Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Montt and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,093 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,093

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Puerto Montt 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 Puerto Montt and in La Serena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $450 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,093 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Montt $450
La Serena $1,093

A couple spends around $754 per month in Puerto Montt vs $1,806 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Montt $754
La Serena $1,806

A family of three spends $1,057 per month in Puerto Montt vs $2,518 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Montt $1,057
La Serena $2,518

Puerto Montt is about 59% cheaper than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Puerto Montt and La Serena are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Montt 67% lower, La Serena 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.20 CLP 8,150

$7.54 CLP 7,489

8.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

$47.87 CLP 47.5K

-26.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 CLP 7,192

$8.24 CLP 8,183

-12.14%

Cappuccino

$2.76 CLP 2,742

$2.91 CLP 2,890

-5.15%

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

$0.87 CLP 867

$1.08 CLP 1,075

-19.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CLP 869

$0.63 CLP 624

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 CLP 2,062

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 CLP 3,874

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 CLP 1,080

$1.16 CLP 1,150

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 CLP 2,537

$2.38 CLP 2,361

7.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,370

$1.50 CLP 1,488

-8.00%

Eggs

$3.09 CLP 3,070

$3.69 CLP 3,663

-16.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

$12.25 CLP 12.2K

-10.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.70 CLP 5,660

$5.63 CLP 5,596

1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.04 CLP 6,991

$12.68 CLP 12.6K

-44.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.03 CLP 1,026

$1.86 CLP 1,847

-44.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,389

$1.67 CLP 1,663

-16.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.65 CLP 2,634

$1.25 CLP 1,238

112.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 CLP 1,726

$1.42 CLP 1,414

22.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 CLP 1,149

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,531

$1.18 CLP 1,168

30.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,269

$1.00 CLP 996

28.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,485

$0.89 CLP 886

67.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 CLP 4,433

$5.11 CLP 5,074

-12.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.40 CLP 5,360

$5.14 CLP 5,109

5.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CLP 1,332

$0.97 CLP 968

38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 CLP 1,468

$2.01 CLP 2,001

-26.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.94 CLP 933

$0.99 CLP 983

-5.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 CLP 34.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 693

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 CLP 1,982

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.35 CLP 12.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,267

$1.38 CLP 1,368

-7.25%

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

$19.2K CLP 19.1M

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

$12.1K CLP 12.0M

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

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

$84.7 CLP 84.2K

-27.28%

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

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

$10.79 CLP 10.7K

4.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

$20.76 CLP 20.6K

43.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.4 CLP 87.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.59 CLP 20.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 CLP 7,912

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

$143 CLP 142.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 CLP 42.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 CLP 59.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 CLP 89.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 CLP 100.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 CLP 498.3K

$414 CLP 411.6K

21.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$316 CLP 313.7K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 CLP 871.4K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 CLP 690.9K

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 705.2K

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 Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$316 28.9%

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$230 21.1%

Eating Out

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$145 13.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$132 12.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$116 10.6%

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$104 9.6%

Getting Around

Puerto Montt

–

La Serena

$49 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Puerto Montt versus $414 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Puerto Montt versus $48 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $216 vs $230 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

22:03 10:03 PM

Same time as Puerto Montt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

169,736

195,382

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Puerto Montt La Serena 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Montt
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

Puerto Montt vs La Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 143%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $675 per month in Puerto Montt and $1,640 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $502 in Puerto Montt.

Groceries cost about 6% more in La Serena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Puerto Montt and $48 in La Serena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in La Serena at $1,093. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.