Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iquique Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Iquique

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Barcelona versus $1,026 in Iquique.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,426 in Barcelona versus $1,702 in Iquique.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Barcelona versus $2,377 in Iquique.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 126% more expensive than in Iquique, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 74% above, Iquique is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 €15.45

$8.01 CLP 7,463

120.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 €61.0

$43.94 CLP 40.9K

58.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.16 €12.39

$7.21 CLP 6,718

96.39%

Cappuccino

$2.80 €2.45

$3.58 CLP 3,336

-21.79%

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

$2.81 €2.46

$1.35 CLP 1,258

108.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.02 CLP 951

101.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.60 €4.02

$3.48 CLP 3,244

32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.69 €4.10

$3.71 CLP 3,456

26.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.20 CLP 1,119

2.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.22 CLP 1,138

66.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.41 CLP 1,313

40.43%

Eggs

$3.49 €3.05

$3.47 CLP 3,227

0.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.33 €16.04

$10.42 CLP 9,703

75.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.83 €8.60

$6.65 CLP 6,196

47.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.13 €16.73

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

76.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.38

$1.89 CLP 1,759

44.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.38 €2.09

$2.39 CLP 2,223

-0.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.55 CLP 1,442

34.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.75 €2.41

$1.12 CLP 1,042

145.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.72

$0.82 CLP 767

139.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.57

$0.67 CLP 622

167.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.29

$1.25 CLP 1,168

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.80

$1.18 CLP 1,095

-22.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.13 €6.24

$5.45 CLP 5,071

30.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.89

$8.20 CLP 7,636

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.54 CLP 1,434

-10.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.09

$2.30 CLP 2,138

3.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.01 €2.63

$0.67 CLP 620

349.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.35 €25.68

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 €3.82

$0.47 CLP 435

827.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.60 €25.90

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.59

$1.44 CLP 1,341

26.39%

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

$37.9K €33.1K

$19.8K CLP 18.4M

91.53%

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

$32.4K €28.3K

$21.3K CLP 19.8M

52.25%

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

$189 €165

$81.7 CLP 76.1K

131.26%

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

$22.29 €19.50

$13.37 CLP 12.5K

66.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.16 €32.51

$21.65 CLP 20.2K

71.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €50.8

$42.71 CLP 39.8K

35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.66 €18.08

$21.02 CLP 19.6K

-1.71%

Cinema Ticket

$10.87 €9.51

$5.80 CLP 5,397

87.41%

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

$706 €618

$440 CLP 409.8K

60.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.9K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.4 €78.3

$31.76 CLP 29.6K

181.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.60 €32.02

$24.53 CLP 22.8K

49.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €91.0

$48.65 CLP 45.3K

113.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$61.4 CLP 57.2K

94.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 €1,381

$438 CLP 408.0K

260.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,238 €1,083

$397 CLP 369.5K

211.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 €2,373

$757 CLP 705.4K

258.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,039 €1,784

$842 CLP 784.5K

142.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,527 €6,585

$1,812 CLP 1.7M

315.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,239 €4,584

$2,077 CLP 1.9M

152.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,364 €2,068

$1,004 CLP 934.9K

135.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

7.5

-54.80%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 13, 2026

Last update for Iquique: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,579 in Barcelona and $438 in Iquique. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 135% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Iquique for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $228 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Iquique: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Iquique differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $1,026 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 135% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,579 in Barcelona versus $438 in Iquique. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Barcelona versus $440 in Iquique. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Iquique – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $70.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Iquique versus $2,320 in Barcelona, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Iquique the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Iquique are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Iquique gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.