Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquique and Reykjavik

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquique: $999 a month against $4,002 in Reykjavik, rent and utilities included – about $36,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Iquique
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Iquique Living Index
193

Cost of Living Index in Reykjavik
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Reykjavik Living Index

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Iquique

🇨🇱 Chile

$999

/mo nomad

Reykjavik

🇮🇸 Iceland

$4,002

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquique and in Reykjavik

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $999 in Iquique versus $4,002 in Reykjavik.

Iquique $999
Reykjavik $4,002

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,590 in Iquique versus $5,705 in Reykjavik.

Iquique $1,590
Reykjavik $5,705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,180 in Iquique versus $7,407 in Reykjavik.

Iquique $2,180
Reykjavik $7,407

Living in Iquique costs roughly 75% less than in Reykjavik, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Iquique is 26% below, Reykjavik is 196% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.48 CLP 7,359

$31.56 ISK 3,828

-76.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.30 CLP 39.7K

$122 ISK 14.8K

-67.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.04 CLP 6,934

$26.86 ISK 3,258

-73.79%

Cappuccino

$3.44 CLP 3,384

$6.81 ISK 827

-49.49%

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

$1.23 CLP 1,210

$3.39 ISK 411

-63.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 937

$3.20 ISK 388

-70.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 CLP 3,222

$14.14 ISK 1,715

-76.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 CLP 3,552

$12.31 ISK 1,493

-70.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 CLP 1,077

$2.10 ISK 255

-48.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.13 CLP 1,111

$4.19 ISK 508

-73.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 CLP 1,285

$3.72 ISK 451

-64.78%

Eggs

$3.02 CLP 2,972

$7.05 ISK 856

-57.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 CLP 9,962

$21.56 ISK 2,615

-53.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 CLP 9,896

$24.68 ISK 2,993

-59.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.19 ISK 5,117

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 CLP 2,273

$3.23 ISK 392

-28.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,121

$2.73 ISK 331

-21.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,484

$3.17 ISK 384

-52.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.06 CLP 1,040

$6.61 ISK 802

-83.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.73 CLP 722

$3.85 ISK 467

-81.04%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 CLP 628

$1.66 ISK 201

-61.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 CLP 981

$3.80 ISK 461

-73.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,326

$1.75 ISK 212

-22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.25 CLP 7,139

$13.71 ISK 1,662

-47.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.86 CLP 7,734

$24.21 ISK 2,937

-67.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.53 ISK 428

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 CLP 828

$3.32 ISK 402

-74.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 CLP 679

$5.75 ISK 697

-88.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.8 ISK 11.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.61 ISK 802

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.90 ISK 352

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$79.2 ISK 9,602

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 CLP 1,419

$2.09 ISK 253

-31.10%

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

$51.0K ISK 6.2M

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

$53.3K ISK 6.5M

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

$88.6 CLP 87.2K

$95.3 ISK 11.6K

-6.96%

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

$15.63 CLP 15.4K

$32.35 ISK 3,923

-51.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.17 CLP 22.8K

$87.5 ISK 10.6K

-73.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 CLP 49.9K

$102 ISK 12.4K

-50.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 ISK 6,074

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 CLP 6,803

$19.88 ISK 2,412

-65.24%

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

$254 CLP 249.8K

$1,194 ISK 144.8K

-78.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K ISK 3.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.11 CLP 29.6K

$149 ISK 18.1K

-79.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.04 CLP 22.7K

$66.6 ISK 8,080

-65.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$46.57 CLP 45.8K

$180 ISK 21.8K

-74.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

$253 ISK 30.7K

-76.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 CLP 415.4K

$2,549 ISK 309.2K

-83.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$382 CLP 375.7K

$2,056 ISK 249.4K

-81.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$683 CLP 671.9K

$3,498 ISK 424.2K

-80.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 CLP 769.3K

$2,764 ISK 335.2K

-71.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,718 CLP 1.7M

$8,120 ISK 984.9K

-78.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,926 CLP 1.9M

$6,254 ISK 758.5K

-69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$958 CLP 943.5K

$4,573 ISK 554.6K

-79.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.5

8.81

-14.87%

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

Last update for Iquique: October 10, 2026

Last update for Reykjavik: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquique

$382 38.2%

Reykjavik

$2.1K 51.4% 439% $1.7K

Groceries & Markets

Iquique

$197 * 19.7%

Reykjavik

$623 15.6% 216% $426

Eating Out

Iquique

$155 15.5%

Reykjavik

$536 13.4% 247% $382

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquique

$127 12.8%

Reykjavik

$215 5.4% 68.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Iquique

$71 7.1%

Reykjavik

$292 7.3% 311% $221

Sport & Entertainment

Iquique

$65 6.5%

Reykjavik

$142 3.5% 120% $77

Getting Around

Iquique

$2.8 * 0.3%

Reykjavik

$138 3.5% 4898% $135

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 $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Reykjavik pays 377% 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 $122 in Reykjavik for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $197 vs $623 per month, with Iquique cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Iquique

🇮🇸 Reykjavik

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

3 h ahead of Iquique

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

188,003

136,894 Capital

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

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).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquique Reykjavik 10,250 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Iquique
Reykjavik

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 Reykjavik: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iquique and Reykjavik differ by about 301% in total monthly costs ($999 vs $4,002 including rent). Iquique is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 377% lower in Reykjavik. 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: $422 in Iquique versus $2,549 in Reykjavik. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 216% higher in Reykjavik. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $999 per month in Iquique versus $4,002 in Reykjavik – a 301% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $999 in Iquique versus $4,002 in Reykjavik, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Iquique but tight or insufficient in Reykjavik. 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.

Safety-wise, Iquique and Reykjavik are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Iquique gentler on the wallet – expenses run 301% less than in Reykjavik. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.