Cost Of Living For a Student in Puente Alto 2025

Average monthly spending for students in Puente Alto

How much money does a student need in a month to survive in Puente Alto?

Students in Puente Alto spend around 1.4M CLP per month on average. Depending on the lifestyle, a student can survive with a monthly budget as low as 210,000 CLP or as high as 9.1M CLP. Location is a very important factor and has a huge influence on expenditure and budget.

How do students spend their money in Puente Alto?

We asked thousands of students about their spending habits and expenditure break down.

Housing and accomodation expenditure for students

Students in Puente Alto typically spend from 14% to 25% of their total monthly expenditure on housing with 19% being the average. The average monthly spend on housing is 330,000 CLP with expenditure ranging from 50,000 CLP to 2.2M CLP. This cost mainly goes for rent but it also includes other accommodation-related expenses.

Electricity, utilities, energy, water, internet, and mobile expenditure for students

Utility expenditure like electricity, water, and gas in Puente Alto ranges from 4% to 10% of total expenses with 6% being the average for most students. The average monthly cost of utilities is 55,000 CLP with 8,400 CLP and 370,000 CLP being the upper and lower limits for a student of four.

Transport, fuel, and commute expenditure for students

Fuel consumption and cost of transport depend heavily on whether a student resides near school and work, but roughly speaking a student would expect to spend from 15,000 CLP to 640,000 CLP in a month on commuting with 96,000 CLP being the norm for most students. This means that money spent on transport constitutes about 5% of total spending on average but can go as low as 5% or as high as 11%.

Food, groceries, and basic shopping expenditure for students

The average outlay on groceries and basic houshold items for a typical student in a month in Puente Alto is 270,000 CLP. The cost of groceries can range between 42,000 CLP to 1.8M CLP. Students spend on average about 22% on food and groceries with upper and lower bounds of 16% and 26% respectively.

Healthcare and medical services expenditure for students

Students in Puente Alto allocate 5% to 11% of their total monthly expenditure to healthcare including health insurance and out-of-pocket medical expenses. The average spending on medical services and clinic visits is around 8%. The range of medical expenses range from 13,000 CLP to 550,000 CLP with 82,000 CLP being the norm for most students.

Leisure and shopping expenditure for students

This category mostly contains discretionary or non-essential expenses but also some non-discretionary spending like furniture for example. The monthly expenses range from 10,000 CLP to 460,000 CLP with 69,000 CLP being the average. Speaking of percentages, that equates to 2% to 7% of total expenses with an average of 3% for most students.

Education and schooling expenditure for students

Spending on education can vary drastically between different students. On average, education constitutes 19% of the monthly expenditure of students with 12% and 24% being the lower and upper bounds respectively. The average reported education cost is 260,000 CLP per month with 40,000 CLP being the minimum spent amount and 1.7M CLP being the maximum.

A typical and healthy budgeting structure

The 50/30/20 rule

Spending among different people can vary significantly based on factors such as their income, lifestyle, location, and personal preferences. A commonly used guideline for budgeting is the 50/30/20 rule, which suggests allocating your income into three main categories in the following percentages.

• 50% for needs and financial obligations

  This category includes essential expenses like housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare.

• 30% for wants and discretionary spending

  This category covers discretionary spending on non-essential items, such as dining out, entertainment, travel, and other lifestyle choices.

• 20% for savings and emergency fund

  This is the percentage that must be allocated to savings, emergency funds, and retirement accounts.

About financial planning, money management, and household budgeting

Affordable living in Puente Alto

Income and cost of living compatibility

We asked students one simple question and recorded their answers.

Is it affordable or economical to live in Puente Alto?

Around 75% of surveyed students think that living in Puente Alto is affordable with proper budgeting while 26% reported that it is just too expensive and not affordable even with frugality and thriftness.

Low-cost alternatives in Puente Alto

People are always looking for ways to cut down expenses and reduce expenditures. The hallmark of any affordable place is the availability of discount stores, bargain deals, smart or secondhand shopping, refurbished items, and couponing. We asked students how easily cost-cutting is and the answers were distributed as follows:

Plenty of low-cost options65%

Few low-cost options35%

Based on the survey, 65% of the students living in Puente Alto have no problem finding low-cost alternatives to support a frugal lifestyle while 35% think that thriftness is difficult due to scarcity in discount markets and secondhand outlets.

Emergency Funds For Students

An emergency fund is a financial safety net comprised of easily accessible savings set aside to cover unexpected expenses or financial emergencies, typically amounting to three to six months' worth of living expenses. We asked students of Puente Alto whether they have an emergency fund and the answers were as follows.

Yes71%

No29%

Based on the survey, 29% of the students living in Puente Alto said that they don't have an emergency fund while 71% said that they do.

Financial Literacy in Chile

Financial literacy is the knowledge of concepts and principles related to personal finance that allow individuals to make informed decisions regarding their money such as budgeting, saving, investing, borrowing, managing debt, financial risk management, and planning.

