Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and San Bernardo

For one person, living is cheaper in San Bernardo: $895 a month against $1,108 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in San Bernardo
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San Bernardo Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,108

/mo nomad

San Bernardo

🇨🇱 Chile

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in San Bernardo

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

A single person spends $1,108 per month in La Serena vs $895 in San Bernardo, rent included.

La Serena $1,108
San Bernardo $895

A couple spends around $1,829 per month in La Serena vs $1,397 in San Bernardo, rent included.

La Serena $1,829
San Bernardo $1,397

A family of three spends $2,550 per month in La Serena vs $1,899 in San Bernardo, rent included.

La Serena $2,550
San Bernardo $1,899

La Serena costs about 24% more than San Bernardo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both La Serena and San Bernardo are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 18% lower, San Bernardo 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 CLP 7,371

$7.39 CLP 7,244

1.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.63 CLP 46.7K

$25.03 CLP 24.5K

90.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 CLP 8,131

$6.67 CLP 6,536

24.44%

Cappuccino

$2.93 CLP 2,870

$2.60 CLP 2,549

12.69%

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

$1.06 CLP 1,039

$0.95 CLP 929

11.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.65 CLP 635

$1.00 CLP 980

-35.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 CLP 2,051

$3.93 CLP 3,851

-46.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CLP 3,839

$4.52 CLP 4,427

-13.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 CLP 1,144

$1.08 CLP 1,057

8.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 CLP 2,263

$1.29 CLP 1,264

79.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 CLP 1,434

$1.61 CLP 1,582

-9.32%

Eggs

$3.87 CLP 3,792

$3.92 CLP 3,845

-1.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.42 CLP 12.2K

$11.06 CLP 10.8K

12.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.97 CLP 5,856

$4.40 CLP 4,309

35.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.75 CLP 12.5K

$10.44 CLP 10.2K

22.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.87 CLP 1,835

$1.86 CLP 1,822

0.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,658

$1.48 CLP 1,448

14.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 CLP 1,233

$1.42 CLP 1,393

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 CLP 1,408

$1.69 CLP 1,655

-14.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 CLP 1,165

$0.83 CLP 812

43.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,226

$0.79 CLP 777

58.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CLP 993

$1.16 CLP 1,141

-12.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 877

$1.06 CLP 1,040

-16.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.16 CLP 5,060

$3.25 CLP 3,185

58.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 CLP 5,114

$5.87 CLP 5,752

-11.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 CLP 938

$1.53 CLP 1,500

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 CLP 2,065

$2.31 CLP 2,266

-8.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.04 CLP 1,016

$0.84 CLP 826

23.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.17 CLP 34.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 CLP 721

$0.38 CLP 373

94.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 CLP 1,941

$0.90 CLP 880

120.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 CLP 12.0K

$11.63 CLP 11.4K

5.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,377

$1.36 CLP 1,334

3.68%

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

$20.1K CLP 19.7M

$16.9K CLP 16.5M

19.10%

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

$12.3K CLP 12.0M

$25.1K CLP 24.6M

-50.95%

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

$87.9 CLP 86.2K

$124 CLP 121.2K

-28.89%

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

$10.80 CLP 10.6K

$11.82 CLP 11.6K

-8.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 CLP 20.7K

$16.26 CLP 15.9K

29.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.6 CLP 88.8K

$19.36 CLP 19.0K

367.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 CLP 19.8K

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 CLP 8,064

$7.32 CLP 7,171

12.43%

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

$442 CLP 433.2K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K CLP 10.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.76 CLP 41.9K

$35.97 CLP 35.3K

18.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CLP 59.4K

$26.70 CLP 26.2K

126.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 CLP 88.4K

$66.6 CLP 65.3K

35.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CLP 101.6K

$81.0 CLP 79.4K

27.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$418 CLP 409.5K

$267 CLP 261.9K

56.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$319 CLP 312.3K

$250 CLP 244.9K

27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 CLP 900.7K

$697 CLP 682.9K

31.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$706 CLP 691.9K

$536 CLP 525.2K

31.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 CLP 2.0M

$1,858 CLP 1.8M

9.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 CLP 1.3M

$1,374 CLP 1.3M

-3.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$702 CLP 688.1K

$1,333 CLP 1.3M

-47.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

5.39

20.59%

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

Last update for La Serena: November 2, 2026

Last update for San Bernardo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$319 28.8%

San Bernardo

$250 27.9% 21.6% $69

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$233 21.1%

San Bernardo

$210 23.5% 10% $23

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13.1%

San Bernardo

$147 16.4% 1% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$134 12.1%

San Bernardo

$95 10.6% 29.3% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$120 10.8%

San Bernardo

$152 17% 26.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$107 9.7%

San Bernardo

$34 3.8% 68.2% $73

Getting Around

La Serena

$50 4.5%

San Bernardo

$8.2 * 0.9% 83.5% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $418 in La Serena versus $267 in San Bernardo. 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 90% higher in San Bernardo, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena versus $25 in San Bernardo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $210 – making San Bernardo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 San Bernardo

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

290,912

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.2 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.2 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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La Serena San Bernardo 410 km

From you

La Serena
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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 San Bernardo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,662 per month in La Serena and $1,343 in San Bernardo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Bernardo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $267 there versus $418 in La Serena.

Groceries cost about 11% more in La Serena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $25 in San Bernardo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,108 in La Serena and $895 in San Bernardo. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.