Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Chiang Mai

For one person, living is cheaper in Chiang Mai: $936 a month against $999 in Iquique, rent and utilities included – about $760 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Iquique outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

48

Cost of Living Index in Iquique
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Iquique Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index

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Iquique

🇨🇱 Chile

$999

/mo nomad

Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $999 per month in Iquique vs $936 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquique $999
Chiang Mai $936

A couple spends around $1,583 per month in Iquique vs $1,457 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquique $1,583
Chiang Mai $1,457

A family of three spends $2,166 per month in Iquique vs $1,979 in Chiang Mai, rent included.

Iquique $2,166
Chiang Mai $1,979

Iquique costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Iquique and Chiang Mai are more affordable than the global median – Iquique 27% lower, Chiang Mai 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.54 CLP 7,367

$2.24 ฿75.7

236.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.68 CLP 39.7K

$19.00 ฿642

114.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 CLP 6,622

$5.55 ฿188

22.16%

Cappuccino

$3.32 CLP 3,240

$1.67 ฿56.6

98.80%

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

$1.23 CLP 1,200

$0.64 ฿21.56

92.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 985

$0.31 ฿10.32

225.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.14 CLP 3,070

$2.36 ฿79.6

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 CLP 3,359

$3.66 ฿124

-6.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$1.95 ฿65.8

-45.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 CLP 1,098

$1.44 ฿48.51

-22.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,244

$1.33 ฿45.07

-4.51%

Eggs

$2.98 CLP 2,911

$2.28 ฿77.1

30.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 CLP 9,891

$16.45 ฿556

-38.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 9,817

$2.78 ฿94.0

261.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 ฿314

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 CLP 2,208

$2.35 ฿79.5

-3.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 CLP 2,059

$0.97 ฿32.82

117.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,466

$1.60 ฿53.9

-6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 CLP 1,046

$1.50 ฿50.7

-28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 CLP 769

$1.28 ฿43.15

-38.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 CLP 581

$1.10 ฿37.22

-46.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 976

$0.71 ฿23.84

40.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 CLP 1,307

$0.49 ฿16.38

173.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.91 CLP 6,752

$4.14 ฿140

66.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.69 CLP 7,512

$17.52 ฿592

-56.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 ฿54.5

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 CLP 825

$2.78 ฿94.0

-69.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 CLP 622

$0.87 ฿29.33

-26.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 ฿1,827

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 ฿39.08

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.53 ฿17.82

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 ฿81.8

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CLP 1,372

$1.45 ฿48.93

-3.45%

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

$21.1K ฿711.2K

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

$26.9K ฿909.8K

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

$87.0 CLP 85.0K

$62.2 ฿2,100

39.89%

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

$15.29 CLP 14.9K

$12.17 ฿411

25.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.02 CLP 22.5K

$20.12 ฿680

14.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 CLP 49.8K

$37.31 ฿1,260

36.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.77 ฿127

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 CLP 6,770

$6.49 ฿219

6.78%

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

$251 CLP 245.5K

$736 ฿24.9K

-65.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿498.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.66 CLP 30.0K

$53.4 ฿1,802

-42.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.65 CLP 22.1K

$24.64 ฿832

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.79 CLP 44.7K

$91.5 ฿3,089

-49.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 CLP 56.5K

$71.9 ฿2,429

-19.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 CLP 410.1K

$482 ฿16.3K

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 CLP 379.7K

$309 ฿10.4K

25.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$692 CLP 675.9K

$1,006 ฿34.0K

-31.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 CLP 759.4K

$633 ฿21.4K

22.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,685 CLP 1.6M

$2,363 ฿79.8K

-28.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,957 CLP 1.9M

$1,589 ฿53.7K

23.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$942 CLP 920.0K

$590 ฿19.9K

59.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

5.57

34.65%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquique

$389 38.9%

Chiang Mai

$309 33% 20.5% $80

Groceries & Markets

Iquique

$195 * 19.6%

Chiang Mai

$234 25.1% 19.9% $39

Eating Out

Iquique

$152 15.2%

Chiang Mai

$78 8.3% 49% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquique

$125 12.5%

Chiang Mai

$94 10.1% 24.6% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Iquique

$71 7.1%

Chiang Mai

$109 11.6% 53.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Iquique

$65 6.5%

Chiang Mai

$50 5.4% 22.4% $15

Getting Around

Iquique

$2.5 * 0.3%

Chiang Mai

$61 6.6% 2316% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $420 in Iquique versus $482 in Chiang Mai. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 60% higher in Iquique. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Iquique versus $19 in Chiang Mai. Groceries tell a different story – $195 in Iquique vs $234 in Chiang Mai – so Iquique wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Iquique

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🕒 Local time

20:13 8:13 PM

06:13 6:13 AM

10 h ahead of Iquique

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,003

127,240

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Thai Baht THB ฿

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR

100 THB = 2.96 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

THB, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 33.77 THB (100 THB = 2.96 USD). 1 EUR = 37.59 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquique Chiang Mai 18,870 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquique
Chiang Mai

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 Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique costs about 7% more than Chiang Mai, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,499 per month in Iquique and $1,403 in Chiang Mai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquique, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $420 there versus $482 in Chiang Mai.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41 in Iquique and $19 in Chiang Mai. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 17% cheaper in Iquique – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $999 in Iquique and $936 in Chiang Mai. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Chiang Mai has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $936 in Chiang Mai to $999 in Iquique. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Chiang Mai. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Iquique makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.