Financial Leteracy63%

We asked student guardians and parents in Puente Alto whether they acquired any adequate personal financial training in their lives. Approximately 37% of the people who participated in the survey said that they are not well informed about the topics of budgeting, saving, etc., and just manage things based on their own experience, while 63% said that they know about the general principles of personal finance from sources other than their own experience.

Difficulty in Budgeting and Financial Planning

We wanted to understand whether students of Chile have problems or difficulties in managing their expenditures and savings so we asked people one simple question: do you struggle with your personal finances? 35% of the participants reported that they indeed struggle in creating budgets and in organizing their finances while 65% said that they have everything under control.

Struggles with finance35%

Easily manages finances65%

Housing costs, accommodation, and housing affordability in Puente Alto

Rent Cost in Puente Alto

Monthly Rent Prices

Studio apartment monthly rent cost

240,000 CLP

360,000 CLP

960,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$250

$370

$980

1-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

360,000 CLP

570,000 CLP

1.4M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$370

$590

$1,500

2-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

480,000 CLP

720,000 CLP

1.9M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$490

$740

$2,000

3-bedroom apartment monthly rent cost

570,000 CLP

960,000 CLP

2.6M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$590

$980

$2,700

Furnished apartment monthly rent cost

1.1M CLP

2.9M CLP

5.7M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$3,000

$5,900

Townhouse monthly rent cost

960,000 CLP

1.4M CLP

4.1M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$980

$1,500

$4,200

House monthly rent cost

1.1M CLP

2.9M CLP

5.7M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,200

$3,000

$5,900

Villa monthly rent cost

1.4M CLP

3.6M CLP

5.7M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1,500

$3,700

$5,900

The monthly rental cost of a studio apartment in Puente Alto ranges between 240,000 CLP and 960,000 CLP, meanwhile the cost of monthly rental of a one-bedroom apartment can be anywhere from 360,000 CLP to 1.4M CLP. Two-bedroom rentals rate ranges between 480,000 CLP and 1.9M CLP per month. The monthly rental for a three-bedroom apartment ranges from 570,000 CLP to 2.6M CLP. The average rent of a townhouse in Puente Alto is around 1.4M CLP while house rental costs can be as high as 2.9M CLP per month. Finally, if you want to rent a villa, expect to pay anywhere from 1.4M CLP to 5.7M CLP per month.

Apartment and house prices in Puente Alto

Cost of buying a property

Studio apartment price

48M CLP

72M CLP

140M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$49,000

$74,000

$150,000

1-bedroom apartment price

57M CLP

96M CLP

360M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$59,000

$98,000

$370,000

2-bedroom apartment price

96M CLP

290M CLP

570M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$98,000

$300,000

$590,000

3-bedroom apartment price

320M CLP

480M CLP

1,400M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$330,000

$490,000

$1.5M

Townhouse price

410M CLP

960M CLP

3,600M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$420,000

$980,000

$3.7M

House price

480M CLP

2,900M CLP

4,100M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$490,000

$3M

$4.2M

Villa price

570M CLP

3,200M CLP

4,800M CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$590,000

$3.3M

$4.9M

The average price of a studio apartment in Puente Alto can range from 48M CLP to 140M CLP depending on location. One bedroom cost can be anywhere from 57M CLP to 360M CLP. A villa can cost you 3,200M CLP on average with prices ranging from 570M CLP to 4,800M CLP.

House / apartment prices to income ratio

Property prices in Puente Alto can be x115 to x222 multiples of the monthly income depending on the property and the income of the person. On average, property prices are approximately x115 multiples of the average monthly salary in Puente Alto.

Rent to income ratio

The average rent-to-income ratio in Puente Alto is around 33%. This means that people pay 33% of their income for rent. Those figures can range from 22% to 44% depending on the salary, location, and type of property.

Housing affordability index

The housing affordability index measures how affordable accommodation is in a particular place. This can measured in multiple ways, the most common being housing expenditure to total expenditure ratio and the rent to income ratio. The housing expenditure ratio is a figure reported by individuals on the percentage they allocate for housing. Rent to income ratio is calculated by dividing the average monthly rent by the average income. Because these values are both percentages, we can find their average and get the best of the two worlds.

Property Taxes

Real estate owners pay property taxes to local tax authorities, which are determined by the assessed value of their property. Typically, these taxes are paid once a year. Property tax funds contribute to community development, financing infrastructure improvements, public services, and local education initiatives.

Home Maintenance Costs

Home maintenance costs encompass various expenses associated with the upkeep and repair of a residence. These expenditures include regular tasks such as lawn care, pest control, and HVAC system servicing, as well as occasional repairs and renovations like fixing leaks, painting, or replacing appliances.

Urban vs. rural living costs

Urban living typically entails higher housing and transportation costs due to demand and limited space, while rural areas generally offer lower housing expenses but may have higher prices for goods and services. The differnce in rental rates between urban areas and rural areas can be as high as 300% in some cases.

