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: $1,026 in Iquique versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,702 in Iquique versus $2,137 in Playa del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,377 in Iquique versus $3,017 in Playa del Carmen.

Living in Iquique costs roughly 18% less than in Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Iquique 23% lower, Playa del Carmen 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 CLP 7,463

$11.99 MX$210

-33.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.94 CLP 40.9K

$41.78 MX$731

5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.21 CLP 6,718

$10.75 MX$188

-32.93%

Cappuccino

$3.58 CLP 3,336

$3.50 MX$61.1

2.29%

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

$1.35 CLP 1,258

$1.45 MX$25.33

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CLP 951

$0.88 MX$15.47

15.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 CLP 3,244

$2.95 MX$51.6

17.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 CLP 3,456

$4.51 MX$78.9

-17.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 CLP 1,119

$1.43 MX$25.04

-16.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CLP 1,138

$1.84 MX$32.13

-33.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 CLP 1,313

$1.57 MX$27.42

-10.19%

Eggs

$3.47 CLP 3,227

$2.51 MX$43.92

38.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.42 CLP 9,703

$8.28 MX$145

25.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 CLP 6,196

$8.43 MX$147

-21.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.1K

$10.68 MX$187

1.22%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 CLP 1,759

$2.61 MX$45.62

-27.59%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 CLP 2,223

$1.44 MX$25.15

65.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,442

$1.96 MX$34.31

-20.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.12 CLP 1,042

$2.09 MX$36.62

-46.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.82 CLP 767

$1.85 MX$32.37

-55.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 CLP 622

$2.17 MX$37.90

-69.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,168

$1.03 MX$18.04

21.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CLP 1,095

$1.07 MX$18.78

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.45 CLP 5,071

$4.10 MX$71.7

32.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.20 CLP 7,636

$10.17 MX$178

-19.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,434

$1.68 MX$29.29

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 CLP 2,138

$2.53 MX$44.17

-9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 CLP 620

$0.51 MX$8.90

31.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$455

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 435

$3.23 MX$56.5

-85.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.06

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.5

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,341

$1.32 MX$23.10

9.09%

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

$19.8K CLP 18.4M

$29.7K MX$519.2K

-33.39%

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

$21.3K CLP 19.8M

$23.7K MX$413.7K

-10.12%

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

$81.7 CLP 76.1K

$82.0 MX$1,434

-0.33%

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

$13.37 CLP 12.5K

$22.95 MX$401

-41.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.65 CLP 20.2K

$30.11 MX$527

-28.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 CLP 39.8K

$52.0 MX$909

-17.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.02 CLP 19.6K

$18.53 MX$324

13.44%

Cinema Ticket

$5.80 CLP 5,397

$4.98 MX$87.0

16.47%

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

$440 CLP 409.8K

$197 MX$3,452

122.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$93.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.76 CLP 29.6K

$35.60 MX$622

-10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.53 CLP 22.8K

$40.33 MX$705

-39.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.65 CLP 45.3K

$78.8 MX$1,377

-38.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$61.4 CLP 57.2K

$88.9 MX$1,555

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$438 CLP 408.0K

$947 MX$16.6K

-53.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 CLP 369.5K

$474 MX$8,288

-16.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 CLP 705.4K

$1,644 MX$28.7K

-53.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 CLP 784.5K

$1,211 MX$21.2K

-30.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,812 CLP 1.7M

$4,056 MX$70.9K

-55.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,077 CLP 1.9M

$6,470 MX$113.1K

-67.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,004 CLP 934.9K

$654 MX$11.4K

53.54%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Playa del Carmen: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $438 in Iquique and $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iquique pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $44.00 in Iquique vs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries flip the comparison at $228 vs $249, with Iquique cheaper for home cooking.

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 22% in total monthly costs ($1,026 vs $1,256 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $438 in Iquique versus $947 in Playa del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,026 per month in Iquique versus $1,256 in Playa del Carmen – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,026 in Iquique versus $1,256 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 22% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.