Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Varas and Valdivia

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,001 a month against $1,127 in Puerto Varas, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Puerto Varas outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Puerto Varas, Chile
Valdivia, Chile
Puerto Varas
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,127
/mo nomad
Valdivia
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,001
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,127 in Puerto Varas versus $1,001 in Valdivia.

  • Puerto Varas $1,127
  • Valdivia $1,001

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,606 in Puerto Varas versus $1,518 in Valdivia.

  • Puerto Varas $1,606
  • Valdivia $1,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,084 in Puerto Varas versus $2,036 in Valdivia.

  • Puerto Varas $2,084
  • Valdivia $2,036

Living in Puerto Varas is roughly 13% more expensive than in Valdivia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Puerto Varas 17% lower, Valdivia 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.30 CLP 12.2K
$6.15 CLP 6,110
100.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.94 CLP 40.7K
$45.34 CLP 45.0K
-9.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.88 CLP 7,832
$6.66 CLP 6,612
18.32%
Cappuccino
$3.26 CLP 3,242
$2.01 CLP 1,998
62.19%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.03 CLP 1,023
$1.98 CLP 1,969
-47.98%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.81 CLP 809
$1.27 CLP 1,263
-36.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.58 CLP 3,553
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.48 CLP 3,460
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.08 CLP 1,072
$1.16 CLP 1,156
-6.90%
White Bread (500g)
$1.85 CLP 1,835
$1.33 CLP 1,318
39.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 CLP 1,529
$1.51 CLP 1,496
1.99%
Eggs
$2.99 CLP 2,968
$2.98 CLP 2,956
0.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.22 CLP 8,166
$8.87 CLP 8,815
-7.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.52 CLP 4,489
$6.53 CLP 6,483
-30.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.57 CLP 8,511
$12.32 CLP 12.2K
-30.44%
Apples (1kg)
$1.73 CLP 1,718
$2.06 CLP 2,050
-16.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.96 CLP 1,942
$1.86 CLP 1,849
5.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 CLP 2,478
$1.79 CLP 1,779
39.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.86 CLP 1,848
$1.84 CLP 1,830
1.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.50 CLP 1,489
$2.28 CLP 2,265
-34.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 CLP 1,225
$1.49 CLP 1,485
-17.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 CLP 1,320
$1.48 CLP 1,470
-10.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 CLP 1,113
$1.12 CLP 1,116
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.10 CLP 5,067
$5.14 CLP 5,107
-0.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.50 CLP 4,472
$4.68 CLP 4,648
-3.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 CLP 1,388
$1.50 CLP 1,486
-6.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 CLP 1,220
$2.10 CLP 2,081
-41.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 CLP 1,081
$0.59 CLP 591
84.75%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$0.92 CLP 909
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
-
$1.46 CLP 1,452
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$14.5K CLP 14.4M
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$17.0K CLP 16.8M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$256 CLP 254.1K
$88.6 CLP 88.0K
188.79%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.47 CLP 16.4K
$13.62 CLP 13.5K
20.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
-
$30.40 CLP 30.2K
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.60 CLP 30.4K
$41.14 CLP 40.9K
-25.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$23.51 CLP 23.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$4.58 CLP 4,550
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$488 CLP 484.9K
$238 CLP 236.8K
104.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,945 CLP 5.9M
$3,049 CLP 3.0M
94.99%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$19.99 CLP 19.9K
$49.97 CLP 49.6K
-60.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$14.96 CLP 14.9K
$17.41 CLP 17.3K
-14.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.2 CLP 59.8K
$49.21 CLP 48.9K
22.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$76.8 CLP 76.3K
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$604 CLP 599.8K
$571 CLP 567.7K
5.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$404 CLP 401.5K
$369 CLP 366.5K
9.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$796 CLP 790.6K
$991 CLP 984.1K
-19.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$598 CLP 593.7K
$550 CLP 546.3K
8.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,449 CLP 4.4M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Varas
Valdivia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$530 CLP 526.2K
$611 CLP 606.6K
-13.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
0
4.5
-

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

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 24, 2026

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$369
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$227
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$133
Eating Out
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$131
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$87
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$50
Getting Around
Puerto Varas
–
Valdivia
$3.3 *

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $604 in Puerto Varas and $571 in Valdivia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdivia pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41 in Puerto Varas vs $45 in Valdivia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $204 vs $227 per month, with Puerto Varas cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Puerto Varas
🇨🇱 Valdivia
🕒 Local time
11:21 11:21 AM
11:21 11:21 AM
Same time as Puerto Varas
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,255
150,048
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Varas Valdivia 170 km
From you
  • Puerto Varas
  • 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
Puerto Varas vs Valdivia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Puerto Varas or Valdivia?
Valdivia wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Puerto Varas. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Valdivia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Puerto Varas or in Valdivia?
On paper, salaries run 13% lower in Puerto Varas. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Puerto Varas compared to Valdivia?
Rent for a central apartment: $604 in Puerto Varas versus $571 in Valdivia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Puerto Varas or in Valdivia?
Shoppers in Puerto Varas pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How much does it cost to live in Puerto Varas compared to Valdivia?
All in, you’ll spend $1,127 per month in Puerto Varas versus $1,001 in Valdivia – Valdivia is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Puerto Varas or in Valdivia?
Either city works on $1,500 a month, though Valdivia gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Valdivia is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Puerto Varas, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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