Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $2,003 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,003

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,094 per month in La Serena vs $2,003 in Montreal, rent included.

La Serena $1,094
Montreal $2,003

A couple spends around $1,814 per month in La Serena vs $3,048 in Montreal, rent included.

La Serena $1,814
Montreal $3,048

A family of three spends $2,534 per month in La Serena vs $4,092 in Montreal, rent included.

La Serena $2,534
Montreal $4,092

La Serena is about 45% cheaper than Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

La Serena sits 18% below the global median, while Montreal is 49% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.53 CLP 7,356

$19.31 CA$27.46

-61.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.88 CLP 47.8K

$75.5 CA$107

-35.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 CLP 7,974

$10.63 CA$15.11

-23.24%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,842

$3.93 CA$5.58

-25.95%

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

$1.10 CLP 1,076

$1.92 CA$2.73

-42.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 CLP 627

$1.48 CA$2.11

-56.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 CLP 2,058

$6.30 CA$8.96

-66.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 CLP 3,736

$7.19 CA$10.22

-46.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 CLP 1,219

$2.22 CA$3.16

-43.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,325

$3.06 CA$4.35

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 CLP 1,496

$2.94 CA$4.18

-47.96%

Eggs

$3.86 CLP 3,769

$3.53 CA$5.02

9.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

$13.19 CA$18.76

-5.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.99 CLP 5,850

$11.24 CA$15.98

-46.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

$13.81 CA$19.65

-7.89%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,781

$3.40 CA$4.84

-46.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CLP 1,737

$1.44 CA$2.05

23.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,254

$3.26 CA$4.64

-60.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 CLP 1,394

$2.88 CA$4.09

-50.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,121

$1.86 CA$2.64

-38.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,194

$1.82 CA$2.60

-32.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 CLP 1,001

$2.43 CA$3.45

-58.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 CLP 899

$1.52 CA$2.17

-39.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 5,176

$11.45 CA$16.29

-53.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.18 CLP 5,067

$10.36 CA$14.73

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 941

$2.22 CA$3.15

-56.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CLP 2,033

$2.82 CA$4.01

-26.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,017

$2.58 CA$3.66

-59.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

$76.9 CA$109

-53.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 681

$3.25 CA$4.63

-78.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 CLP 1,999

$1.48 CA$2.11

37.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

$33.04 CA$46.99

-62.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,395

$1.36 CA$1.93

5.15%

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

$20.4K CLP 20.0M

$27.4K CA$39.0K

-25.55%

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

$12.6K CLP 12.4M

$20.0K CA$28.4K

-36.70%

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

$89.2 CLP 87.2K

$76.1 CA$108

17.14%

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

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

$34.68 CA$49.32

-68.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

$42.69 CA$60.7

-49.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.5 CLP 84.5K

$28.94 CA$41.17

198.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

$20.33 CA$28.91

2.90%

Cinema Ticket

$8.13 CLP 7,948

$11.21 CA$15.94

-27.48%

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

$505 CA$718

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K CA$22.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.32 CLP 43.3K

$58.5 CA$83.2

-24.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CLP 60.0K

$38.00 CA$54.1

61.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 CLP 90.1K

$92.7 CA$132

-0.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 CLP 102.3K

$106 CA$150

-1.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$429 CLP 419.2K

$1,240 CA$1,764

-65.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$323 CLP 315.5K

$986 CA$1,402

-67.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$898 CLP 878.1K

$2,102 CA$2,990

-57.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 CLP 711.5K

$1,615 CA$2,297

-54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

$5,043 CA$7,173

-58.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

$3,830 CA$5,447

-64.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$718 CLP 701.8K

$2,920 CA$4,154

-75.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.46

45.74%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$323 29%

Montreal

$986 47.9% 205% $663

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$236 21.1%

Montreal

$344 16.7% 45.9% $108

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13%

Montreal

$293 14.2% 102% $148

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$136 12.2%

Montreal

$133 6.5% 2.5% $3.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$122 10.9%

Montreal

$154 7.5% 26.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$103 9.2%

Montreal

$51 2.5% 50% $51

Getting Around

La Serena

$51 4.6%

Montreal

$98 4.8% 92.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $429 in La Serena versus $1,240 in Montreal. 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 307% higher in Montreal, 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 $75.0 in Montreal. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $344 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇦 Montreal

🕒 Local time

05:07 5:07 AM

04:07 4:07 AM

1 h behind La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

1,762,949

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR

1 CAD = 0.703 USD

1 CAD = 0.627 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,096 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.12 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 CAD (1 CAD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 CAD (1 CAD = 0.627 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

La Serena Montreal 8,390 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Montreal

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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montreal is pricier by about 83%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,642 per month in La Serena and $3,005 in Montreal. 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. 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 $2,003 in Montreal. That's a gap of about 83%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in La Serena and $75.0 in Montreal. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in Montreal at $2,003. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montreal it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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