Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Osorno

For one person, living is cheaper in Osorno: $1,013 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

La Serena, Chile
Osorno, Chile
La Serena
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,093
/mo nomad
Osorno
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,013
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $1,013 in Osorno, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,093
  • Osorno $1,013

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $1,493 in Osorno, rent included.

  • La Serena $1,806
  • Osorno $1,493

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $1,973 in Osorno, rent included.

  • La Serena $2,518
  • Osorno $1,973

La Serena costs about 8% more than Osorno, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both La Serena and Osorno are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 20% lower, Osorno 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.54 CLP 7,489
$7.44 CLP 7,393
1.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.87 CLP 47.5K
$30.64 CLP 30.4K
56.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.24 CLP 8,183
$6.71 CLP 6,665
22.80%
Cappuccino
$2.91 CLP 2,890
$2.00 CLP 1,987
45.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 CLP 1,075
$1.31 CLP 1,302
-17.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 CLP 624
$3.07 CLP 3,051
-79.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.08 CLP 2,062
$1.79 CLP 1,778
16.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 CLP 3,874
$2.48 CLP 2,460
57.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 CLP 1,150
$1.19 CLP 1,181
-2.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 CLP 2,361
$1.52 CLP 1,511
56.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 CLP 1,488
$1.47 CLP 1,456
2.04%
Eggs
$3.69 CLP 3,663
$3.60 CLP 3,576
2.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.25 CLP 12.2K
$9.45 CLP 9,385
29.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.63 CLP 5,596
$5.33 CLP 5,294
5.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.68 CLP 12.6K
$9.43 CLP 9,363
34.46%
Apples (1kg)
$1.86 CLP 1,847
$2.01 CLP 1,995
-7.46%
Banana (1kg)
$1.67 CLP 1,663
$1.43 CLP 1,420
16.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.25 CLP 1,238
$1.67 CLP 1,659
-25.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.42 CLP 1,414
$1.96 CLP 1,943
-27.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 CLP 1,149
$1.99 CLP 1,973
-41.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.18 CLP 1,168
$1.68 CLP 1,666
-29.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 CLP 996
$1.17 CLP 1,159
-14.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 CLP 886
$0.96 CLP 955
-7.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.11 CLP 5,074
$4.99 CLP 4,959
2.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.14 CLP 5,109
$4.41 CLP 4,376
16.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.97 CLP 968
$1.49 CLP 1,475
-34.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 CLP 2,001
$3.01 CLP 2,986
-33.22%
🚌 Getting Around
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.99 CLP 983
$0.50 CLP 497
98.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$34.66 CLP 34.4K
$15.06 CLP 15.0K
130.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.70 CLP 693
$2.75 CLP 2,729
-74.55%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.00 CLP 1,982
$0.93 CLP 928
115.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.35 CLP 12.3K
$5.18 CLP 5,146
138.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 CLP 1,368
$1.33 CLP 1,325
3.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.2K CLP 19.1M
$14.3K CLP 14.2M
34.54%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$12.1K CLP 12.0M
$14.5K CLP 14.4M
-16.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.7 CLP 84.2K
$101 CLP 100.0K
-15.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.79 CLP 10.7K
$10.24 CLP 10.2K
5.37%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$20.76 CLP 20.6K
$29.69 CLP 29.5K
-30.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$88.4 CLP 87.8K
$57.6 CLP 57.3K
53.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.59 CLP 20.4K
$13.09 CLP 13.0K
57.30%
Cinema Ticket
$7.97 CLP 7,912
$8.99 CLP 8,932
-11.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$349 CLP 346.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.44 CLP 42.2K
$39.18 CLP 38.9K
8.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.5 CLP 59.1K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.1 CLP 89.5K
$42.63 CLP 42.4K
111.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 CLP 100.9K
$42.74 CLP 42.5K
137.65%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$414 CLP 411.6K
$383 CLP 380.9K
8.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$316 CLP 313.7K
$368 CLP 365.3K
-14.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$877 CLP 871.4K
$515 CLP 511.6K
70.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$696 CLP 690.9K
$564 CLP 560.0K
23.39%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,009 CLP 2.0M
$1,010 CLP 1.0M
99.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,298 CLP 1.3M
$1,504 CLP 1.5M
-13.66%
💵 Salaries & Financials
La Serena
Osorno
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$710 CLP 705.2K
$612 CLP 608.4K
15.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.5
4.72
37.71%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Osorno: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
La Serena
$316
Osorno
$368 16.4% $52
Groceries & Markets
La Serena
$230
Osorno
$213 7.3% $17
Eating Out
La Serena
$145
Osorno
$135 6.8% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
La Serena
$132
Osorno
$56 * 57.6% $76
Monthly Utilities & Internet
La Serena
$116
Osorno
$141 21% $24
Sport & Entertainment
La Serena
$104
Osorno
$76 27.5% $29
Getting Around
La Serena
$49
Osorno
$24 50.4% $25

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in La Serena versus $383 in Osorno. 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 16% higher in La Serena. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena versus $31 in Osorno. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $213 – making Osorno the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇱 La Serena
🇨🇱 Osorno
🕒 Local time
11:07 11:07 AM
11:07 11:07 AM
Same time as La Serena
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
195,382
147,666
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • La Serena Osorno 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • La Serena
  • Osorno

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 Osorno: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Osorno cheaper than La Serena?
Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,520 in Osorno. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between La Serena and Osorno?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $414 in La Serena and $383 in Osorno. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
What are total monthly expenses in La Serena and in Osorno?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,093 in La Serena and $1,013 in Osorno. That makes Osorno about 7% cheaper.
Is eating out cheaper in La Serena or in Osorno?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $31 in Osorno. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,500 enough for either La Serena or Osorno?
$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,093 in La Serena and $1,013 in Osorno, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Osorno. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Serena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

La Serena vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?