Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdivia and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $587 a month against $1,001 in Valdivia, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
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Valdivia Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,001

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$587

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valdivia and in Calama

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Valdivia versus $587 in Calama.

Valdivia $1,001
Calama $587

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,518 in Valdivia versus $1,195 in Calama.

Valdivia $1,518
Calama $1,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,036 in Valdivia versus $1,802 in Calama.

Valdivia $2,036
Calama $1,802

Living in Valdivia is roughly 70% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Valdivia 26% lower, Calama 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.15 CLP 6,110

$6.93 CLP 6,883

-11.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 CLP 45.0K

$31.87 CLP 31.7K

42.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 CLP 6,612

Cappuccino

$2.01 CLP 1,998

$1.99 CLP 1,976

1.01%

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

$1.98 CLP 1,969

$0.87 CLP 867

127.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CLP 1,263

$0.87 CLP 859

45.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 CLP 3,553

$2.98 CLP 2,962

20.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CLP 3,460

$4.91 CLP 4,875

-29.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,156

$1.12 CLP 1,114

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 CLP 1,318

$0.80 CLP 792

66.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,496

$2.68 CLP 2,662

-43.66%

Eggs

$2.98 CLP 2,956

$4.80 CLP 4,769

-37.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CLP 8,815

$8.98 CLP 8,922

-1.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 CLP 6,483

$6.13 CLP 6,091

6.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.32 CLP 12.2K

$7.42 CLP 7,375

66.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 CLP 2,050

$1.19 CLP 1,179

73.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,849

$1.03 CLP 1,020

80.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 CLP 1,779

$1.49 CLP 1,477

20.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,830

$1.08 CLP 1,075

70.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CLP 2,265

$0.90 CLP 890

153.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,485

$0.98 CLP 969

52.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 CLP 1,470

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,116

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,107

$5.19 CLP 5,152

-0.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 CLP 4,648

$4.15 CLP 4,120

12.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CLP 1,486

$1.04 CLP 1,030

44.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CLP 2,081

$1.20 CLP 1,191

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 CLP 591

$0.95 CLP 944

-37.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.92 CLP 909

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CLP 1,453

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 CLP 1,452

$1.42 CLP 1,415

2.82%

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

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

$88.6 CLP 88.0K

$40.80 CLP 40.5K

117.06%

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

$13.62 CLP 13.5K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.40 CLP 30.2K

$13.16 CLP 13.1K

131.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 CLP 40.9K

$50.8 CLP 50.4K

-18.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 CLP 23.4K

$19.97 CLP 19.8K

17.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 CLP 4,550

$4.51 CLP 4,484

1.55%

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

$238 CLP 236.8K

$305 CLP 303.4K

-21.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,049 CLP 3.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 CLP 49.6K

$34.75 CLP 34.5K

43.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.41 CLP 17.3K

$28.04 CLP 27.8K

-37.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.21 CLP 48.9K

$44.75 CLP 44.5K

9.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 CLP 76.3K

$60.3 CLP 59.9K

27.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 CLP 567.7K

$322 CLP 320.0K

77.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 366.5K

$103 CLP 102.2K

258.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 CLP 984.1K

$795 CLP 790.1K

24.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 CLP 546.3K

$617 CLP 612.5K

-10.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 CLP 4.4M

$1,406 CLP 1.4M

216.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,221 CLP 1.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 CLP 606.6K

$1,094 CLP 1.1M

-44.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

-10.00%

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

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdivia

$369 36.9%

Calama

$103 17.5% 72.1% $266

Groceries & Markets

Valdivia

$227 22.7%

Calama

$173 * 29.5% 23.9% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdivia

$133 13.3%

Calama

$54 * 9.2% 59.3% $79

Eating Out

Valdivia

$131 13.1%

Calama

$111 * 18.9% 15.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Valdivia

$87 8.7%

Calama

$76 12.9% 13.2% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Valdivia

$50 5%

Calama

$60 10.2% 18.8% $9.5

Getting Around

Valdivia

$3.3 * 0.3%

Calama

$11 * 1.9% 238% $7.8

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 $571 in Valdivia and $322 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 79% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45 in Valdivia vs $32 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $173 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

Same time as Valdivia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,048

157,575

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Valdivia Calama 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdivia
Calama

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

Valdivia vs Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Valdivia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Valdivia. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $571 in Valdivia versus $322 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Valdivia. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,001 per month in Valdivia versus $587 in Calama – Calama is about 41% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $587 in Calama versus $1,001 in Valdivia, a $800 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Valdivia. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.