Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdivia and Puerto Varas

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.

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Cost of Living Index in Valdivia
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Valdivia Living Index

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Valdivia

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,001

/mo nomad

Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,127

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valdivia and in Puerto Varas

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 Puerto Varas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Valdivia $1,001
Puerto Varas $1,127

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

Valdivia $1,518
Puerto Varas $1,606

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

Valdivia $2,036
Puerto Varas $2,084

Living in Valdivia costs roughly 11% less than in Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.15 CLP 6,110

$12.30 CLP 12.2K

-50.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.34 CLP 45.0K

$40.94 CLP 40.7K

10.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.66 CLP 6,612

$7.88 CLP 7,832

-15.48%

Cappuccino

$2.01 CLP 1,998

$3.26 CLP 3,242

-38.34%

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

$1.98 CLP 1,969

$1.03 CLP 1,023

92.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 CLP 1,263

$0.81 CLP 809

56.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.58 CLP 3,553

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 CLP 3,460

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,156

$1.08 CLP 1,072

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 CLP 1,318

$1.85 CLP 1,835

-28.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,496

$1.54 CLP 1,529

-1.95%

Eggs

$2.98 CLP 2,956

$2.99 CLP 2,968

-0.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 CLP 8,815

$8.22 CLP 8,166

7.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 CLP 6,483

$4.52 CLP 4,489

44.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.32 CLP 12.2K

$8.57 CLP 8,511

43.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 CLP 2,050

$1.73 CLP 1,718

19.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 CLP 1,849

$1.96 CLP 1,942

-5.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 CLP 1,779

$2.49 CLP 2,478

-28.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 CLP 1,830

$1.86 CLP 1,848

-1.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.28 CLP 2,265

$1.50 CLP 1,489

52.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,485

$1.23 CLP 1,225

21.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 CLP 1,470

$1.33 CLP 1,320

11.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,116

$1.12 CLP 1,113

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 CLP 5,107

$5.10 CLP 5,067

0.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.68 CLP 4,648

$4.50 CLP 4,472

4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CLP 1,486

$1.40 CLP 1,388

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 CLP 2,081

$1.23 CLP 1,220

70.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 CLP 591

$1.09 CLP 1,081

-45.87%

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

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

$88.6 CLP 88.0K

$256 CLP 254.1K

-65.37%

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

$13.62 CLP 13.5K

$16.47 CLP 16.4K

-17.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.40 CLP 30.2K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 CLP 40.9K

$30.60 CLP 30.4K

34.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.51 CLP 23.4K

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 CLP 4,550

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

$238 CLP 236.8K

$488 CLP 484.9K

-51.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,049 CLP 3.0M

$5,945 CLP 5.9M

-48.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 CLP 49.6K

$19.99 CLP 19.9K

149.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.41 CLP 17.3K

$14.96 CLP 14.9K

16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$49.21 CLP 48.9K

$60.2 CLP 59.8K

-18.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.8 CLP 76.3K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 CLP 567.7K

$604 CLP 599.8K

-5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 366.5K

$404 CLP 401.5K

-8.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$991 CLP 984.1K

$796 CLP 790.6K

24.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$550 CLP 546.3K

$598 CLP 593.7K

-7.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,449 CLP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$611 CLP 606.6K

$530 CLP 526.2K

15.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

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

Last update for Valdivia: October 26, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdivia

$369 36.9%

Puerto Varas

–

Groceries & Markets

Valdivia

$227 22.7%

Puerto Varas

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdivia

$133 13.3%

Puerto Varas

–

Eating Out

Valdivia

$131 13.1%

Puerto Varas

–

Clothing & Footwear

Valdivia

$87 8.7%

Puerto Varas

–

Sport & Entertainment

Valdivia

$50 5%

Puerto Varas

–

Getting Around

Valdivia

$3.3 * 0.3%

Puerto Varas

–

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 $604 in Puerto Varas. 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: $45 in Valdivia vs $41 in Puerto Varas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $204 per month, with Puerto Varas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Valdivia

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🕒 Local time

18:24 6:24 PM

Same time as Valdivia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,048

41,255

💱 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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Valdivia Puerto Varas 170 km

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Valdivia
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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 Puerto Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Average pay runs 15% higher in Valdivia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $571 in Valdivia versus $604 in Puerto Varas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Puerto Varas pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,001 per month in Valdivia versus $1,127 in Puerto Varas – Valdivia is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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.