Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,094 in La Serena versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

La Serena $1,094
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,814 in La Serena versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

La Serena $1,814
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,534 in La Serena versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

La Serena $2,534
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in La Serena costs roughly 60% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: La Serena is 18% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 CLP 7,356

$20.22 $20.22

-62.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.88 CLP 47.8K

$85.0 $85.0

-42.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,974

$12.35 $12.35

-33.93%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,842

$5.47 $5.47

-46.80%

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

$1.10 CLP 1,076

$3.82 $3.82

-71.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 CLP 627

$2.50 $2.50

-74.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 CLP 2,058

$8.06 $8.06

-73.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 CLP 3,736

$8.99 $8.99

-57.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CLP 1,219

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,325

$3.78 $3.78

-37.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,496

$3.25 $3.25

-52.92%

Eggs

$3.86 CLP 3,769

$4.14 $4.14

-6.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

$13.08 $13.08

-4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 CLP 5,850

$14.31 $14.31

-58.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

$15.96 $15.96

-20.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,781

$4.38 $4.38

-58.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,737

$1.45 $1.45

22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,254

$4.54 $4.54

-71.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CLP 1,394

$4.19 $4.19

-65.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,121

$2.63 $2.63

-56.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$2.36 $2.36

-48.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CLP 1,001

$1.76 $1.76

-42.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CLP 899

$2.16 $2.16

-57.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 5,176

$9.81 $9.81

-45.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 CLP 5,067

$14.72 $14.72

-64.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 941

$2.78 $2.78

-65.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CLP 2,033

$3.48 $3.48

-40.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,017

$1.49 $1.49

-30.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

$40.51 $40.51

-12.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 681

$2.67 $2.67

-73.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 CLP 1,999

$1.58 $1.58

29.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

$35.29 $35.29

-64.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,395

$0.99 $0.99

44.44%

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

$20.4K CLP 20.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

-42.97%

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

$12.6K CLP 12.4M

$27.2K $27.2K

-53.47%

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

$89.2 CLP 87.2K

$219 $219

-59.33%

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

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

$58.0 $58.0

-80.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

$68.4 $68.4

-68.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CLP 84.5K

$57.9 $57.9

49.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

$14.82 $14.82

41.16%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 CLP 7,948

$14.13 $14.13

-42.46%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.32 CLP 43.3K

$51.7 $51.7

-14.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CLP 60.0K

$44.05 $44.05

39.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 CLP 90.1K

$85.1 $85.1

8.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CLP 102.3K

$105 $105

-0.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 CLP 419.2K

$1,932 $1,932

-77.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 CLP 315.5K

$1,272 $1,272

-74.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CLP 878.1K

$3,670 $3,670

-75.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 CLP 711.5K

$2,525 $2,525

-71.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

$7,617 $7,617

-72.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

$3,199 $3,199

-57.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 CLP 701.8K

$5,105 $5,105

-85.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.79

-4.27%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$323 29%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 294% $950

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$236 21.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 71% $167

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 141% $203

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$136 12.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 5.4% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$122 10.9%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 184% $224

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$103 9.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 16.1% $17

Getting Around

La Serena

$51 4.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 12.4% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $429 in La Serena and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 611% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $49.00 in La Serena vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $236 vs $403 per month, with La Serena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:33 2:33 AM

00:33 12:33 AM

2 h behind La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

974,447

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

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Between locations

La Serena Austin, TX 7,250 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Austin, TX

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

La Serena vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Serena wins on cost – living expenses run 147% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making La Serena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 611% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $429 in La Serena versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in La Serena – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in La Serena runs roughly 14% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,094 in La Serena versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in La Serena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes La Serena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find La Serena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.