Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,093 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

La Serena, Chile
Lisbon, Portugal
La Serena
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,093
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,093
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,806
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • La Serena $2,518
  • Lisbon $4,341

La Serena is about 51% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

La Serena sits 20% below the global median, while Lisbon is 62% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.54 CLP 7,366
$16.65 €14.95
-54.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.87 CLP 46.8K
$61.7 €55.5
-22.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.24 CLP 8,049
$11.36 €10.20
-27.46%
Cappuccino
$2.91 CLP 2,843
$2.97 €2.67
-2.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,058
$2.29 €2.06
-52.84%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 CLP 614
$1.74 €1.56
-63.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.08 CLP 2,028
$3.40 €3.06
-38.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 CLP 3,811
$3.31 €2.97
17.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 CLP 1,131
$1.16 €1.04
-
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 CLP 2,322
$1.91 €1.72
24.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 CLP 1,464
$1.51 €1.36
-0.66%
Eggs
$3.69 CLP 3,603
$4.02 €3.61
-8.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.25 CLP 12.0K
$12.94 €11.62
-5.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.63 CLP 5,504
$7.77 €6.98
-27.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.68 CLP 12.4K
$17.76 €15.95
-28.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 CLP 1,817
$2.30 €2.07
-19.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 CLP 1,636
$1.73 €1.56
-3.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 CLP 1,218
$1.86 €1.67
-32.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 CLP 1,390
$2.59 €2.33
-45.17%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 CLP 1,131
$1.82 €1.64
-36.26%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 CLP 1,149
$1.97 €1.77
-40.10%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 CLP 979
$1.47 €1.32
-31.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 CLP 872
$0.72 €0.65
23.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.11 CLP 4,991
$6.58 €5.91
-22.34%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.14 CLP 5,026
$5.61 €5.04
-8.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 CLP 953
$1.36 €1.22
-28.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 CLP 1,968
$2.14 €1.92
-6.07%
🚌 Getting Around
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 CLP 967
$2.33 €2.10
-57.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.66 CLP 33.9K
$44.68 €40.14
-22.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 CLP 682
$3.85 €3.46
-81.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 CLP 1,949
$1.07 €0.96
86.92%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.35 CLP 12.1K
$16.46 €14.79
-24.97%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 CLP 1,346
$2.20 €1.98
-37.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K CLP 18.8M
$34.2K €30.7K
-43.75%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$12.1K CLP 11.8M
$38.7K €34.8K
-68.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.7 CLP 82.8K
$161 €145
-47.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.79 CLP 10.5K
$18.41 €16.54
-41.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.76 CLP 20.3K
$32.74 €29.41
-36.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.4 CLP 86.4K
$44.55 €40.02
98.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.59 CLP 20.1K
$19.10 €17.16
7.80%
Cinema Ticket
$7.97 CLP 7,783
$9.60 €8.62
-16.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$668 €600
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.44 CLP 41.5K
$102 €91.6
-58.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.5 CLP 58.2K
$44.46 €39.94
33.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 CLP 88.1K
$98.5 €88.5
-8.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 CLP 99.2K
$124 €111
-17.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$414 CLP 404.8K
$1,608 €1,445
-74.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 CLP 308.6K
$1,190 €1,069
-73.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$877 CLP 857.1K
$2,812 €2,526
-68.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 CLP 679.6K
$2,013 €1,808
-65.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,009 CLP 2.0M
$7,839 €7,042
-74.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,298 CLP 1.3M
$4,576 €4,110
-71.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Serena
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 CLP 693.7K
$1,575 €1,415
-54.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
3.85
68.83%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Serena
$316
Lisbon
$1.2K 277% $874
Groceries & Markets
La Serena
$230
Lisbon
$272 18.3% $42
Eating Out
La Serena
$145
Lisbon
$243 67.4% $98
Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
$132
Lisbon
$166 25.5% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
$116
Lisbon
$212 82.6% $96
Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
$104
Lisbon
$64 38.9% $41
Getting Around
La Serena
$49
Lisbon
$63 28.2% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in La Serena versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $272 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 La Serena
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:32 5:32 PM
20:32 8:32 PM
3 h ahead of La Serena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
195,382
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Serena Lisbon 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Serena
  • Lisbon

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 Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is La Serena cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 102%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in La Serena and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in La Serena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
What are total monthly expenses in La Serena and in Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,093 in La Serena and $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes La Serena about 51% cheaper.
Is eating out cheaper in La Serena or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in La Serena or in Lisbon?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,093, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in La Serena or in Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,093 in La Serena to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with La Serena. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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