Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Serena and Villa Alemana

For one person, living is cheaper in Villa Alemana: $606 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
Learn more

La Serena Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Villa Alemana
Learn more

Villa Alemana Living Index

Jump to prices

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,093

/mo nomad

Villa Alemana

🇨🇱 Chile

$606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in La Serena and in Villa Alemana

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

A single person spends $1,093 per month in La Serena vs $606 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

La Serena $1,093
Villa Alemana $606

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in La Serena vs $996 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

La Serena $1,806
Villa Alemana $996

A family of three spends $2,518 per month in La Serena vs $1,386 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

La Serena $2,518
Villa Alemana $1,386

La Serena costs about 80% more than Villa Alemana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both La Serena and Villa Alemana are more affordable than the global median – La Serena 20% lower, Villa Alemana 55% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 CLP 7,366

$5.92 CLP 5,785

27.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 CLP 46.8K

$51.3 CLP 50.2K

-6.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.24 CLP 8,049

$8.74 CLP 8,539

-5.72%

Cappuccino

$2.91 CLP 2,843

$1.30 CLP 1,269

123.85%

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

$1.08 CLP 1,058

$0.84 CLP 819

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.63 CLP 614

$1.26 CLP 1,230

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 CLP 2,028

$4.13 CLP 4,039

-49.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 CLP 3,811

$2.06 CLP 2,009

89.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,131

$1.27 CLP 1,238

-8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 CLP 2,322

$1.77 CLP 1,732

34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,464

$1.57 CLP 1,537

-4.46%

Eggs

$3.69 CLP 3,603

$3.78 CLP 3,695

-2.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 CLP 12.0K

$11.34 CLP 11.1K

8.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 CLP 5,504

$4.60 CLP 4,493

22.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.68 CLP 12.4K

$10.73 CLP 10.5K

18.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,817

$1.93 CLP 1,882

-3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 CLP 1,636

$1.56 CLP 1,521

7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,218

$1.59 CLP 1,549

-21.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 CLP 1,390

$1.74 CLP 1,704

-18.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 CLP 1,131

$1.05 CLP 1,029

10.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 CLP 1,149

$1.43 CLP 1,399

-17.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 979

$1.17 CLP 1,148

-14.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 CLP 872

$1.06 CLP 1,031

-16.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.11 CLP 4,991

$5.10 CLP 4,982

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 CLP 5,026

$6.05 CLP 5,911

-15.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 CLP 953

$1.49 CLP 1,452

-34.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 CLP 1,968

$2.32 CLP 2,267

-13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 CLP 967

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 CLP 33.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 682

$0.39 CLP 380

79.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 CLP 1,949

$0.90 CLP 878

122.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 CLP 12.1K

$11.38 CLP 11.1K

8.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,346

$1.53 CLP 1,499

-9.80%

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

$19.2K CLP 18.8M

$16.5K CLP 16.2M

16.21%

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

$12.1K CLP 11.8M

$25.4K CLP 24.8M

-52.57%

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

$84.7 CLP 82.8K

$144 CLP 141.0K

-41.29%

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

$10.79 CLP 10.5K

$12.07 CLP 11.8K

-10.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.76 CLP 20.3K

$19.12 CLP 18.7K

8.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CLP 86.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 CLP 20.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CLP 7,783

$7.55 CLP 7,375

5.56%

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

$449 CLP 438.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 CLP 41.5K

$39.72 CLP 38.8K

6.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 CLP 58.2K

$20.15 CLP 19.7K

195.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CLP 88.1K

$56.7 CLP 55.4K

58.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CLP 99.2K

$30.26 CLP 29.6K

235.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 CLP 404.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 CLP 308.6K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 CLP 857.1K

$357 CLP 348.6K

145.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 CLP 679.6K

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 693.7K

$431 CLP 421.5K

64.59%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Villa Alemana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Serena

$316 28.9%

Villa Alemana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

La Serena

$230 21.1%

Villa Alemana

$223 36.7% 3.3% $7.6

Eating Out

La Serena

$145 13.3%

Villa Alemana

$122 20.2% 15.6% $23

Clothing & Footwear

La Serena

$132 12.1%

Villa Alemana

$66 10.9% 50% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Serena

$116 10.6%

Villa Alemana

$175 28.9% 50.9% $59

Sport & Entertainment

La Serena

$104 9.6%

Villa Alemana

$15 * 2.5% 85.5% $89

Getting Around

La Serena

$49 4.5%

Villa Alemana

$4.9 * 0.8% 90.1% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 65% 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 in La Serena versus $51 in Villa Alemana. Groceries tell a different story – $230 in La Serena vs $223 in Villa Alemana – so Villa Alemana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 La Serena

🇨🇱 Villa Alemana

🕒 Local time

20:14 8:14 PM

Same time as La Serena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

195,382

125,140

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

La Serena Villa Alemana 350 km

From you

La Serena
Villa Alemana

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 Villa Alemana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,640 per month in La Serena and $910 in Villa Alemana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 3% more in La Serena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48 in La Serena and $51 in Villa Alemana. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villa Alemana, where all-in costs run around $606, than in La Serena at $1,093. In Villa Alemana it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

If budget matters most, go with Villa Alemana. 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.