Climate

Puerto Montt logs 0 frost days a year to Puerto Varas's 2 — Puerto Montt wins by 2. Puerto Montt also leads on sunny days by 5.

Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Sunny days
181176
Hot days
00
Frost days
02
Rain days
171166
Outdoor dinner months
5/125/12
Avg wind
3.4 m/s3.7 m/s
Sunshine hours
2,1942,152
Darkest month sun
90 hrs/mo86 hrs/mo
UV peak month
9.810.3

Puerto Montt

Feels-like °C

17
17
13
10
6
0
1
2
6
9
13
15

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Puerto Varas

Feels-like °C

17
17
13
10
6
1
1
2
6
9
12
16

Dinner outside

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D

Cost of Living

Puerto Montt is $75/mo cheaper

Puerto Montt runs about $1,764/mo for a balanced lifestyle against Puerto Varas's $1,839/mo — Puerto Montt comes in $75 cheaper each month, roughly 4% less.

Puerto Montt

$1,764

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,273Comfort $2,863
Top 85%in Among 48 Latin America cities

Puerto Varas

$1,839

monthly · balanced

Minimalist $1,332Comfort $2,955
Top 91%in Among 48 Latin America cities

Mobility

On mobility, Puerto Montt scores 2.4 vs Puerto Varas's 1.6 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on flight connectivity. Puerto Varas still holds an edge on walkability.

2.4/5
vs
1.6/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Car EfficiencyMotorbikeAirport
WalkabilityCar EfficiencyMotorbike
Puerto Montt leads

Culture

Puerto Montt's culture score of 1.2 sits well above Puerto Varas's 0.5, with the biggest gap on history museums.

1.2/5
vs
0.5/5
Puerto Montt leads

Nature & Outdoors

Puerto Varas's nature & outdoors score of 4.2 sits well above Puerto Montt's 3.8, with the biggest gap on green areas. Puerto Montt still holds an edge on sea access.

3.8/5
vs
4.2/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesHikingCampingSurfingDiving
SeaMountainsForestGreen AreasLakesRunningHikingCampingSurfing
Puerto Varas leads

Safety

Puerto Varas's safety score of 3.4 sits well above Puerto Montt's 3.0, with the biggest gap on property crime safety. Puerto Montt still holds an edge on wildfire safety.

3.0/5
vs
3.4/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
RoadEarthquakeFlooding
RoadEarthquakeFlooding
Puerto Varas leads

Career

Puerto Montt's career score of 2.7 sits well above Puerto Varas's 1.7, with the biggest gap on career opportunities.

2.7/5
vs
1.7/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Jobs
Puerto Montt leads

Social & Community

Puerto Varas's social & community score of 2.8 sits well above Puerto Montt's 2.4, with the biggest gap on expat-first community.

2.4/5
vs
2.8/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Expat Integration ExperienceLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Expat Integration ExperienceStreet AtmosphereLocal-First CommunityGovernment Immigration Friendliness
Puerto Varas leads

Food & Dining

On food & dining, Puerto Montt scores 2.0 vs Puerto Varas's 1.4 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on vegan & vegetarian options.

2.0/5
vs
1.4/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Delivery
Puerto Montt leads

Family

Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas score neck-and-neck on family (1.7 vs 1.5, 0–5 scale).

1.7/5
vs
1.5/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
GroceriesGym
Groceries
Puerto Montt leads

Healthcare

On healthcare, Puerto Montt scores 3.0 vs Puerto Varas's 2.7 (0–5 scale), with the biggest gap on private healthcare quality.

3.0/5
vs
2.7/5
Puerto MonttPuerto Varas
Public HealthcarePrivate Healthcare
Public Healthcare
Puerto Montt leads

Air Quality

Puerto Montt averages 19.3 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) PM2.5 annually versus Puerto Varas's 18.2 µg/m³ (sensitive-groups) — Puerto Varas breathes ~6% cleaner air (1.2 µg/m³ lower).

Puerto Montt

Puerto Varas

19.3µg/m³
18.2µg/m³

PM2.5 annual average

Sensitive Groups
Sensitive Groups

WHO classification

City Scale

Both maps at the same real-world scale — 1 cm on either map is the same distance.

Puerto Montt (235K) and Puerto Varas (25K) are 9.4x in population — Puerto Montt is the larger metro, Puerto Varas the smaller.

9.4x

Puerto Montt is roughly 9.4x the scale of Puerto Varas

Based on population (area data unavailable for some cities)

CL flagPuerto Montt
9.4x
CL flagPuerto Varas
1x

City Scale Rankings

Population
1.CL flagPuerto Montt235K9.4x
2.CL flagPuerto Varas25K1x

Who Thrives Here

Frequently asked about Puerto Montt vs Puerto Varas

Which is cheaper, Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Montt is approximately $75 per month cheaper. Puerto Montt averages $1,764/mo while Puerto Varas averages $1,839/mo.
How does the climate compare between Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas?
Sunny days: 181 vs 176 d — Similar Annual sunshine: 2,194 vs 2,152 hrs — Similar Winter sunshine: 90 vs 86 hrs/day — Similar Hot days (>30°C): 0 vs 0 d — Similar Frost days: 0 vs 2 d — Similar Rainy days: 171 vs 166 d — Similar
Is Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas safer?
Both cities have similar safety profiles, scoring around 3.0/5 on our aggregate safety index covering street safety, property crime, and natural hazards.
Should I move to Puerto Montt or Puerto Varas?
Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas are both popular relocation destinations with distinct characteristics. Puerto Montt is generally more affordable, while Puerto Varas may offer different lifestyle advantages. The best choice depends on your priorities — climate preferences, career opportunities, cost constraints, and lifestyle needs. Take the personalized quiz to find your ideal match, or explore the map to compare cities by region and lifestyle factors.

The best city depends on what matters to you

This comparison shows how Puerto Montt and Puerto Varas stack up on the data. But your climate preferences, budget, career needs, and lifestyle priorities can shift the picture entirely. A personalized diagnostic finds what fits your life.

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