Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and La Serena

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquique: $999 a month against $1,092 in La Serena, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in La Serena despite lower rent and utilities.

49

Cost of Living Index in Iquique
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Iquique Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in La Serena
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La Serena Living Index

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Iquique

🇨🇱 Chile

$999

/mo nomad

La Serena

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in La Serena

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 La Serena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Iquique versus $1,092 in La Serena.

Iquique $999
La Serena $1,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,590 in Iquique versus $1,818 in La Serena.

Iquique $1,590
La Serena $1,818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Iquique versus $2,544 in La Serena.

Iquique $2,180
La Serena $2,544

Living in Iquique costs roughly 8% less than in La Serena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iquique 26% lower, La Serena 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 CLP 7,359

$7.48 CLP 7,364

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.30 CLP 39.7K

$47.67 CLP 46.9K

-15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 CLP 6,934

$8.07 CLP 7,941

-12.76%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CLP 3,384

$2.78 CLP 2,734

23.74%

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

$1.23 CLP 1,210

$1.05 CLP 1,032

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 937

$0.68 CLP 665

39.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CLP 3,222

$1.99 CLP 1,955

64.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 CLP 3,552

$3.72 CLP 3,662

-2.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 CLP 1,077

$1.18 CLP 1,161

-7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CLP 1,111

$2.40 CLP 2,364

-52.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 CLP 1,285

$1.47 CLP 1,452

-10.88%

Eggs

$3.02 CLP 2,972

$3.73 CLP 3,669

-19.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 CLP 9,962

$12.53 CLP 12.3K

-19.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 9,896

$5.75 CLP 5,660

74.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.48 CLP 12.3K

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 CLP 2,273

$1.88 CLP 1,851

22.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,121

$1.69 CLP 1,665

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,484

$1.27 CLP 1,248

18.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$1.47 CLP 1,443

-27.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 CLP 722

$1.15 CLP 1,130

-36.52%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 CLP 628

$1.21 CLP 1,188

-47.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 981

$1.07 CLP 1,052

-6.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,326

$0.88 CLP 864

53.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 CLP 7,139

$5.26 CLP 5,176

37.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 CLP 7,734

$5.25 CLP 5,167

49.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 930

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 CLP 828

$2.05 CLP 2,017

-59.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 CLP 679

$1.00 CLP 988

-31.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.05 CLP 34.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 CLP 742

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 CLP 2,031

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.12 CLP 11.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,419

$1.42 CLP 1,396

1.41%

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

$19.6K CLP 19.3M

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

$12.4K CLP 12.2M

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

$88.6 CLP 87.2K

$88.2 CLP 86.8K

0.50%

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

$15.63 CLP 15.4K

$10.93 CLP 10.8K

43.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 CLP 22.8K

$21.18 CLP 20.9K

9.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 CLP 49.9K

$83.7 CLP 82.3K

-39.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 CLP 19.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 CLP 6,803

$7.94 CLP 7,819

-12.97%

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

$254 CLP 249.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.11 CLP 29.6K

$43.29 CLP 42.6K

-30.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 CLP 22.7K

$61.0 CLP 60.0K

-62.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.57 CLP 45.8K

$91.5 CLP 90.0K

-49.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

$103 CLP 101.0K

-43.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 CLP 415.4K

$430 CLP 423.4K

-1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 CLP 375.7K

$313 CLP 308.4K

21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 CLP 671.9K

$920 CLP 905.3K

-25.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 CLP 769.3K

$723 CLP 711.7K

8.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 CLP 1.7M

$1,996 CLP 2.0M

-13.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 CLP 1.9M

$1,339 CLP 1.3M

43.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$958 CLP 943.5K

$719 CLP 707.6K

33.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

6.5

15.38%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 10, 2026

Last update for La Serena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquique

$382 38.2%

La Serena

$313 28.7% 17.9% $68

Groceries & Markets

Iquique

$197 * 19.7%

La Serena

$232 21.3% 18% $35

Eating Out

Iquique

$155 15.5%

La Serena

$142 13% 8.3% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquique

$127 12.8%

La Serena

$120 11% 5.6% $7.1

Clothing & Footwear

Iquique

$71 7.1%

La Serena

$134 12.3% 88.8% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Iquique

$65 6.5%

La Serena

$100 9.1% 54.3% $35

Getting Around

Iquique

$2.8 * 0.3%

La Serena

$50 4.6% 1716% $47

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 $430 in La Serena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquique pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Iquique vs $48.00 in La Serena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $232 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Iquique

🇨🇱 La Serena

🕒 Local time

05:03 5:03 AM

Same time as Iquique

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,003

195,382

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Iquique La Serena 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Iquique
La Serena

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 La Serena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique and La Serena differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $1,092 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 33% higher in Iquique, 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: $422 in Iquique versus $430 in La Serena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Iquique – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $48.00 in La Serena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $999 per month in Iquique versus $1,092 in La Serena – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $999 in Iquique versus $1,092 in La Serena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in La Serena. 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 9% less than in La Serena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.