Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Concepcion

For one person, living costs are similar in La Serena and in Concepcion: $1,092 and $1,056 a month, rent and utilities included.

54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
Learn more

La Serena Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Concepcion
Learn more

Concepcion Living Index

Jump to prices

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,092

/mo nomad

Concepcion

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,056

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,092 in La Serena versus $1,056 in Concepcion.

La Serena $1,092
Concepcion $1,056

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,818 in La Serena versus $1,644 in Concepcion.

La Serena $1,818
Concepcion $1,644

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,544 in La Serena versus $2,233 in Concepcion.

La Serena $2,544
Concepcion $2,233

Living in La Serena is roughly 3% more expensive than in Concepcion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities sit below the global median: La Serena 19% lower, Concepcion 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 CLP 7,364

$7.20 CLP 7,083

3.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.67 CLP 46.9K

$45.24 CLP 44.5K

5.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 CLP 7,941

$7.68 CLP 7,559

5.08%

Cappuccino

$2.78 CLP 2,734

$2.80 CLP 2,753

-0.71%

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

$1.05 CLP 1,032

$1.37 CLP 1,353

-23.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 CLP 665

$0.99 CLP 978

-31.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CLP 1,955

$3.74 CLP 3,683

-46.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 CLP 3,662

$3.78 CLP 3,722

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,161

$1.23 CLP 1,215

-4.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 CLP 2,364

$1.46 CLP 1,439

64.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 CLP 1,452

$1.47 CLP 1,445

Eggs

$3.73 CLP 3,669

$3.48 CLP 3,421

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 CLP 12.3K

$10.77 CLP 10.6K

16.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 CLP 5,660

$6.67 CLP 6,564

-13.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 CLP 12.3K

$11.47 CLP 11.3K

8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,851

$1.46 CLP 1,433

28.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,665

$1.28 CLP 1,263

32.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,248

$1.49 CLP 1,466

-14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CLP 1,443

$1.40 CLP 1,376

5.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,130

$1.03 CLP 1,017

11.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 CLP 1,188

$1.32 CLP 1,295

-8.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 CLP 1,052

$1.07 CLP 1,057

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 CLP 864

$1.14 CLP 1,122

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 CLP 5,176

$4.97 CLP 4,892

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 CLP 5,167

$4.87 CLP 4,798

7.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 930

$0.93 CLP 919

2.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CLP 2,017

$1.72 CLP 1,693

19.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 CLP 988

$0.58 CLP 573

72.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 CLP 34.5K

$31.39 CLP 30.9K

11.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 CLP 742

$1.49 CLP 1,469

-49.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 CLP 2,031

$2.32 CLP 2,282

-11.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.12 CLP 11.9K

$12.06 CLP 11.9K

0.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,396

$1.41 CLP 1,386

0.71%

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

$19.6K CLP 19.3M

$19.7K CLP 19.4M

-0.58%

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

$12.4K CLP 12.2M

$28.2K CLP 27.7M

-56.03%

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

$88.2 CLP 86.8K

$121 CLP 118.9K

-26.96%

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

$10.93 CLP 10.8K

$16.12 CLP 15.9K

-32.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 CLP 20.9K

$29.52 CLP 29.1K

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.7 CLP 82.3K

$29.50 CLP 29.0K

183.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 CLP 19.8K

$10.36 CLP 10.2K

93.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 CLP 7,819

$5.67 CLP 5,578

40.04%

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

$315 CLP 309.6K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,310 CLP 4.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.29 CLP 42.6K

$44.81 CLP 44.1K

-3.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 CLP 60.0K

$22.28 CLP 21.9K

173.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 CLP 90.0K

$62.8 CLP 61.8K

45.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CLP 101.0K

$64.7 CLP 63.7K

58.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 CLP 423.4K

$484 CLP 476.5K

-11.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 CLP 308.4K

$348 CLP 342.6K

-9.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 905.3K

$928 CLP 913.2K

-0.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 CLP 711.7K

$639 CLP 628.8K

13.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,996 CLP 2.0M

$2,095 CLP 2.1M

-4.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 CLP 1.3M

$1,807 CLP 1.8M

-25.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$719 CLP 707.6K

$538 CLP 529.7K

33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.3

22.64%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 11, 2026

Last update for Concepcion: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$313 28.7%

Concepcion

$348 33% 11.1% $35

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$232 21.3%

Concepcion

$216 20.5% 6.9% $16

Eating Out

La Serena

$142 13%

Concepcion

$150 14.2% 5.8% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$134 12.3%

Concepcion

$88 8.3% 34.8% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$120 11%

Concepcion

$166 15.8% 38.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$100 9.1%

Concepcion

$41 3.9% 59% $59

Getting Around

La Serena

$50 4.6%

Concepcion

$47 4.4% 6.6% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $430 in La Serena and $484 in Concepcion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

La Serena pays 34% 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: $48.00 in La Serena vs $45.00 in Concepcion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $216 per month, with Concepcion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 Concepcion

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

217,537

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Serena Concepcion 790 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Concepcion

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 Concepcion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Serena and Concepcion differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($1,092 vs $1,056 including rent). Concepcion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 34% higher in La Serena, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $430 in La Serena versus $484 in Concepcion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Concepcion – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $48.00 in La Serena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Concepcion runs roughly 12% less than in La Serena. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,056 in Concepcion versus $1,092 in La Serena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Concepcion but tight or insufficient in La Serena. The gap between the two cities makes Concepcion 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 Concepcion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in La Serena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.