Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquique: $1,009 a month against $1,548 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Iquique
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Iquique Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Iquique

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,009

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in Mexico City

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,009 in Iquique versus $1,548 in Mexico City.

Iquique $1,009
Mexico City $1,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,595 in Iquique versus $2,436 in Mexico City.

Iquique $1,595
Mexico City $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,181 in Iquique versus $3,323 in Mexico City.

Iquique $2,181
Mexico City $3,323

Living in Iquique costs roughly 35% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquique is 26% below, Mexico City is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.52 CLP 7,405

$11.02 MX$204

-31.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.89 CLP 40.3K

$48.68 MX$900

-16.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 CLP 6,979

$10.90 MX$201

-34.95%

Cappuccino

$3.45 CLP 3,400

$3.68 MX$68.1

-6.25%

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

$1.24 CLP 1,219

$1.63 MX$30.18

-23.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 1,002

$1.25 MX$23.07

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 CLP 3,141

$3.25 MX$60.1

-1.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 CLP 3,562

$5.53 MX$102

-34.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 CLP 1,102

$1.70 MX$31.50

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 CLP 1,148

$3.02 MX$55.8

-61.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 CLP 1,275

$1.92 MX$35.53

-32.29%

Eggs

$2.97 CLP 2,928

$2.73 MX$50.5

8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.38 CLP 10.2K

$11.77 MX$218

-11.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.13 CLP 9,973

$9.53 MX$176

6.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.41 MX$266

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 CLP 2,263

$3.02 MX$55.8

-23.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 CLP 2,205

$1.89 MX$35.01

18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,466

$1.99 MX$36.70

-25.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 CLP 1,071

$2.19 MX$40.38

-50.23%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 CLP 722

$1.92 MX$35.43

-61.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 CLP 574

$1.87 MX$34.49

-68.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 CLP 1,030

$1.44 MX$26.62

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,328

$1.27 MX$23.39

6.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 CLP 6,904

$5.22 MX$96.4

34.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.60 CLP 7,477

$16.17 MX$299

-53.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 MX$35.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 CLP 793

$4.22 MX$78.0

-80.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 CLP 666

$0.34 MX$6.30

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.65 MX$363

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.00 MX$36.90

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.67

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 MX$98.7

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,419

$1.52 MX$28.13

-5.26%

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

$22.1K MX$408.0K

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

$24.5K MX$452.9K

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

$85.7 CLP 84.4K

$61.1 MX$1,129

40.31%

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

$15.04 CLP 14.8K

$28.58 MX$528

-47.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.18 CLP 22.8K

$34.47 MX$637

-32.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 CLP 49.3K

$56.4 MX$1,042

-11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.88 MX$460

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 CLP 6,764

$6.66 MX$123

3.15%

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

$251 CLP 247.1K

$427 MX$7,891

-41.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K MX$215.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.07 CLP 29.6K

$67.8 MX$1,253

-55.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.86 CLP 22.5K

$52.0 MX$960

-56.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.02 CLP 44.3K

$106 MX$1,959

-57.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 CLP 56.9K

$113 MX$2,080

-48.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$413 CLP 406.6K

$1,025 MX$18.9K

-59.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 CLP 388.3K

$654 MX$12.1K

-39.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$690 CLP 679.5K

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-70.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 CLP 769.1K

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-37.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,709 CLP 1.7M

$3,613 MX$66.8K

-52.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,902 CLP 1.9M

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-1.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$934 CLP 919.7K

$964 MX$17.8K

-3.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.3

-33.63%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquique

$394 39.1%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 65.9% $260

Groceries & Markets

Iquique

$199 * 19.7%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 60.2% $119

Eating Out

Iquique

$155 15.4%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 31.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquique

$124 12.3%

Mexico City

$124 8% 0.2% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Iquique

$70 7%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 117% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Iquique

$64 6.3%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 9.2% $5.9

Getting Around

Iquique

$2.7 * 0.3%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 846% $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 $413 in Iquique and $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 3% 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: $41.00 in Iquique vs $49.00 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $199 vs $318 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Iquique

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

09:33 9:33 AM

06:33 6:33 AM

3 h behind Iquique

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,003

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquique Mexico City 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquique
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique and Mexico City differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,009 vs $1,548 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Mexico City. 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: $413 in Iquique versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Mexico City. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,009 per month in Iquique versus $1,548 in Mexico City – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Iquique versus $1,548 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 53% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.