Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in La Serena: $1,094 a month against $5,142 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $48,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

245

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$5,142

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in La Serena

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in La Serena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $5,142 per month in New York, NY vs $1,094 in La Serena, rent included.

New York, NY $5,142
La Serena $1,094

A couple spends around $7,455 per month in New York, NY vs $1,814 in La Serena, rent included.

New York, NY $7,455
La Serena $1,814

A family of three spends $9,767 per month in New York, NY vs $2,534 in La Serena, rent included.

New York, NY $9,767
La Serena $2,534

New York, NY costs about 370% more than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

New York, NY sits 284% above the global median, while La Serena is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.46 $26.46

$7.53 CLP 7,339

251.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$48.88 CLP 47.7K

142.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.43 $14.43

$8.16 CLP 7,956

76.84%

Cappuccino

$6.55 $6.55

$2.91 CLP 2,835

125.09%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$1.10 CLP 1,074

249.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$0.64 CLP 626

368.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.27 $8.27

$2.11 CLP 2,053

291.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.82 CLP 3,727

163.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.25 CLP 1,216

4.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.90 $4.90

$2.38 CLP 2,320

105.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.16 $7.16

$1.53 CLP 1,492

367.97%

Eggs

$5.92 $5.92

$3.86 CLP 3,761

53.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.06 $19.06

$12.43 CLP 12.1K

53.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$5.99 CLP 5,836

190.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.94 $18.94

$12.72 CLP 12.4K

48.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$1.82 CLP 1,777

282.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.78 CLP 1,733

16.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$1.28 CLP 1,251

376.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.43 CLP 1,391

386.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.15 CLP 1,118

246.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.22 CLP 1,191

263.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.02 CLP 999

175.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.92 CLP 896

172.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.27 $19.27

$5.30 CLP 5,164

263.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.67 $19.67

$5.18 CLP 5,055

279.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.96 CLP 939

220.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.08 CLP 2,028

76.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.04 CLP 1,015

190.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$35.64 CLP 34.8K

291.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$0.70 CLP 680

338.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.04 CLP 1,994

4.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.21 $41.21

$12.37 CLP 12.1K

233.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.43 CLP 1,391

-22.38%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$20.4K CLP 19.9M

71.38%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$12.6K CLP 12.3M

100.83%

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

$217 $217

$89.2 CLP 86.9K

143.90%

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

$74.0 $74.0

$11.07 CLP 10.8K

568.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$21.51 CLP 21.0K

236.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 $120

$86.5 CLP 84.3K

39.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.9 $66.9

$20.92 CLP 20.4K

219.74%

Cinema Ticket

$22.32 $22.32

$8.13 CLP 7,929

174.54%

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

$3,425 $3,425

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.2K $61.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.3 $76.3

$44.32 CLP 43.2K

72.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 $55.5

$61.4 CLP 59.9K

-9.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$92.2 CLP 89.9K

29.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$105 CLP 102.0K

24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,506 $4,506

$429 CLP 418.2K

950.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,155 $3,155

$323 CLP 314.8K

877.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,817 $8,817

$898 CLP 876.1K

881.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,532 $5,532

$728 CLP 709.8K

659.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$2,070 CLP 2.0M

836.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,754 $6,754

$1,353 CLP 1.3M

399.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,290 $5,290

$718 CLP 700.2K

636.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.5

4.92%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 3, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.2K 63.2%

La Serena

$323 29% 89.8% $2.8K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$546 11%

La Serena

$236 21.1% 56.9% $311

Eating Out

New York, NY

$422 8.5%

La Serena

$145 13% 65.7% $278

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.3%

La Serena

$122 10.9% 66.6% $242

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.4%

La Serena

$136 12.2% 20.7% $36

Getting Around

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

La Serena

$51 4.6% 69.3% $115

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$165 3.3%

La Serena

$103 9.2% 37.8% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,506 in New York, NY versus $429 in La Serena. 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 637% higher in New York, NY, 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 $119 in New York, NY versus $49.00 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $546 vs $236 – making La Serena the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

09:38 9:38 AM

1 h ahead of New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

195,382

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.26 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 975 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.03 USD). 1 EUR = 1,093 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.15 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY La Serena 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
La Serena

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

New York, NY vs La Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – New York, NY is pricier by about 370%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,714 per month in New York, NY and $1,642 in La Serena. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $5,142 in New York, NY and $1,094 in La Serena. That's a gap of about 370%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $119 in New York, NY and $49.00 in La Serena. 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 La Serena, where all-in costs run around $1,094, than in New York, NY at $5,142. In La Serena it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward La Serena – 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 La Serena. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.