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: $2,367 in Barcelona versus $1,045 in Iquique.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,465 in Barcelona versus $1,709 in Iquique.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Barcelona versus $2,374 in Iquique.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 127% more expensive than Iquique, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Iquique is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.58 €15.14

$8.01 CLP 7,170

119.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 €58.9

$42.47 CLP 38.0K

61.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.06 €12.10

$7.18 CLP 6,425

95.82%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.39

$3.68 CLP 3,294

-24.46%

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

$2.80 €2.41

$1.30 CLP 1,165

115.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.02 CLP 912

101.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.46 €3.84

$3.50 CLP 3,130

27.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.97

$3.75 CLP 3,358

22.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.16 CLP 1,037

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.03 €1.75

$1.17 CLP 1,050

73.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.37 CLP 1,229

40.15%

Eggs

$3.31 €2.85

$3.58 CLP 3,199

-7.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.43 €15.87

$10.59 CLP 9,476

74.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.49 €8.17

$6.58 CLP 5,886

44.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.16 €16.50

$10.97 CLP 9,817

74.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.82 CLP 1,632

45.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.27 CLP 2,029

7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 €1.83

$1.58 CLP 1,414

34.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.11 CLP 997

156.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.82 CLP 735

148.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.59

$0.63 CLP 562

193.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.27

$1.22 CLP 1,090

20.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.19 CLP 1,063

-29.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.14 €6.15

$5.30 CLP 4,739

34.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.88 €6.79

$8.38 CLP 7,497

-5.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$1.56 CLP 1,394

-11.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.30 CLP 2,055

0.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.98 €2.57

$0.68 CLP 608

338.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.26 €25.20

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.60 €3.96

$0.51 CLP 457

801.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 €1.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.18 €25.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 €1.58

$1.43 CLP 1,276

28.67%

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

$39.0K €33.6K

$19.4K CLP 17.3M

101.36%

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

$32.7K €28.2K

$21.7K CLP 19.4M

50.98%

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

$188 €162

$81.7 CLP 73.1K

129.97%

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

$22.93 €19.75

$13.61 CLP 12.2K

68.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.71 €31.61

$22.34 CLP 20.0K

64.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 €49.41

$42.96 CLP 38.4K

33.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.70 €17.82

$21.01 CLP 18.8K

-1.48%

Cinema Ticket

$11.19 €9.64

$5.54 CLP 4,953

101.99%

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

$721 €621

$440 CLP 393.9K

63.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K €13.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.2 €74.2

$32.41 CLP 29.0K

166.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.07 €31.92

$24.37 CLP 21.8K

52.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.9

$48.10 CLP 43.0K

112.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €99.8

$61.7 CLP 55.2K

87.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,534 €1,321

$449 CLP 401.7K

241.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,051

$388 CLP 347.3K

214.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,696 €2,321

$740 CLP 661.6K

264.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,734

$839 CLP 750.5K

139.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,220 €6,217

$1,926 CLP 1.7M

274.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,189 €4,468

$2,137 CLP 1.9M

142.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,359 €2,032

$1,018 CLP 911.2K

131.64%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Iquique: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,534 in Barcelona and $449 in Iquique. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 132% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $42.00 in Iquique for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $227 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 127% in total monthly costs ($2,367 vs $1,045 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 132% more on average, 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: $1,534 in Barcelona versus $449 in Iquique. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $721 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 $42.00 versus $68.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,045 in Iquique versus $2,367 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 127% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.