Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Iquique versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,709 in Iquique versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,374 in Iquique versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Iquique costs roughly 29% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquique is 22% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 CLP 7,113

$13.18 MX$228

-39.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.47 CLP 37.7K

$53.9 MX$932

-21.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 CLP 6,374

$9.42 MX$163

-23.78%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CLP 3,268

$3.55 MX$61.4

3.66%

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

$1.30 CLP 1,156

$1.62 MX$27.98

-19.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 904

$1.11 MX$19.27

-8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 CLP 3,105

$3.12 MX$54.0

12.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 CLP 3,331

$4.63 MX$80.1

-19.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,029

$1.70 MX$29.43

-31.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 CLP 1,042

$2.72 MX$47.02

-56.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 CLP 1,219

$1.91 MX$33.07

-28.27%

Eggs

$3.58 CLP 3,174

$2.54 MX$43.86

40.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 CLP 9,400

$10.03 MX$174

5.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 CLP 5,839

$8.09 MX$140

-18.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 CLP 9,738

$11.62 MX$201

-5.59%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,619

$2.97 MX$51.3

-38.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CLP 2,013

$1.81 MX$31.24

25.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,402

$2.01 MX$34.82

-21.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 CLP 989

$2.03 MX$35.20

-45.32%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 CLP 729

$2.12 MX$36.75

-61.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 CLP 557

$2.27 MX$39.25

-72.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,082

$1.40 MX$24.22

-12.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$1.13 MX$19.55

5.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 4,701

$4.27 MX$73.9

24.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 CLP 7,437

$15.56 MX$269

-46.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,383

$1.76 MX$30.39

-11.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,038

$3.60 MX$62.2

-36.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 CLP 604

$0.38 MX$6.62

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 454

$1.38 MX$23.79

-63.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,266

$1.30 MX$22.55

10.00%

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

$19.4K CLP 17.2M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

3.68%

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

$21.7K CLP 19.2M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

-6.37%

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

$81.7 CLP 72.5K

$40.86 MX$707

99.88%

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

$13.61 CLP 12.1K

$26.81 MX$464

-49.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.34 CLP 19.8K

$29.96 MX$518

-25.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 CLP 38.1K

$52.0 MX$900

-17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 CLP 18.6K

$26.84 MX$464

-21.72%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 CLP 4,913

$6.30 MX$109

-12.06%

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

$440 CLP 390.7K

$436 MX$7,544

0.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.41 CLP 28.8K

$56.7 MX$980

-42.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.37 CLP 21.6K

$44.38 MX$768

-45.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.10 CLP 42.7K

$103 MX$1,780

-53.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 CLP 54.8K

$106 MX$1,825

-41.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 CLP 398.5K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-56.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 CLP 344.5K

$631 MX$10.9K

-38.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 CLP 656.3K

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-65.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 CLP 744.5K

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-32.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 CLP 1.7M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-50.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,137 CLP 1.9M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

3.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,018 CLP 903.9K

$1,115 MX$19.3K

-8.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.34

-33.86%

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

Last update for Iquique: May 31, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Iquique and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 9% 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: $42.00 in Iquique vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $288 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

Iquique vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique and Mexico City differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($1,045 vs $1,467 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Mexico City earns 9% less. 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: $449 in Iquique versus $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,045 per month in Iquique versus $1,467 in Mexico City – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,045 in Iquique versus $1,467 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 40% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.