 27.9K

$50.8 CLP 49.9K

-44.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.27 CLP 10.1K

$19.97 CLP 19.6K

-48.57%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 CLP 5,330

$4.51 CLP 4,441

20.18%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$321 CLP 316.0K

$305 CLP 300.5K

5.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,211 CLP 4.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.20 CLP 44.5K

$34.75 CLP 34.2K

30.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.16 CLP 21.8K

$28.04 CLP 27.6K

-20.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.0 CLP 63.0K

$44.75 CLP 44.0K

43.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.7 CLP 62.7K

$60.3 CLP 59.3K

5.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 CLP 466.8K

$322 CLP 316.9K

47.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 CLP 336.9K

$103 CLP 101.3K

232.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 CLP 906.8K

$795 CLP 782.4K

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 CLP 612.2K

$617 CLP 606.6K

0.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,076 CLP 2.0M

$1,406 CLP 1.4M

47.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,801 CLP 1.8M

$1,221 CLP 1.2M

47.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$552 CLP 543.3K

$1,094 CLP 1.1M

-49.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

6.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Concepcion: October 25, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Concepcion

$342 33%

Calama

$103 17.5% 69.9% $240

Groceries & Markets

Concepcion

$214 20.7%

Calama

$173 * 29.5% 19.3% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Concepcion

$160 15.4%

Calama

$54 * 9.2% 66.2% $106

Eating Out

Concepcion

$147 14.2%

Calama

$111 * 18.9% 24.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Concepcion

$88 8.5%

Calama

$76 12.9% 14% $12

Getting Around

Concepcion

$47 4.6%

Calama

$11 * 1.9% 76.5% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Concepcion

$39 3.8%

Calama

$60 10.2% 52.6% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Concepcion and $322 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Concepcion vs $32 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $214 vs $173 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Concepcion

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

08:04 8:04 AM

Same time as Concepcion

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,537

157,575

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.17 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.13 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.17 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.13 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Concepcion Calama 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Concepcion
Calama

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Concepcion vs Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Concepcion. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% lower in Concepcion. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Concepcion versus $322 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Concepcion. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,038 per month in Concepcion versus $587 in Calama – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $587 in Calama versus $1,038 in Concepcion, a $800 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Concepcion. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Calama is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Concepcion, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.