Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Puerto Montt

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,093

/mo nomad

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Puerto Montt

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $450 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

La Serena $1,093
Puerto Montt $450

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $754 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

La Serena $1,806
Puerto Montt $754

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $1,057 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

La Serena $2,518
Puerto Montt $1,057

La Serena costs about 143% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both La Serena and Puerto Montt are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 20% lower, Puerto Montt 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 CLP 7,489

$8.20 CLP 8,150

-8.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 CLP 47.5K

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

36.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 CLP 8,183

$7.24 CLP 7,192

13.81%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,890

$2.76 CLP 2,742

5.43%

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

$1.08 CLP 1,075

$0.87 CLP 867

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 CLP 624

$0.87 CLP 869

-27.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 CLP 2,062

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 CLP 3,874

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,150

$1.09 CLP 1,080

6.42%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,361

$2.55 CLP 2,537

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,488

$1.38 CLP 1,370

8.70%

Eggs

$3.69 CLP 3,663

$3.09 CLP 3,070

19.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 CLP 12.2K

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

11.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 CLP 5,596

$5.70 CLP 5,660

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 CLP 12.6K

$7.04 CLP 6,991

80.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,847

$1.03 CLP 1,026

80.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 CLP 1,663

$1.40 CLP 1,389

19.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,238

$2.65 CLP 2,634

-52.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,414

$1.74 CLP 1,726

-18.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 CLP 1,149

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 CLP 1,168

$1.54 CLP 1,531

-23.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 996

$1.28 CLP 1,269

-21.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 886

$1.49 CLP 1,485

-40.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 CLP 5,074

$4.46 CLP 4,433

14.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 CLP 5,109

$5.40 CLP 5,360

-4.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 CLP 968

$1.34 CLP 1,332

-27.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 CLP 2,001

$1.48 CLP 1,468

35.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 CLP 983

$0.94 CLP 933

5.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 CLP 34.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 693

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 CLP 1,982

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 CLP 12.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,368

$1.28 CLP 1,267

7.81%

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

$19.2K CLP 19.1M

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

$12.1K CLP 12.0M

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

$84.7 CLP 84.2K

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

37.52%

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

$10.79 CLP 10.7K

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

-4.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.76 CLP 20.6K

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

-30.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CLP 87.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 CLP 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CLP 7,912

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

$143 CLP 142.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 CLP 42.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 CLP 59.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CLP 89.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CLP 100.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 CLP 411.6K

$502 CLP 498.3K

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 CLP 313.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 CLP 871.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 CLP 690.9K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,009 CLP 2.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,298 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$710 CLP 705.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

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

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$316 28.9%

Puerto Montt

–

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$230 21.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13.3%

Puerto Montt

–

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$132 12.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$116 10.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$104 9.6%

Puerto Montt

–

Getting Around

La Serena

$49 4.5%

Puerto Montt

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in La Serena versus $502 in Puerto Montt. 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 $35 in Puerto Montt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $230 vs $216 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

169,736

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Serena Puerto Montt 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Puerto Montt

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 Puerto Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in La Serena and $675 in Puerto Montt. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $502 in Puerto Montt.

Groceries cost about 6% more in La Serena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $35 in Puerto Montt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in La Serena at $1,093. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.