Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquique: $999 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Iquique
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Iquique Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Iquique

🇨🇱 Chile

$999

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Iquique versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Iquique $999
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,590 in Iquique versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Iquique $1,590
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Iquique versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Iquique $2,180
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Iquique costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquique is 26% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 CLP 7,359

$20.77 $20.77

-63.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.30 CLP 39.7K

$84.6 $84.6

-52.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 CLP 6,934

$12.32 $12.32

-42.86%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CLP 3,384

$5.63 $5.63

-38.90%

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

$1.23 CLP 1,210

$3.72 $3.72

-66.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 937

$2.50 $2.50

-62.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CLP 3,222

$8.05 $8.05

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 CLP 3,552

$9.01 $9.01

-59.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 CLP 1,077

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CLP 1,111

$3.75 $3.75

-69.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 CLP 1,285

$3.26 $3.26

-59.82%

Eggs

$3.02 CLP 2,972

$4.17 $4.17

-27.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 CLP 9,962

$12.90 $12.90

-21.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 9,896

$14.16 $14.16

-29.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 CLP 2,273

$4.33 $4.33

-46.65%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,121

$1.46 $1.46

47.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,484

$4.51 $4.51

-66.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$4.34 $4.34

-75.58%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 CLP 722

$2.58 $2.58

-71.71%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 CLP 628

$2.35 $2.35

-72.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 981

$1.78 $1.78

-43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,326

$2.22 $2.22

-39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 CLP 7,139

$9.88 $9.88

-26.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 CLP 7,734

$15.08 $15.08

-47.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 CLP 828

$3.46 $3.46

-75.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 CLP 679

$1.49 $1.49

-53.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,419

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$88.6 CLP 87.2K

$229 $229

-61.30%

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

$15.63 CLP 15.4K

$59.4 $59.4

-73.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 CLP 22.8K

$69.9 $69.9

-66.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 CLP 49.9K

$57.2 $57.2

-11.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 CLP 6,803

$14.28 $14.28

-51.61%

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

$254 CLP 249.8K

$1,506 $1,506

-83.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.11 CLP 29.6K

$52.8 $52.8

-42.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 CLP 22.7K

$43.82 $43.82

-47.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.57 CLP 45.8K

$84.8 $84.8

-45.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

$103 $103

-43.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 CLP 415.4K

$1,907 $1,907

-77.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 CLP 375.7K

$1,274 $1,274

-70.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 CLP 671.9K

$3,664 $3,664

-81.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 CLP 769.3K

$2,538 $2,538

-69.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 CLP 1.7M

$7,614 $7,614

-77.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 CLP 1.9M

$3,157 $3,157

-39.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$958 CLP 943.5K

$5,121 $5,121

-81.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.79

10.46%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Iquique

$382 38.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 234% $892

Groceries & Markets

Iquique

$197 * 19.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 105% $208

Eating Out

Iquique

$155 15.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 129% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquique

$127 12.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 181% $231

Clothing & Footwear

Iquique

$71 7.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 80% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Iquique

$65 6.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33% $21

Getting Around

Iquique

$2.8 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2026% $56

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 $422 in Iquique and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 434% 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: $40.00 in Iquique vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $405 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Iquique

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:32 9:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

2 h behind Iquique

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,003

974,447

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquique Austin, TX 6,340 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquique
Austin, TX

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

Iquique vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique wins on cost – living expenses run 167% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Iquique the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 434% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Iquique versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $254 in Iquique versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. 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 $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $999 in Iquique versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. 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.

Expats usually find Iquique gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.