Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Iquique versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,709 in Iquique versus $2,181 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,374 in Iquique versus $3,065 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Iquique costs roughly 19% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iquique 22% lower, Playa del Carmen 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 CLP 7,113

$11.73 MX$203

-31.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.47 CLP 37.7K

$41.62 MX$720

2.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.18 CLP 6,374

$10.64 MX$184

-32.52%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CLP 3,268

$3.52 MX$60.9

4.55%

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

$1.30 CLP 1,156

$1.51 MX$26.12

-13.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 904

$0.97 MX$16.84

5.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.50 CLP 3,105

$2.95 MX$51.0

18.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 CLP 3,331

$4.45 MX$77.0

-15.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 CLP 1,029

$1.38 MX$23.93

-15.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.17 CLP 1,042

$1.89 MX$32.72

-38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 CLP 1,219

$1.64 MX$28.32

-16.46%

Eggs

$3.58 CLP 3,174

$2.51 MX$43.34

42.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.59 CLP 9,400

$8.34 MX$144

26.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.58 CLP 5,839

$8.34 MX$144

-21.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 CLP 9,738

$10.73 MX$186

2.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.82 CLP 1,619

$2.60 MX$45.04

-30.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 CLP 2,013

$1.46 MX$25.20

55.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 CLP 1,402

$1.90 MX$32.87

-16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 CLP 989

$2.08 MX$35.91

-46.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 CLP 729

$1.78 MX$30.71

-53.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 CLP 557

$2.19 MX$37.80

-71.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 CLP 1,082

$1.04 MX$17.99

17.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CLP 1,054

$1.08 MX$18.62

10.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.30 CLP 4,701

$4.08 MX$70.6

29.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.38 CLP 7,437

$10.32 MX$178

-18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,383

$1.71 MX$29.61

-8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,038

$2.58 MX$44.54

-10.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 CLP 604

$0.51 MX$8.81

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 454

$3.26 MX$56.4

-84.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,266

$1.31 MX$22.61

9.16%

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

$19.4K CLP 17.2M

$30.3K MX$523.7K

-36.01%

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

$21.7K CLP 19.2M

$23.4K MX$405.3K

-7.57%

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

$81.7 CLP 72.5K

$82.9 MX$1,433

-1.45%

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

$13.61 CLP 12.1K

$22.22 MX$384

-38.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.34 CLP 19.8K

$29.34 MX$507

-23.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.96 CLP 38.1K

$51.6 MX$893

-16.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.01 CLP 18.6K

$18.32 MX$317

14.68%

Cinema Ticket

$5.54 CLP 4,913

$5.07 MX$87.6

9.27%

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

$440 CLP 390.7K

$201 MX$3,473

119.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$32.41 CLP 28.8K

$36.92 MX$639

-12.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.37 CLP 21.6K

$39.79 MX$688

-38.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.10 CLP 42.7K

$78.5 MX$1,357

-38.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.7 CLP 54.8K

$87.1 MX$1,506

-29.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 CLP 398.5K

$973 MX$16.8K

-53.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 CLP 344.5K

$468 MX$8,090

-17.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 CLP 656.3K

$1,641 MX$28.4K

-54.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 CLP 744.5K

$1,221 MX$21.1K

-31.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,926 CLP 1.7M

$3,946 MX$68.3K

-51.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,137 CLP 1.9M

$6,498 MX$112.4K

-67.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,018 CLP 903.9K

$664 MX$11.5K

53.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

11.42

-34.33%

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

Last update for Iquique: May 31, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $449 in Iquique and $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquique pays 53% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $42.00 in Iquique vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $227 vs $249 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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique and Playa del Carmen differ by about 24% in total monthly costs ($1,045 vs $1,297 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Iquique pays 53% more on average, 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: $449 in Iquique versus $973 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Playa del Carmen. 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 $1,297 in Playa del Carmen – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,045 in Iquique versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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 24% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.