Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,078 a month against $1,108 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $360 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

51

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,078

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,108

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pedro de Atacama 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 San Pedro de Atacama and in La Serena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,078 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,108 in La Serena, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,078
La Serena $1,108

A couple spends around $1,628 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,829 in La Serena, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,628
La Serena $1,829

A family of three spends $2,178 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $2,550 in La Serena, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $2,178
La Serena $2,550

San Pedro de Atacama is about 3% cheaper than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both San Pedro de Atacama and La Serena are more affordable than the global median – San Pedro de Atacama 20% lower, La Serena 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 CLP 7,000

$7.52 CLP 7,364

-4.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.87 CLP 43.9K

$47.63 CLP 46.6K

-5.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.20 CLP 8,030

$8.30 CLP 8,122

-1.20%

Cappuccino

$2.80 CLP 2,742

$2.93 CLP 2,867

-4.44%

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

$1.58 CLP 1,546

$1.06 CLP 1,038

49.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,149

$0.65 CLP 635

80.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 CLP 3,387

$2.09 CLP 2,049

65.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 CLP 3,812

$3.92 CLP 3,835

-0.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,155

$1.17 CLP 1,143

0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 CLP 1,444

$2.31 CLP 2,261

-36.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,604

$1.46 CLP 1,432

12.33%

Eggs

$3.70 CLP 3,627

$3.87 CLP 3,788

-4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.32 CLP 10.1K

$12.42 CLP 12.2K

-16.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 CLP 6,543

$5.97 CLP 5,850

11.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.69 CLP 11.4K

$12.75 CLP 12.5K

-8.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 CLP 1,946

$1.87 CLP 1,833

6.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,534

$1.69 CLP 1,656

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 CLP 1,732

$1.26 CLP 1,232

40.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 CLP 1,698

$1.44 CLP 1,406

20.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,626

$1.19 CLP 1,164

39.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,512

$1.25 CLP 1,225

23.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 CLP 1,327

$1.01 CLP 992

34.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,200

$0.89 CLP 876

38.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.18 CLP 5,076

$5.16 CLP 5,055

0.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.22 CLP 5,114

$5.22 CLP 5,109

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 CLP 1,583

$0.96 CLP 937

68.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 CLP 2,121

$2.11 CLP 2,062

2.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 612

$1.04 CLP 1,015

-40.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.17 CLP 34.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 CLP 681

$0.74 CLP 720

-5.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 CLP 1,939

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.26 CLP 12.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CLP 1,348

$1.41 CLP 1,376

-2.13%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.5M

$20.1K CLP 19.7M

-11.03%

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

$19.3K CLP 18.9M

$12.3K CLP 12.0M

56.95%

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

$134 CLP 131.5K

$87.9 CLP 86.1K

52.74%

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

$13.70 CLP 13.4K

$10.80 CLP 10.6K

26.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.72 CLP 21.3K

$21.11 CLP 20.7K

2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.10 CLP 37.3K

$90.6 CLP 88.7K

-57.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.29 CLP 22.8K

$20.24 CLP 19.8K

15.07%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 CLP 5,212

$8.23 CLP 8,056

-35.36%

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

$386 CLP 377.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,304 CLP 8.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.49 CLP 46.5K

$42.76 CLP 41.9K

11.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.06 CLP 24.5K

$60.6 CLP 59.3K

-58.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.7 CLP 59.4K

$90.2 CLP 88.3K

-32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 CLP 79.8K

$104 CLP 101.5K

-21.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$484 CLP 473.8K

$418 CLP 409.0K

15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$375 CLP 366.9K

$319 CLP 312.0K

17.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$889 CLP 870.9K

$919 CLP 899.8K

-3.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$584 CLP 572.2K

$706 CLP 691.2K

-17.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,309 CLP 2.3M

$2,036 CLP 2.0M

13.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$702 CLP 687.4K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

6.5

-22.92%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: November 3, 2026

Last update for La Serena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro de Atacama

$375 34.8%

La Serena

$319 28.8% 15% $56

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro de Atacama

$234 21.7%

La Serena

$233 21.1% 0% $0

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro de Atacama

$170 15.7%

La Serena

$120 10.8% 29.4% $50

Eating Out

San Pedro de Atacama

$152 14.1%

La Serena

$145 13.1% 4.1% $6.2

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro de Atacama

$97 9%

La Serena

$134 12.1% 38.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro de Atacama

$49 4.5%

La Serena

$107 9.7% 120% $58

Getting Around

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3%

La Serena

$50 4.5% 1461% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $484 in San Pedro de Atacama 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $48 in La Serena. Groceries tell a different story – $234 in San Pedro de Atacama vs $233 in La Serena – so La Serena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

Same time as San Pedro de Atacama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,347

195,382

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.09 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.21 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Pedro de Atacama La Serena 830 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro de Atacama
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

San Pedro de Atacama vs La Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,617 per month in San Pedro de Atacama 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 $484 in San Pedro de Atacama.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,108 in La Serena. That makes San Pedro de Atacama about 3% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in San Pedro de Atacama 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 $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama and $1,108 in La Serena, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. San Pedro de Atacama has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,078 in San Pedro de Atacama to $1,108 in La Serena. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.