Monthly costs and expenses of energy and basic utilities in Puente Alto

Energy, electricity, water, gas, internet, and mobile cost in Puente Alto

Utility Bill Cost / Electricity + Water + Gas / Student

8,400 CLP

55,000 CLP

370,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$8.6

$56

$370

Internet and cable cost

13,000 CLP

26,000 CLP

35,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$13

$27

$36

Mobile phone bill and charges

10,000 CLP

17,000 CLP

52,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$11

$18

$54

The average monthly energy and water consumption of students is around 55,000 CLP. The cost of internet and WiFi ranges from 13,000 CLP to 35,000 CLP with 26,000 CLP being the average internet bill. Finally, the average monthly mobile charges is around 17,000 CLP but can range between 10,000 CLP and 52,000 CLP depending on consumption. Mobile charges include both calling minutes as well as data packages.

Energy / Utility expense to income ratio

The average utility-to-income ratio in Puente Alto is around 6.6%. This means that people pay 6.6% of their income for energy, water, internet, and mobile charges. Those figures can range from 3.3% to 11% depending on salary and location.

Food Prices, Dining Expenses, and Grocery Costs in Puente Alto

Prices and cost of goods and services in Puente Alto

Dining out, food, and beverages costs. Price variations for common food items.

Fast food combo meal price

2,600 CLP

5,200 CLP

8,700 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.7

$5.4

$8.9

The average price of a regular combo meal at a fast food outlet or chain like McDonald's, Pizzahut, or KFC in Puente Alto is approximatly 5,200 CLP with meal cost ranging from 2,600 CLP to 8,700 CLP. The typical combo meal consists of a burger, french fries, and a drink.

Restaurant meal for one price

9,100 CLP

14,000 CLP

27,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$9.4

$14

$28

If you are planning to have a nice meal at a mid-range restaurant, expect to pay anywhere between 9,100 CLP and 27,000 CLP with 14,000 CLP being the average price of a plate for one person at a regular restaurant in Puente Alto.

Fine dining meal for one price

18,000 CLP

27,000 CLP

110,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$19

$28

$110

The price range of a meal at fine-dining restaurant is 18,000 CLP to 110,000 CLP with the average cost being 27,000 CLP for one person. This is what you would expect to pay a top-tier diner in Puente Alto.

Beverage prices, cappuccino, latte etc..

2,200 CLP

3,500 CLP

5,200 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$2.2

$3.6

$5.4

The average price of a regular beverage like cappuccino or latte at Starbucks, Costa, or similar coffee shops and cafes in Puente Alto is around 3,500 CLP. Price ranges between 2,200 CLP and 5,200 CLP depending on the type of beverage, the size, and optional add-ons.

Grocery and market costs

Large bottle of milk price

1,700 CLP

2,100 CLP

2,600 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.8

$2.1

$2.7

The average price of a large bottle of milk in Puente Alto is 2,100 CLP. The maximum what you would pay for milk is 2,600 CLP and the minimum being 1,700 CLP depending on the brand of milk and other properties.

12 eggs price

1,300 CLP

1,700 CLP

2,600 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.3

$1.8

$2.7

A dozen eggs costs around 1,700 CLP on average with 1,300 CLP and 2,600 CLP being the lower and upper limits respectively.

Fresh whole chicken price

3,000 CLP

3,800 CLP

5,400 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3

$3.9

$5.6

The price range of a fresh whole chicken in Puente Alto is between 3,000 CLP and 5,400 CLP depending on the size of the chicken and whether it is oraganic or not. The average price is approximatly 3,800 CLP.

Pack of beef price

3,500 CLP

5,200 CLP

10,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$3.6

$5.4

$11

The price of a regular pack of beef or meat is around 5,200 CLP. A pack of beef contains around 1Kg or 1lb depending on packing.

Medium bag of rice price

1,400 CLP

1,900 CLP

2,700 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$1.4

$2

$2.8

A bag of rice in Puente Alto costs around 1,900 CLP on average with prices rangeing between 1,400 CLP and 2,700 CLP depending on the brand and quality.

Bag of tomatos price

520 CLP

700 CLP

1,300 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.54

$0.71

$1.3

A bag of tomatoes costs anywhere from 520 CLP to 1,300 CLP. A bag of tomatoes denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Bag of apples price

930 CLP

1,200 CLP

2,000 CLP

MINIMUM

AVERAGE

MAXIMUM

$0.96

$1.3

$2.1

A bag of apples costs 1,200 CLP on average. A bag of apples denotes 1Kg or 1lb depending on location.

Grocery and food expenditure to income ratio

The average grocery-to-income ratio in Puente Alto is around 29%. This means that students spend 29% of their income on grocery and basic household items. The expenditure can range from 20% to 35% depending on salary and location.

Expenditure on food and grocery for students