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: $2,495 in Barcelona versus $1,063 in Iquique.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,550 in Barcelona versus $1,657 in Iquique.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,605 in Barcelona versus $2,251 in Iquique.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 135% more expensive than in Iquique, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 82% above, Iquique is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.39 €15.81

$7.96 CLP 7,408

131.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 €59.5

$43.56 CLP 40.5K

58.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.15

$7.42 CLP 6,902

90.43%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.69

$3.54 CLP 3,296

-11.58%

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

$3.02 €2.59

$1.30 CLP 1,213

132.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.69

$1.05 CLP 973

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.00 €3.44

$3.33 CLP 3,094

20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 €4.09

$3.72 CLP 3,462

27.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.17 CLP 1,091

6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.86

$1.22 CLP 1,134

77.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 €1.45

$1.37 CLP 1,279

23.36%

Eggs

$4.93 €4.24

$3.14 CLP 2,922

57.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.37

$10.51 CLP 9,777

70.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 €8.26

$10.80 CLP 10.0K

-11.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.34 €16.63

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 €2.78

$2.42 CLP 2,251

33.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 €1.87

$2.24 CLP 2,089

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 €2.30

$1.64 CLP 1,524

62.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 €2.38

$1.09 CLP 1,011

154.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.90

$0.77 CLP 715

187.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 €1.88

$0.66 CLP 610

231.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.10 CLP 1,024

38.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 €0.79

$1.41 CLP 1,314

-34.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.12 €6.12

$7.42 CLP 6,901

-4.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.14 €6.99

$8.10 CLP 7,537

0.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 €2.39

$0.82 CLP 767

239.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 €2.71

$0.73 CLP 680

331.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.99 €23.21

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.79

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.50 €1.29

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.89 €30.00

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.46 CLP 1,362

19.86%

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

$36.7K €31.5K

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

$30.9K €26.6K

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

$188 €161

$92.0 CLP 85.6K

104.01%

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

$15.44 €13.27

$15.79 CLP 14.7K

-2.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.80 €32.49

$24.70 CLP 23.0K

53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 €49.16

$53.1 CLP 49.4K

7.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 €14.44

Cinema Ticket

$11.58 €9.95

$7.32 CLP 6,810

58.20%

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

$1,003 €862

$271 CLP 252.1K

270.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.0K €14.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.7

$31.86 CLP 29.6K

180.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.87 €35.14

$24.23 CLP 22.5K

68.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €94.5

$47.84 CLP 44.5K

129.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €105

$60.9 CLP 56.7K

101.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,673 €1,438

$449 CLP 417.9K

272.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,331 €1,145

$407 CLP 378.4K

227.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,596 €2,232

$710 CLP 660.8K

265.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,950 €1,676

$801 CLP 745.4K

143.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,573 €6,511

$1,787 CLP 1.7M

323.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,370 €4,617

$2,057 CLP 1.9M

161.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,402 €2,065

$972 CLP 904.1K

147.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

7.5

-57.87%

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

Last update for Barcelona: August 30, 2026

Last update for Iquique: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,673 in Barcelona and $449 in Iquique. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 147% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $44.00 in Iquique for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $208 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 135% in total monthly costs ($2,495 vs $1,063 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 147% 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: $1,673 in Barcelona versus $449 in Iquique. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,003 in Barcelona versus $271 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 $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,063 in Iquique versus $2,495 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 135% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.