Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Montreal

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquique: $999 a month against $2,018 in Montreal, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Iquique
🇨🇱 Chile
$999
/mo nomad
Montreal
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,018
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in Montreal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Iquique versus $2,018 in Montreal.

  • Iquique $999
  • Montreal $2,018

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,590 in Iquique versus $3,085 in Montreal.

  • Iquique $1,590
  • Montreal $3,085

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Iquique versus $4,152 in Montreal.

  • Iquique $2,180
  • Montreal $4,152

Living in Iquique costs roughly 51% less than in Montreal, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquique is 26% below, Montreal is 49% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.48 CLP 7,359
$18.82 CA$26.61
-60.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.30 CLP 39.7K
$70.3 CA$99.4
-42.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.04 CLP 6,934
$10.66 CA$15.06
-33.96%
Cappuccino
$3.44 CLP 3,384
$3.84 CA$5.43
-10.42%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 CLP 1,210
$1.92 CA$2.71
-35.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.95 CLP 937
$1.54 CA$2.18
-38.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.27 CLP 3,222
$6.23 CA$8.81
-47.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.61 CLP 3,552
$7.10 CA$10.03
-49.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 CLP 1,077
$2.31 CA$3.27
-52.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.13 CLP 1,111
$3.14 CA$4.44
-64.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.31 CLP 1,285
$3.21 CA$4.54
-59.19%
Eggs
$3.02 CLP 2,972
$3.52 CA$4.97
-14.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.12 CLP 9,962
$12.81 CA$18.11
-21.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.05 CLP 9,896
$11.46 CA$16.20
-12.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
-
$13.39 CA$18.92
-
Apples (1kg)
$2.31 CLP 2,273
$3.14 CA$4.43
-26.43%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 CLP 2,121
$1.44 CA$2.03
49.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.51 CLP 1,484
$3.47 CA$4.91
-56.48%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.06 CLP 1,040
$3.07 CA$4.34
-65.47%
Potato (1kg)
$0.73 CLP 722
$1.90 CA$2.69
-61.58%
Onion (1kg)
$0.64 CLP 628
$1.77 CA$2.50
-63.84%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.00 CLP 981
$2.34 CA$3.31
-57.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.35 CLP 1,326
$1.55 CA$2.19
-12.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.25 CLP 7,139
$11.38 CA$16.09
-36.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.86 CLP 7,734
$10.63 CA$15.03
-26.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.27 CA$3.21
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.84 CLP 828
$2.82 CA$3.99
-70.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 CLP 679
$2.66 CA$3.76
-74.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.3 CA$109
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
-
$3.20 CA$4.53
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.48 CA$2.09
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$32.88 CA$46.48
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.44 CLP 1,419
$1.34 CA$1.90
7.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$28.2K CA$39.8K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$19.6K CA$27.8K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 CLP 87.2K
$76.0 CA$107
16.68%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.63 CLP 15.4K
$33.95 CA$48.00
-53.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.17 CLP 22.8K
$42.31 CA$59.8
-45.24%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$50.7 CLP 49.9K
$29.76 CA$42.07
70.36%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$20.28 CA$28.67
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 CLP 6,803
$11.15 CA$15.77
-38.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$254 CLP 249.8K
$507 CA$717
-49.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.1K CA$22.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$30.11 CLP 29.6K
$57.6 CA$81.4
-47.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$23.04 CLP 22.7K
$37.58 CA$53.1
-38.69%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.57 CLP 45.8K
$91.9 CA$130
-49.33%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.3 CLP 57.4K
$110 CA$155
-46.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$422 CLP 415.4K
$1,260 CA$1,782
-66.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 CLP 375.7K
$948 CA$1,340
-59.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$683 CLP 671.9K
$2,137 CA$3,021
-68.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$781 CLP 769.3K
$1,614 CA$2,281
-51.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,718 CLP 1.7M
$4,960 CA$7,011
-65.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,926 CLP 1.9M
$3,838 CA$5,425
-49.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Iquique
Montreal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$958 CLP 943.5K
$2,827 CA$3,997
-66.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
7.5
4.48
67.41%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 10, 2026

Last update for Montreal: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Iquique
$382
Montreal
$948 148% $566
Groceries & Markets
Iquique
$197 *
Montreal
$346 75.9% $150
Eating Out
Iquique
$155
Montreal
$288 86.3% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Iquique
$127
Montreal
$152 19.4% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Iquique
$71
Montreal
$133 87.7% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Iquique
$65
Montreal
$52 19.3% $12
Getting Around
Iquique
$2.8 *
Montreal
$99 3470% $96

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 $1,260 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 195% 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 $70.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $346 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇱 Iquique
🇨🇦 Montreal
🕒 Local time
12:43 12:43 PM
11:43 11:43 AM
1 h behind Iquique
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
188,003
1,762,949
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

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).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Iquique Montreal 7,320 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Iquique
  • Montreal

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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Iquique and in Montreal?
Iquique and Montreal differ by about 102% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $2,018 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 195% lower in Montreal. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Iquique and in Montreal?
Rent for a central apartment: $422 in Iquique versus $1,260 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Montreal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Iquique or Montreal?
All in, you'll spend $999 per month in Iquique versus $2,018 in Montreal – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $999 in Iquique versus $2,018 in Montreal, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Montreal. The gap between the two cities makes Iquique the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Iquique and Montreal?
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.
Is Iquique or Montreal safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Iquique and Montreal are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Iquique or Montreal?
Expats usually find Iquique gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Montreal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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