Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Puerto Varas

For one person, living costs are similar in La Serena and in Puerto Varas: $1,108 and $1,122 a month, rent and utilities included.

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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

$1,108

/mo nomad

Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,122

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,108 per month in La Serena vs $1,122 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

La Serena $1,108
Puerto Varas $1,122

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in La Serena vs $1,599 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

La Serena $1,829
Puerto Varas $1,599

A family of three spends $2,550 per month in La Serena vs $2,075 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

La Serena $2,550
Puerto Varas $2,075

La Serena and Puerto Varas have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both La Serena and Puerto Varas are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 18% lower, Puerto Varas 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 CLP 7,353

$12.02 CLP 11.8K

-37.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.63 CLP 46.6K

$40.05 CLP 39.2K

18.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 8,110

$7.74 CLP 7,563

7.24%

Cappuccino

$2.93 CLP 2,862

$3.28 CLP 3,207

-10.67%

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

$1.06 CLP 1,036

$0.99 CLP 966

7.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 CLP 634

$0.79 CLP 770

-17.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 CLP 2,046

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CLP 3,829

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CLP 1,141

$1.13 CLP 1,108

3.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 CLP 2,257

$1.85 CLP 1,809

24.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 CLP 1,430

$1.52 CLP 1,490

-3.95%

Eggs

$3.87 CLP 3,782

$3.06 CLP 2,996

26.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 CLP 12.1K

$8.47 CLP 8,278

46.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 CLP 5,841

$4.67 CLP 4,565

27.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 CLP 12.5K

$8.77 CLP 8,575

45.38%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 CLP 1,830

$1.76 CLP 1,721

6.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,654

$1.94 CLP 1,892

-12.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 CLP 1,230

$2.50 CLP 2,447

-49.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 CLP 1,404

$1.95 CLP 1,905

-26.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 CLP 1,162

$1.54 CLP 1,501

-22.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,223

$1.20 CLP 1,170

4.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CLP 990

$1.28 CLP 1,254

-21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 875

$1.08 CLP 1,054

-17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 CLP 5,048

$5.19 CLP 5,072

-0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 CLP 5,101

$4.51 CLP 4,409

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 936

$1.37 CLP 1,335

-29.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CLP 2,059

$1.20 CLP 1,172

75.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,014

$1.09 CLP 1,066

-4.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.17 CLP 34.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 CLP 719

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 CLP 1,936

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 CLP 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,374

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

$20.1K CLP 19.7M

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

$12.3K CLP 12.0M

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

$87.9 CLP 86.0K

$249 CLP 243.5K

-64.70%

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

$10.80 CLP 10.6K

$15.86 CLP 15.5K

-31.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 CLP 20.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 CLP 88.5K

$30.83 CLP 30.1K

193.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 CLP 19.8K

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 CLP 8,044

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

$495 CLP 483.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,002 CLP 5.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.76 CLP 41.8K

$20.40 CLP 19.9K

109.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CLP 59.2K

$15.20 CLP 14.9K

298.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 CLP 88.2K

$59.4 CLP 58.1K

51.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CLP 101.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 CLP 408.4K

$603 CLP 589.6K

-30.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 CLP 311.6K

$407 CLP 397.9K

-21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 CLP 898.4K

$793 CLP 775.2K

15.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 CLP 690.1K

$600 CLP 586.5K

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 CLP 2.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$702 CLP 686.4K

$528 CLP 516.0K

33.01%

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$319 28.8%

Puerto Varas

–

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$233 21.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$134 12.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$120 10.8%

Puerto Varas

–

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$107 9.7%

Puerto Varas

–

Getting Around

La Serena

$50 4.5%

Puerto Varas

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in La Serena versus $603 in Puerto Varas. 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 33% 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 $40 in Puerto Varas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $207 – making Puerto Varas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🕒 Local time

17:13 5:13 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

41,255

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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La Serena Puerto Varas 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Puerto Varas

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 Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,662 per month in La Serena and $1,684 in Puerto Varas. 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 $418 there versus $603 in Puerto Varas.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Puerto Varas – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $40 in Puerto Varas. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,108 in La Serena and $1,122 in Puerto Varas, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.