Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Budapest

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $1,621 in Budapest, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
79

Cost of Living Index in Budapest
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Budapest Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Budapest

🇭🇺 Hungary

$1,621

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Budapest

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 Budapest actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,094 per month in La Serena vs $1,621 in Budapest, rent included.

La Serena $1,094
Budapest $1,621

A couple spends around $1,814 per month in La Serena vs $2,555 in Budapest, rent included.

La Serena $1,814
Budapest $2,555

A family of three spends $2,534 per month in La Serena vs $3,489 in Budapest, rent included.

La Serena $2,534
Budapest $3,489

La Serena is about 32% cheaper than Budapest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

La Serena sits 18% below the global median, while Budapest is 21% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 CLP 7,339

$13.99 Ft 4,551

-46.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.88 CLP 47.7K

$60.3 Ft 19.6K

-18.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,956

$9.96 Ft 3,241

-18.07%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,835

$3.38 Ft 1,100

-13.91%

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

$1.10 CLP 1,074

$2.13 Ft 692

-48.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 CLP 626

$1.87 Ft 608

-65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 CLP 2,053

$3.75 Ft 1,221

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 CLP 3,727

$3.57 Ft 1,162

7.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CLP 1,216

$1.13 Ft 368

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,320

$1.84 Ft 599

29.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,492

$2.39 Ft 777

-35.98%

Eggs

$3.86 CLP 3,761

$3.83 Ft 1,245

0.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

$11.33 Ft 3,686

9.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 CLP 5,836

$6.74 Ft 2,192

-11.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

$14.69 Ft 4,780

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,777

$1.84 Ft 597

-1.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,733

$2.01 Ft 653

-11.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,251

$2.36 Ft 767

-45.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CLP 1,391

$3.77 Ft 1,226

-62.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,118

$0.96 Ft 313

19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$1.03 Ft 334

18.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CLP 999

$1.56 Ft 509

-34.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CLP 896

$0.66 Ft 216

39.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 5,164

$7.96 Ft 2,591

-33.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 CLP 5,055

$6.01 Ft 1,954

-13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 939

$1.30 Ft 421

-26.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CLP 2,028

$2.08 Ft 676

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,015

$1.50 Ft 489

-30.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

$27.61 Ft 8,982

29.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 680

$3.30 Ft 1,074

-78.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 CLP 1,994

$1.30 Ft 424

56.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

$19.78 Ft 6,436

-37.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,391

$1.81 Ft 591

-20.99%

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

$20.4K CLP 19.9M

$29.3K Ft 9.5M

-30.37%

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

$12.6K CLP 12.3M

$34.1K Ft 11.1M

-62.92%

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

$89.2 CLP 86.9K

$170 Ft 55.3K

-47.53%

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

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

$23.98 Ft 7,802

-53.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

$23.42 Ft 7,621

-8.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CLP 84.3K

$66.2 Ft 21.6K

30.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

$19.18 Ft 6,239

9.07%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 CLP 7,929

$9.52 Ft 3,098

-14.60%

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

$537 Ft 174.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.6K Ft 5.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.32 CLP 43.2K

$101 Ft 33.0K

-56.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CLP 59.9K

$42.99 Ft 14.0K

42.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 CLP 89.9K

$113 Ft 36.7K

-18.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CLP 102.0K

$119 Ft 38.6K

-11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 CLP 418.2K

$805 Ft 262.0K

-46.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 CLP 314.8K

$629 Ft 204.7K

-48.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CLP 876.1K

$1,549 Ft 504.1K

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 CLP 709.8K

$1,167 Ft 379.7K

-37.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

$5,618 Ft 1.8M

-63.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

$3,968 Ft 1.3M

-65.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 CLP 700.2K

$1,626 Ft 529.0K

-55.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.43

1.09%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Last update for Budapest: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$323 29%

Budapest

$629 38.7% 94.9% $306

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$236 21.1%

Budapest

$258 15.8% 9.3% $22

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13%

Budapest

$224 13.8% 55% $80

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$136 12.2%

Budapest

$169 10.4% 24.2% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$122 10.9%

Budapest

$217 13.4% 78.5% $96

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$103 9.2%

Budapest

$85 5.2% 17% $17

Getting Around

La Serena

$51 4.6%

Budapest

$43 2.7% 14.4% $7.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in La Serena versus $805 in Budapest. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 126% higher in Budapest, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in La Serena versus $60.0 in Budapest. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $258 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇭🇺 Budapest

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

08:20 8:20 AM

5 h ahead of La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

1,686,222 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Hungarian Forint HUF Ft

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR

1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD

1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

HUF, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,094 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.14 EUR).

Hungarian Forint exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 325 HUF (1,000 HUF = 3.07 USD). 1 EUR = 365 HUF (1,000 HUF = 2.74 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

La Serena Budapest 12,430 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Budapest

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 Budapest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Budapest is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,642 per month in La Serena and $2,432 in Budapest. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Serena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 29% less in La Serena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Budapest, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in Budapest at $1,621. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Budapest it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Serena – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with La Serena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Budapest makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.