Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdivia and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in Valdivia: $1,012 a month against $1,092 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $960 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
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Valdivia Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,012

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,012 per month in Valdivia vs $1,092 in La Serena, rent included.

Valdivia $1,012
La Serena $1,092

A couple spends around $1,535 per month in Valdivia vs $1,818 in La Serena, rent included.

Valdivia $1,535
La Serena $1,818

A family of three spends $2,057 per month in Valdivia vs $2,544 in La Serena, rent included.

Valdivia $2,057
La Serena $2,544

Valdivia is about 7% cheaper than La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Valdivia and La Serena are more affordable than the global median – Valdivia 25% lower, La Serena 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.37 CLP 6,266

$7.48 CLP 7,364

-14.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.71 CLP 45.0K

$47.67 CLP 46.9K

-4.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.72 CLP 6,618

$8.07 CLP 7,941

-16.73%

Cappuccino

$2.04 CLP 2,011

$2.78 CLP 2,734

-26.62%

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

$2.04 CLP 2,005

$1.05 CLP 1,032

94.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 CLP 1,240

$0.68 CLP 665

85.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 CLP 3,448

$1.99 CLP 1,955

75.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 CLP 3,468

$3.72 CLP 3,662

-5.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 CLP 1,163

$1.18 CLP 1,161

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 CLP 1,336

$2.40 CLP 2,364

-43.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 CLP 1,534

$1.47 CLP 1,452

6.12%

Eggs

$3.02 CLP 2,971

$3.73 CLP 3,669

-19.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 CLP 8,658

$12.53 CLP 12.3K

-29.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.24 CLP 6,141

$5.75 CLP 5,660

8.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.47 CLP 12.3K

$12.48 CLP 12.3K

-0.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 CLP 2,130

$1.88 CLP 1,851

14.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 CLP 1,799

$1.69 CLP 1,665

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 CLP 1,765

$1.27 CLP 1,248

40.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 CLP 1,785

$1.47 CLP 1,443

23.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.32 CLP 2,288

$1.15 CLP 1,130

101.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,542

$1.21 CLP 1,188

29.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 CLP 1,413

$1.07 CLP 1,052

34.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 CLP 1,125

$0.88 CLP 864

29.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.98 CLP 4,900

$5.26 CLP 5,176

-5.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.63 CLP 4,560

$5.25 CLP 5,167

-11.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,516

$0.95 CLP 930

62.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 CLP 2,062

$2.05 CLP 2,017

1.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 CLP 597

$1.00 CLP 988

-39.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 CLP 34.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.99 CLP 975

$0.75 CLP 742

32.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 CLP 2,031

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.12 CLP 11.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 CLP 1,468

$1.42 CLP 1,396

4.93%

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

$14.6K CLP 14.4M

$19.6K CLP 19.3M

-25.46%

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

$17.7K CLP 17.4M

$12.4K CLP 12.2M

42.66%

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

$89.4 CLP 88.0K

$88.2 CLP 86.8K

1.32%

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

$13.72 CLP 13.5K

$10.93 CLP 10.8K

25.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.60 CLP 30.1K

$21.18 CLP 20.9K

44.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.49 CLP 39.9K

$83.7 CLP 82.3K

-51.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.43 CLP 23.1K

$20.08 CLP 19.8K

16.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 CLP 4,502

$7.94 CLP 7,819

-42.44%

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

$247 CLP 242.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,073 CLP 3.0M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 CLP 49.6K

$43.29 CLP 42.6K

16.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.42 CLP 17.2K

$61.0 CLP 60.0K

-71.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 CLP 49.5K

$91.5 CLP 90.0K

-44.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.7 CLP 74.5K

$103 CLP 101.0K

-26.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$564 CLP 555.4K

$430 CLP 423.4K

31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$377 CLP 371.2K

$313 CLP 308.4K

20.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$990 CLP 974.7K

$920 CLP 905.3K

7.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 CLP 555.1K

$723 CLP 711.7K

-22.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,404 CLP 4.3M

$1,996 CLP 2.0M

120.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,339 CLP 1.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$631 CLP 621.1K

$719 CLP 707.6K

-12.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

6.5

-30.77%

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

Last update for Valdivia: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdivia

$377 37.3%

La Serena

$313 28.7% 16.9% $64

Groceries & Markets

Valdivia

$227 22.5%

La Serena

$232 21.3% 2.2% $4.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdivia

$134 13.2%

La Serena

$120 11% 10% $13

Eating Out

Valdivia

$133 13.2%

La Serena

$142 13% 6.2% $8.3

Clothing & Footwear

Valdivia

$87 8.6%

La Serena

$134 12.3% 53.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Valdivia

$50 4.9%

La Serena

$100 9.1% 101% $50

Getting Around

Valdivia

$3.4 * 0.3%

La Serena

$50 4.6% 1366% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $564 in Valdivia versus $430 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 14% higher in La Serena, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Valdivia versus $48.00 in La Serena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $227 vs $232 – making Valdivia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

13:17 1:17 PM

Same time as Valdivia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,048

195,382

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Valdivia La Serena 1,120 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdivia
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

Valdivia vs La Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – La Serena is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in leisure.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,518 per month in Valdivia and $1,637 in La Serena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valdivia, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in La Serena, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Valdivia and $48.00 in La Serena. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Valdivia, where all-in costs run around $1,012, than in La Serena at $1,092. In Valdivia it covers expenses comfortably, while in La Serena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Valdivia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Valdivia. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, La Serena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.