Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Concepcion and Iquique

For one person, living costs are similar in Concepcion and in Iquique: $1,047 and $1,009 a month, rent and utilities included.

Concepcion
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,047
/mo nomad
Iquique
🇨🇱 Chile
$1,009
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Concepcion and in Iquique

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Concepcion and in Iquique actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Concepcion versus $1,009 in Iquique.

  • Concepcion $1,047
  • Iquique $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Concepcion versus $1,595 in Iquique.

  • Concepcion $1,640
  • Iquique $1,595

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,234 in Concepcion versus $2,181 in Iquique.

  • Concepcion $2,234
  • Iquique $2,181

Living in Concepcion is roughly 4% more expensive than in Iquique, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Concepcion 23% lower, Iquique 26% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.18 CLP 7,070
$7.52 CLP 7,405
-4.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.34 CLP 45.6K
$40.89 CLP 40.3K
13.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.51 CLP 7,393
$7.09 CLP 6,979
5.92%
Cappuccino
$2.72 CLP 2,676
$3.45 CLP 3,400
-21.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 CLP 1,363
$1.24 CLP 1,219
11.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.04 CLP 1,026
$1.02 CLP 1,002
1.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.88 CLP 3,818
$3.19 CLP 3,141
21.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 CLP 3,579
$3.62 CLP 3,562
0.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 CLP 1,171
$1.12 CLP 1,102
6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.46 CLP 1,434
$1.17 CLP 1,148
24.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 CLP 1,483
$1.30 CLP 1,275
16.15%
Eggs
$3.48 CLP 3,426
$2.97 CLP 2,928
17.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.93 CLP 10.8K
$10.38 CLP 10.2K
5.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.77 CLP 6,668
$10.13 CLP 9,973
-33.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.69 CLP 11.5K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$1.49 CLP 1,468
$2.30 CLP 2,263
-35.22%
Banana (1kg)
$1.27 CLP 1,254
$2.24 CLP 2,205
-43.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 CLP 1,453
$1.49 CLP 1,466
-0.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.44 CLP 1,418
$1.09 CLP 1,071
32.11%
Potato (1kg)
$1.04 CLP 1,023
$0.73 CLP 722
42.47%
Onion (1kg)
$1.30 CLP 1,276
$0.58 CLP 574
124.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.11 CLP 1,097
$1.05 CLP 1,030
5.71%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.14 CLP 1,118
$1.35 CLP 1,328
-15.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.17 CLP 5,093
$7.01 CLP 6,904
-26.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.78 CLP 4,706
$7.60 CLP 7,477
-37.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$0.93 CLP 918
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.71 CLP 1,683
$0.81 CLP 793
111.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.56 CLP 547
$0.68 CLP 666
-17.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$31.63 CLP 31.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.56 CLP 1,534
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 CLP 2,367
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$12.14 CLP 12.0K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 CLP 1,330
$1.44 CLP 1,419
-6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.1K CLP 19.8M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.8K CLP 27.4M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$117 CLP 115.0K
$85.7 CLP 84.4K
36.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.97 CLP 15.7K
$15.04 CLP 14.8K
6.18%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.67 CLP 28.2K
$23.18 CLP 22.8K
23.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.58 CLP 29.1K
$50.1 CLP 49.3K
-40.91%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.18 CLP 10.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.55 CLP 5,462
$6.87 CLP 6,764
-19.21%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$314 CLP 309.2K
$251 CLP 247.1K
25.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,280 CLP 4.2M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.06 CLP 44.4K
$30.07 CLP 29.6K
49.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.66 CLP 21.3K
$22.86 CLP 22.5K
-5.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$64.6 CLP 63.6K
$45.02 CLP 44.3K
43.56%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.3 CLP 63.3K
$57.8 CLP 56.9K
11.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$472 CLP 464.5K
$413 CLP 406.6K
14.24%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$342 CLP 337.0K
$394 CLP 388.3K
-13.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$950 CLP 935.2K
$690 CLP 679.5K
37.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$636 CLP 626.3K
$781 CLP 769.1K
-18.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,130 CLP 2.1M
$1,709 CLP 1.7M
24.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,787 CLP 1.8M
$1,902 CLP 1.9M
-6.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Concepcion
Iquique
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$549 CLP 540.3K
$934 CLP 919.7K
-41.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
7.5
-29.33%

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

Last update for Concepcion: October 17, 2026

Last update for Iquique: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Concepcion
$342
Iquique
$394 15.2% $52
Groceries & Markets
Concepcion
$218
Iquique
$199 * 8.8% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Concepcion
$161
Iquique
$124 23.3% $38
Eating Out
Concepcion
$149
Iquique
$155 4.1% $6.1
Clothing & Footwear
Concepcion
$88
Iquique
$70 20.4% $18
Getting Around
Concepcion
$47
Iquique
$2.7 * 94.3% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Concepcion
$41
Iquique
$64 56.9% $23

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $472 in Concepcion and $413 in Iquique. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquique pays 70% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Concepcion vs $41.00 in Iquique for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $218 vs $199 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Concepcion
🇨🇱 Iquique
🕒 Local time
09:29 9:29 AM
09:29 9:29 AM
Same time as Concepcion
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
217,537
188,003
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Concepcion Iquique 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Concepcion
  • Iquique

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Concepcion vs Iquique: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Concepcion and in Iquique?
Concepcion and Iquique differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($1,047 vs $1,009 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 70% lower in Iquique. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Concepcion and in Iquique?
Rent for a central apartment: $472 in Concepcion versus $413 in Iquique. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Concepcion and Iquique?
Childcare runs $314 in Concepcion versus $251 in Iquique. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Iquique – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $46.00 in Concepcion. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,009 in Iquique versus $1,047 in Concepcion, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Concepcion. The gap between the two cities makes Iquique the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Concepcion and Iquique?
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.
Where should expats move: Concepcion or Iquique?
Expats usually find Iquique gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Concepcion. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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