Junín de los Andes vs Puerto Varas
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Puerto Varas cheaper — −28%
Ready-made house
✓in Junín de los Andes cheaper — −46%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per monthJunín de los Andes≈ $545–1,410ARS 850k – 2.2M✓Puerto Varas≈ $657–759CLP 650–750kcheaper by 28%Winter
averageJunín de los Andes4 °C4 °CPuerto Varas6 °C6 °CPrecipitation
per yearJunín de los Andes540 mm540 mmPuerto Varas1,565.6 mm1,565.6 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Junín de los Andes$122–210k$122–210kcheaper by 46%Puerto Varas≈ $245–374kCLP 242,527,465–369,546,087
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Daily life
Junín de los Andes
Nothing yet
Puerto Varas
The 2024 census counted 52,942 people in the commune of Puerto Varas. Next door is Puerto Montt with 277,040 people, the airport and a large hospital.
OfficialINE: first results of the 2024 census for the Los Lagos region · checked 6 Oct 2026
Housing
Junín de los Andes
Roughly from USD 122k for 66 m² to USD 210k for 248 m²; a 250 m² family complex on a 2,500 m² plot is USD 300k.
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
There is no reliable median: listings get mixed with San Martín. A single house at a local agency is ARS 2.2 million a month; good houses quickly move into the expensive segment.
SpecialistGrupo Patagonia SMA — local agency · checked 30 Aug 2026
There is almost nothing on offer. As of 1 October 2026 there were two listings: a 35 m² cabin with 1 bedroom at ARS 850,000, and a furnished 80 m² house in the center at ARS 2,200,000 a month.
SpecialistMercado Libre - Propiedades en alquiler en Junín de los Andes (as of 1 October 2026) · checked 1 Oct 2026
Puerto Varas
A two-bedroom apartment is 650–750 thousand pesos a month (about 720 dollars). A three-bedroom house is mostly 620 thousand to 1.3 million, median 900 thousand.
SpecialistChilepropiedades: apartments for long-term rent in Puerto Varas, all 55 listings · checked 6 Oct 2026
A 5,000 m² plot (parcela de agrado) in listings costs 41–136 million pesos, median about 76 million (78 thousand dollars). In gated communities 100–300 million.
SpecialistChilepropiedades: plots (parcelas) for sale in the commune of Puerto Varas, first five pages (50 listings out of 260) · checked 6 Oct 2026
A three-bedroom house in listings costs 243–370 million pesos, median about 327 million (336 thousand dollars). There are few offers under 200 million.
SpecialistChilepropiedades: houses for sale in the commune of Puerto Varas, first five pages (50 listings out of 305) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Junín de los Andes
Regional estimate: the minimum food basket for a family of four in Patagonia is ARS 708,288 a month (June 2026). This is not a measurement in the town itself.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Regional estimate: the poverty line excluding rent for a family of four is ARS 1,784,886 a month (June 2026, Patagonia). Add rent on top. Not a measurement in the town.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Puerto Varas
The minimum food basket costs 92,327 pesos per person a month, about 369 thousand for four (380 dollars). The figure is national.
OfficialChile's Ministry of Social Development: cost of the basic food basket and poverty lines, August 2026 report · checked 6 Oct 2026
The poverty line for a family of four without rent is 671,031 pesos a month. With rent, food, electricity and internet it comes to about 1.1–1.4 million, without heating.
OfficialChile's Ministry of Social Development: cost of the basic food basket and poverty lines, August 2026 report · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Junín de los Andes
In March 2026, Escuela Primaria Nº153 opened in Nehuén Che for growing neighborhoods, for about 900 families: a shortage of primary school places in the eastern corridor is less likely.
OfficialNew primary school Nº153 in Junín de los Andes · checked 31 Aug 2026
Puerto Varas
The town has the German School and Colegio Puerto Varas. They do not publish tuition openly; only the application fee is visible: 1.5–2 UF.
OfficialColegio Alemán de Puerto Varas: letter to applicant families, admission for 2027 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Healthcare
Junín de los Andes
The nearest regional hospital is Hospital Dr. Ramón Carrillo in San Martín, about 40 km along RN 40.
