Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Valdivia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,012 a month against $1,092 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
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Valdivia Living Index

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La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,092

/mo nomad

Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,012

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,092 per month in La Serena vs $1,012 in Valdivia, rent included.

La Serena $1,092
Valdivia $1,012

A couple spends around $1,818 per month in La Serena vs $1,535 in Valdivia, rent included.

La Serena $1,818
Valdivia $1,535

A family of three spends $2,544 per month in La Serena vs $2,057 in Valdivia, rent included.

La Serena $2,544
Valdivia $2,057

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

Both La Serena and Valdivia are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 19% lower, Valdivia 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 CLP 7,364

$6.37 CLP 6,266

17.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.67 CLP 46.9K

$45.71 CLP 45.0K

4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.07 CLP 7,941

$6.72 CLP 6,618

20.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 CLP 2,734

$2.04 CLP 2,011

36.27%

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

$1.05 CLP 1,032

$2.04 CLP 2,005

-48.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 CLP 665

$1.26 CLP 1,240

-46.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CLP 1,955

$3.50 CLP 3,448

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 CLP 3,662

$3.52 CLP 3,468

5.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,161

$1.18 CLP 1,163

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 CLP 2,364

$1.36 CLP 1,336

76.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 CLP 1,452

$1.56 CLP 1,534

-5.77%

Eggs

$3.73 CLP 3,669

$3.02 CLP 2,971

23.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 CLP 12.3K

$8.80 CLP 8,658

42.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.75 CLP 5,660

$6.24 CLP 6,141

-7.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 CLP 12.3K

$12.47 CLP 12.3K

0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,851

$2.16 CLP 2,130

-12.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,665

$1.83 CLP 1,799

-7.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,248

$1.79 CLP 1,765

-29.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 CLP 1,443

$1.81 CLP 1,785

-18.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 CLP 1,130

$2.32 CLP 2,288

-50.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 CLP 1,188

$1.57 CLP 1,542

-22.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 CLP 1,052

$1.44 CLP 1,413

-25.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 CLP 864

$1.14 CLP 1,125

-22.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.26 CLP 5,176

$4.98 CLP 4,900

5.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 CLP 5,167

$4.63 CLP 4,560

13.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 930

$1.54 CLP 1,516

-38.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CLP 2,017

$2.09 CLP 2,062

-1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.00 CLP 988

$0.61 CLP 597

63.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 CLP 34.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 CLP 742

$0.99 CLP 975

-24.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 CLP 2,031

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.12 CLP 11.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 CLP 1,396

$1.49 CLP 1,468

-4.70%

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

$19.6K CLP 19.3M

$14.6K CLP 14.4M

34.15%

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

$12.4K CLP 12.2M

$17.7K CLP 17.4M

-29.91%

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

$88.2 CLP 86.8K

$89.4 CLP 88.0K

-1.30%

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

$10.93 CLP 10.8K

$13.72 CLP 13.5K

-20.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.18 CLP 20.9K

$30.60 CLP 30.1K

-30.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.7 CLP 82.3K

$40.49 CLP 39.9K

106.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 CLP 19.8K

$23.43 CLP 23.1K

-14.30%

Cinema Ticket

$7.94 CLP 7,819

$4.57 CLP 4,502

73.74%

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

$247 CLP 242.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,073 CLP 3.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.29 CLP 42.6K

$50.4 CLP 49.6K

-14.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 CLP 60.0K

$17.42 CLP 17.2K

250.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 CLP 90.0K

$50.3 CLP 49.5K

81.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CLP 101.0K

$75.7 CLP 74.5K

35.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$430 CLP 423.4K

$564 CLP 555.4K

-23.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$313 CLP 308.4K

$377 CLP 371.2K

-16.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 CLP 905.3K

$990 CLP 974.7K

-7.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 CLP 711.7K

$564 CLP 555.1K

28.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,996 CLP 2.0M

$4,404 CLP 4.3M

-54.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$719 CLP 707.6K

$631 CLP 621.1K

13.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.5

44.44%

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

Last update for La Serena: October 11, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$313 28.7%

Valdivia

$377 37.3% 20.3% $64

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$232 21.3%

Valdivia

$227 22.5% 2.1% $4.9

Eating Out

La Serena

$142 13%

Valdivia

$133 13.2% 5.9% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$134 12.3%

Valdivia

$87 8.6% 35% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$120 11%

Valdivia

$134 13.2% 11.1% $13

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$100 9.1%

Valdivia

$50 4.9% 50.1% $50

Getting Around

La Serena

$50 4.6%

Valdivia

$3.4 * 0.3% 93.2% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $430 in La Serena versus $564 in Valdivia. 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 14% higher in La Serena, 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 $48.00 in La Serena versus $46.00 in Valdivia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $232 vs $227 – making Valdivia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🕒 Local time

12:51 12:51 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

150,048

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Serena Valdivia 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

La Serena
Valdivia

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 Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,637 per month in La Serena and $1,518 in Valdivia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valdivia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in La Serena, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in La Serena and $46.00 in Valdivia. 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 Valdivia, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in La Serena at $1,092. In Valdivia it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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