Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,093

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Chiang Mai

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Serena $1,093
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Serena $1,806
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

La Serena $2,518
Chiang Mai $1,979

La Serena costs about 17% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both La Serena and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 20% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 CLP 7,489

$2.24 ฿75.6

236.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 CLP 47.5K

$19.00 ฿641

151.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 CLP 8,183

$5.55 ฿187

48.47%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,890

$1.67 ฿56.5

74.25%

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

$1.08 CLP 1,075

$0.64 ฿21.54

68.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 CLP 624

$0.31 ฿10.31

103.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 CLP 2,062

$2.36 ฿79.5

-11.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 CLP 3,874

$3.66 ฿124

6.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,150

$1.95 ฿65.7

-40.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,361

$1.44 ฿48.46

65.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,488

$1.33 ฿45.03

12.78%

Eggs

$3.69 CLP 3,663

$2.28 ฿77.1

61.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 CLP 12.2K

$16.45 ฿555

-25.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 CLP 5,596

$2.78 ฿93.9

102.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 CLP 12.6K

$9.31 ฿314

36.20%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,847

$2.35 ฿79.4

-20.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 CLP 1,663

$0.97 ฿32.79

72.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,238

$1.60 ฿53.9

-21.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,414

$1.50 ฿50.6

-5.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 CLP 1,149

$1.28 ฿43.11

-9.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 CLP 1,168

$1.10 ฿37.18

7.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 996

$0.71 ฿23.82

40.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 886

$0.49 ฿16.36

81.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 CLP 5,074

$4.14 ฿140

23.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 CLP 5,109

$17.52 ฿591

-70.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 CLP 968

$1.61 ฿54.5

-39.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 CLP 2,001

$2.78 ฿93.9

-27.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 CLP 983

$0.87 ฿29.30

13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 CLP 34.4K

$54.1 ฿1,825

-35.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 693

$1.16 ฿39.04

-39.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 CLP 1,982

$0.53 ฿17.80

277.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 CLP 12.3K

$2.42 ฿81.7

410.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,368

$1.45 ฿48.88

-4.83%

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

$19.2K CLP 19.1M

$21.1K ฿710.5K

-8.68%

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

$12.1K CLP 12.0M

$26.9K ฿909.0K

-55.25%

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

$84.7 CLP 84.2K

$62.2 ฿2,098

36.26%

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

$10.79 CLP 10.7K

$12.17 ฿411

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.76 CLP 20.6K

$20.12 ฿679

3.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CLP 87.8K

$37.31 ฿1,259

136.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 CLP 20.4K

$3.77 ฿127

446.15%

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CLP 7,912

$6.49 ฿219

22.80%

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

$736 ฿24.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 CLP 42.2K

$53.4 ฿1,801

-20.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 CLP 59.1K

$24.64 ฿831

141.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CLP 89.5K

$91.5 ฿3,087

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CLP 100.9K

$71.9 ฿2,427

41.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 CLP 411.6K

$482 ฿16.3K

-14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 CLP 313.7K

$309 ฿10.4K

2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 CLP 871.4K

$1,006 ฿33.9K

-12.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 CLP 690.9K

$633 ฿21.4K

9.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 CLP 2.0M

$2,363 ฿79.7K

-14.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,298 CLP 1.3M

$1,589 ฿53.6K

-18.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 CLP 705.2K

$590 ฿19.9K

20.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.57

16.70%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$316 28.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 2.2% $6.9

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$230 21.1%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 1.8% $4.2

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13.3%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 46.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$132 12.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 17.8% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$116 10.6%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 18.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$104 9.6%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 51.8% $54

Getting Around

La Serena

$49 4.5%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 24.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in La Serena versus $482 in Chiang Mai. 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 20% higher in La Serena. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in La Serena vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so La Serena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

01:56 1:56 AM

10 h ahead of La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

127,240

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.65 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 33.74 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.67 THB (100 THB = 2.65 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Serena Chiang Mai 18,430 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Serena costs about 17% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in La Serena and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,093 in La Serena and $936 in Chiang Mai. That makes Chiang Mai about 14% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 36% less in La Serena. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,093 in La Serena and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $1,093 in La Serena. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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