Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Lima

For one person, living is cheaper in Lima: $996 a month against $1,094 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Lima
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Lima Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Lima

🇵🇪 Peru

$996

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,094 per month in La Serena vs $996 in Lima, rent included.

La Serena $1,094
Lima $996

A couple spends around $1,814 per month in La Serena vs $1,594 in Lima, rent included.

La Serena $1,814
Lima $1,594

A family of three spends $2,534 per month in La Serena vs $2,191 in Lima, rent included.

La Serena $2,534
Lima $2,191

La Serena costs about 10% more than Lima, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both La Serena and Lima are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 18% lower, Lima 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 CLP 7,339

$4.42 PEN 15.16

70.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.88 CLP 47.7K

$35.04 PEN 120

39.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,956

$6.84 PEN 23.44

19.30%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,835

$3.27 PEN 11.22

-11.01%

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

$1.10 CLP 1,074

$1.10 PEN 3.78

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 CLP 626

$0.65 PEN 2.22

-1.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 CLP 2,053

$2.58 PEN 8.85

-18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 CLP 3,727

$4.47 PEN 15.34

-14.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CLP 1,216

$1.59 PEN 5.46

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,320

$2.58 PEN 8.86

-7.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,492

$1.36 PEN 4.65

12.50%

Eggs

$3.86 CLP 3,761

$2.95 PEN 10.11

30.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

$9.10 PEN 31.19

36.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 CLP 5,836

$5.81 PEN 19.91

3.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

$9.83 PEN 33.68

29.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,777

$2.01 PEN 6.89

-9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,733

$1.08 PEN 3.69

64.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,251

$1.37 PEN 4.70

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CLP 1,391

$1.48 PEN 5.06

-3.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,118

$0.96 PEN 3.30

19.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,191

$0.85 PEN 2.92

43.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CLP 999

$0.88 PEN 3.02

15.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CLP 896

$0.87 PEN 2.97

5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 5,164

$5.90 PEN 20.24

-10.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 CLP 5,055

$8.81 PEN 30.21

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 939

$1.92 PEN 6.57

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CLP 2,028

$3.20 PEN 10.98

-35.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,015

$0.68 PEN 2.33

52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

$26.74 PEN 91.7

33.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 680

$3.81 PEN 13.06

-81.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 CLP 1,994

$2.04 PEN 7.00

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

$7.14 PEN 24.49

73.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,391

$1.65 PEN 5.65

-13.33%

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

$20.4K CLP 19.9M

$22.2K PEN 76.0K

-7.92%

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

$12.6K CLP 12.3M

$25.7K PEN 88.0K

-50.73%

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

$89.2 CLP 86.9K

$73.0 PEN 250

22.08%

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

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

$16.26 PEN 55.7

-31.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

$27.60 PEN 94.6

-22.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CLP 84.3K

$33.07 PEN 113

161.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

$19.49 PEN 66.8

7.34%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 CLP 7,929

$7.39 PEN 25.33

10.01%

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

$182 PEN 624

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K PEN 45.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.32 CLP 43.2K

$52.6 PEN 180

-15.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CLP 59.9K

$34.23 PEN 117

79.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 CLP 89.9K

$83.8 PEN 287

10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CLP 102.0K

$79.0 PEN 271

32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 CLP 418.2K

$723 PEN 2,479

-40.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 CLP 314.8K

$340 PEN 1,166

-5.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CLP 876.1K

$1,184 PEN 4,060

-24.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 CLP 709.8K

$635 PEN 2,176

14.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

$2,449 PEN 8,394

-15.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

$1,372 PEN 4,702

-1.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 CLP 700.2K

$653 PEN 2,237

10.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

8.94

-27.29%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lima: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$323 29%

Lima

$340 33.6% 5.4% $17

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$236 21.1%

Lima

$226 22.4% 3.9% $9.3

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13%

Lima

$124 12.3% 14.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$136 12.2%

Lima

$112 11.1% 17.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$122 10.9%

Lima

$117 11.6% 4% $4.8

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$103 9.2%

Lima

$48 4.7% 53.4% $55

Getting Around

La Serena

$51 4.6%

Lima

$43 4.3% 14.3% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in La Serena versus $723 in Lima. 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 10% higher in La Serena, 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 $35.00 in Lima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $226 – making Lima the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇵🇪 Lima

🕒 Local time

08:13 8:13 AM

06:13 6:13 AM

2 h behind La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

9,989,369 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

1 PEN = 0.292 USD

1 PEN = 0.26 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, 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 = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.292 USD). 1 EUR = 3.84 PEN (1 PEN = 0.26 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Serena Lima 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Lima

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 Lima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,642 per month in La Serena and $1,494 in Lima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,094 in La Serena and $996 in Lima. That's a gap of about 10%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in La Serena and $35.00 in Lima. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lima, where all-in costs run around $996, than in La Serena at $1,094. In Lima it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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