Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Los Ángeles

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Ángeles: $906 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

La Serena, Chile
Los Ángeles, Chile
La Serena
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,093
/mo nomad
Los Ángeles
🇨🇱 Chile
$906
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Los Ángeles

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $906 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,093
  • Los Ángeles $906

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $1,361 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,806
  • Los Ángeles $1,361

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $1,816 in Los Ángeles, rent included.

  • La Serena $2,518
  • Los Ángeles $1,816

La Serena costs about 21% more than Los Ángeles, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both La Serena and Los Ángeles are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 20% lower, Los Ángeles 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.54 CLP 7,444
$12.01 CLP 11.9K
-37.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.87 CLP 47.3K
$25.27 CLP 24.9K
89.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.24 CLP 8,134
$9.96 CLP 9,839
-17.27%
Cappuccino
$2.91 CLP 2,873
$2.06 CLP 2,030
41.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,069
$1.48 CLP 1,465
-27.03%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 CLP 621
$1.48 CLP 1,463
-57.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.08 CLP 2,050
$2.60 CLP 2,572
-20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 CLP 3,851
$3.11 CLP 3,067
25.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 CLP 1,143
$1.20 CLP 1,182
-3.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 CLP 2,346
$2.65 CLP 2,619
-10.19%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 CLP 1,479
$2.86 CLP 2,819
-47.55%
Eggs
$3.69 CLP 3,641
$4.12 CLP 4,068
-10.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.25 CLP 12.1K
$8.19 CLP 8,090
49.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.63 CLP 5,562
$10.57 CLP 10.4K
-46.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.68 CLP 12.5K
$14.00 CLP 13.8K
-9.43%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 CLP 1,836
$2.65 CLP 2,614
-29.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 CLP 1,653
$1.60 CLP 1,576
4.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 CLP 1,231
$2.68 CLP 2,651
-53.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 CLP 1,405
$2.18 CLP 2,153
-34.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 CLP 1,142
$1.53 CLP 1,508
-24.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 CLP 1,161
$1.64 CLP 1,622
-28.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 CLP 990
$1.36 CLP 1,347
-26.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 CLP 881
$1.13 CLP 1,112
-21.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.11 CLP 5,044
$5.40 CLP 5,337
-5.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.14 CLP 5,078
$4.13 CLP 4,082
24.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 CLP 963
$0.98 CLP 964
-1.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 CLP 1,989
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 CLP 978
$0.49 CLP 488
102.04%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.66 CLP 34.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 CLP 689
$2.04 CLP 2,017
-65.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 CLP 1,970
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.35 CLP 12.2K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 CLP 1,360
$1.23 CLP 1,215
12.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K CLP 19.0M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$12.1K CLP 11.9M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.7 CLP 83.6K
$121 CLP 119.8K
-30.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.79 CLP 10.7K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.76 CLP 20.5K
$19.87 CLP 19.6K
4.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.4 CLP 87.3K
$81.3 CLP 80.3K
8.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.59 CLP 20.3K
$10.17 CLP 10.0K
102.46%
Cinema Ticket
$7.97 CLP 7,865
$4.35 CLP 4,296
83.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.44 CLP 41.9K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.5 CLP 58.8K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 CLP 89.0K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 CLP 100.3K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$414 CLP 409.1K
$271 CLP 267.7K
52.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 CLP 311.8K
$219 CLP 216.5K
44.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$877 CLP 866.1K
$440 CLP 434.3K
99.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 CLP 686.8K
$341 CLP 337.2K
103.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,009 CLP 2.0M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,298 CLP 1.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Serena
Los Ángeles
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 CLP 701.0K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
0
-

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

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Los Ángeles: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Serena
$316
Los Ángeles
–
Groceries & Markets
La Serena
$230
Los Ángeles
–
Eating Out
La Serena
$145
Los Ángeles
–
Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
$132
Los Ángeles
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
$116
Los Ángeles
–
Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
$104
Los Ángeles
–
Getting Around
La Serena
$49
Los Ángeles
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in La Serena versus $271 in Los Ángeles. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena versus $25 in Los Ángeles. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in La Serena vs $270 in Los Ángeles – so La Serena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇱 La Serena
🇨🇱 Los Ángeles
🕒 Local time
06:40 6:40 AM
06:40 6:40 AM
Same time as La Serena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
195,382
143,023
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 987 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,102 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Serena Los Ángeles 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • La Serena
  • Los Ángeles

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 Los Ángeles: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Los Ángeles cheaper than La Serena?
Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in La Serena and $1,360 in Los Ángeles. 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 Los Ángeles, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $271 there versus $414 in La Serena.
How do food prices compare in La Serena and in Los Ángeles?
Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in La Serena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Is eating out cheaper in La Serena or in Los Ángeles?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $25 in Los Ángeles. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in La Serena or in Los Ángeles?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,093 in La Serena and $906 in Los Ángeles. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

La Serena vs other spots: cost of living compared

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