Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Varas and La Serena

For one person, living costs are similar in Puerto Varas and in La Serena: $1,122 and $1,108 a month, rent and utilities included.

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Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,122

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,122 per month in Puerto Varas vs $1,108 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Varas $1,122
La Serena $1,108

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Puerto Varas vs $1,829 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Varas $1,599
La Serena $1,829

A family of three spends $2,075 per month in Puerto Varas vs $2,550 in La Serena, rent included.

Puerto Varas $2,075
La Serena $2,550

Puerto Varas and La Serena have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Puerto Varas and La Serena are more affordable than the global median – Puerto Varas 17% lower, La Serena 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.02 CLP 11.8K

$7.52 CLP 7,353

59.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.05 CLP 39.2K

$47.63 CLP 46.6K

-15.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 CLP 7,563

$8.30 CLP 8,110

-6.75%

Cappuccino

$3.28 CLP 3,207

$2.93 CLP 2,862

11.95%

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

$0.99 CLP 966

$1.06 CLP 1,036

-6.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.79 CLP 770

$0.65 CLP 634

21.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.09 CLP 2,046

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 CLP 3,829

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 CLP 1,108

$1.17 CLP 1,141

-3.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,809

$2.31 CLP 2,257

-19.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,490

$1.46 CLP 1,430

4.11%

Eggs

$3.06 CLP 2,996

$3.87 CLP 3,782

-20.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 CLP 8,278

$12.42 CLP 12.1K

-31.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.67 CLP 4,565

$5.97 CLP 5,841

-21.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 CLP 8,575

$12.75 CLP 12.5K

-31.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.76 CLP 1,721

$1.87 CLP 1,830

-5.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,892

$1.69 CLP 1,654

14.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 CLP 2,447

$1.26 CLP 1,230

98.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 CLP 1,905

$1.44 CLP 1,404

35.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,501

$1.19 CLP 1,162

29.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 CLP 1,170

$1.25 CLP 1,223

-4.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 CLP 1,254

$1.01 CLP 990

26.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,054

$0.89 CLP 875

21.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.19 CLP 5,072

$5.16 CLP 5,048

0.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 CLP 4,409

$5.22 CLP 5,101

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 CLP 1,335

$0.96 CLP 936

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.20 CLP 1,172

$2.11 CLP 2,059

-43.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 CLP 1,066

$1.04 CLP 1,014

4.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.17 CLP 34.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 CLP 719

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 CLP 1,936

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 CLP 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,374

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

$20.1K CLP 19.7M

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

$12.3K CLP 12.0M

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

$249 CLP 243.5K

$87.9 CLP 86.0K

183.26%

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

$15.86 CLP 15.5K

$10.80 CLP 10.6K

46.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.11 CLP 20.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.83 CLP 30.1K

$90.6 CLP 88.5K

-65.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 CLP 19.8K

Cinema Ticket

$8.23 CLP 8,044

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

$495 CLP 483.8K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,002 CLP 5.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.40 CLP 19.9K

$42.76 CLP 41.8K

-52.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.20 CLP 14.9K

$60.6 CLP 59.2K

-74.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.4 CLP 58.1K

$90.2 CLP 88.2K

-34.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CLP 101.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 CLP 589.6K

$418 CLP 408.4K

44.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$407 CLP 397.9K

$319 CLP 311.6K

27.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$793 CLP 775.2K

$919 CLP 898.4K

-13.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 CLP 586.5K

$706 CLP 690.1K

-15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,036 CLP 2.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$528 CLP 516.0K

$702 CLP 686.4K

-24.82%

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 Varas: October 31, 2026

Last update for La Serena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$319 28.8%

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$233 21.1%

Eating Out

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$145 13.1%

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$134 12.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$120 10.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$107 9.7%

Getting Around

Puerto Varas

–

La Serena

$50 4.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $603 in Puerto Varas versus $418 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 33% higher in La Serena. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Puerto Varas versus $48 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $207 vs $233 – making Puerto Varas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

11:01 11:01 AM

Same time as Puerto Varas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,255

195,382

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.11 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Puerto Varas La Serena 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,684 per month in Puerto Varas and $1,662 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 $418 there versus $603 in Puerto Varas.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Puerto Varas – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40 in Puerto Varas and $48 in La Serena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,122 in Puerto Varas and $1,108 in La Serena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.