OfficialBoletín Oficial Neuquén — staffing of Hospital Ramón Carrillo, 2026 · checked 27 Aug 2026
Puerto Varas
The town has the accredited private high-complexity Clínica Puerto Varas. A large public hospital is in neighbouring Puerto Montt.
OfficialSuperintendencia de Salud: register of accredited healthcare providers in the Los Lagos region · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Junín de los Andes
About 40 km along RN 40, with regular intercity service and the Chapelco airport between the towns. 30–45 minutes by car; check the road in winter on the spot.
OfficialAviador Carlos Campos airport (Chapelco) · checked 27 Aug 2026
Puerto Varas
Nearest airport: El Tepual near Puerto Montt, flights to Santiago by LATAM, Sky and JetSMART. By bus Santiago is 899 km, from 11 h 20 min, from 16 thousand pesos.
SpecialistCheckMyBus: buses Santiago – Puerto Varas, timetable and prices · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Junín de los Andes
About 540 mm a year, almost three times drier than San Martín. The western lake zones are noticeably wetter; the transition to steppe begins at Junín.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 2026
The average January temperature is about 17.3 °C, according to the territorial plan.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 2026
The average July temperature is about 3.9 °C, according to the territorial plan.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 2026
Puerto Varas
The mean temperature in July 2026 near Puerto Montt was 6.2 °C: about 11 by day, about 2–3 at night. Frosts are common; the coldest night was minus 4.5 °C.
OfficialChilean Meteorological Office: July 2026 temperature, El Tepual Puerto Montt Ap. station, code 410005 · checked 6 Oct 2026
The 1991–2020 normal is about 1,566 mm a year, with rain in every month: from 69 mm in February to 213 mm in June. 2025 had 160 days with at least 1 mm.
OfficialChilean Meteorological Office: 2025 rainfall and the 1991–2020 normal, El Tepual Puerto Montt Ap. station, code 410005 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Junín de los Andes
Neuquén province in 2025: 5.7 per 100k, the highest of all provinces (average 3.6), up 32.5% from 2024. The figure is driven by the provincial capital; there is no separate data for Junín.
OfficialSNIC — Informe del Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal, year 2025, table 5 (intentional homicides by province) · checked 9 Sep 2026
Puerto Varas
In 2025 the commune of Puerto Varas had two homicides, neighbouring Puerto Montt 16. The Los Lagos region had 4.5 per 100 thousand residents against 5.4 nationally.
OfficialReport on homicide victims in Chile for 2025, with figures by region and commune (published on the Fiscalía website) · checked 6 Oct 2026
The Calbuco and Osorno volcanoes are nearby. SENAPRED has a separate evacuation plan for Puerto Varas in case of a Calbuco eruption and a plan for the Osorno volcano.
OfficialSENAPRED: evacuation plans for the Los Lagos region, including for volcanic eruptions · checked 6 Oct 2026
Internet and phone
Junín de los Andes
COTESMA publishes an address-level fiber coverage map for Junín: the same network as in San Martín, up to 1,000 Mbps.
SpecialistCOTESMA — coverage in Junín de los Andes · checked 2 Sep 2026
Puerto Varas
Fibre from 12,990 pesos a month on promotion; the median price after the promotion is 26,990 (about 28 dollars). Tariffs are national; availability is checked by address.
SpecialistRedify: catalogue of home fibre internet plans in Chile, October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Junín de los Andes
Piped gas is supplied by Camuzzi, which has accepted connection requests again since 5 January 2026, including in Junín. Electricity: EPEN, with an office in the town. The table has no tariffs specifically for Junín.
SpecialistCamuzzi — gas connections resume in the Cordillera · checked 1 Oct 2026
Puerto Varas
SAESA electricity from 1 October 2026: 264.8 pesos per kWh with IVA plus 1,242 a month. 300 kWh is about 80.7 thousand pesos (83 dollars), cheaper than Valparaíso.
OfficialSAESA: electricity tariffs for regulated customers from 1 October 2026, table by commune · checked 6 Oct 2026

