Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iquitos and Santiago

For one person, living is cheaper in Iquitos: $663 a month against $1,190 in Santiago, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Santiago
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Santiago Living Index

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Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Iquitos and in Santiago

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Iquitos and in Santiago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $663 per month in Iquitos vs $1,190 in Santiago, rent included.

Iquitos $663
Santiago $1,190

A couple spends around $1,185 per month in Iquitos vs $1,892 in Santiago, rent included.

Iquitos $1,185
Santiago $1,892

A family of three spends $1,707 per month in Iquitos vs $2,595 in Santiago, rent included.

Iquitos $1,707
Santiago $2,595

Iquitos is about 44% cheaper than Santiago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Iquitos and Santiago are more affordable than the global median – Iquitos 51% lower, Santiago 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 PEN 14.81

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

-58.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.44 PEN 132

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

-25.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.30 PEN 25.06

$8.94 CLP 8,805

-18.34%

Cappuccino

$3.57 PEN 12.26

$3.26 CLP 3,211

9.51%

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

$0.85 PEN 2.92

$1.67 CLP 1,640

-49.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 PEN 1.91

$1.23 CLP 1,212

-54.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.82 PEN 9.69

$3.98 CLP 3,914

-29.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.41 PEN 25.45

$4.54 CLP 4,465

63.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 PEN 6.05

$1.28 CLP 1,263

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 PEN 7.91

$1.85 CLP 1,817

24.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

Eggs

$2.56 PEN 8.80

$4.10 CLP 4,031

-37.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.28 PEN 11.26

$6.69 CLP 6,586

-50.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 PEN 3.07

$1.08 CLP 1,061

-17.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

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

$34.73 PEN 119

$151 CLP 149.0K

-77.06%

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

$11.34 PEN 38.95

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

-8.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.74 PEN 30.03

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

-53.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.05 PEN 99.8

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

-13.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.75 PEN 30.06

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

-25.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.64 PEN 19.37

$7.45 CLP 7,334

-24.30%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,789 PEN 9,576

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

-74.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 PEN 301

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

76.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.24 PEN 121

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 PEN 182

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

-19.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.21 PEN 90.0

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

-67.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$343 PEN 1,180

$559 CLP 550.4K

-38.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 PEN 909

$384 CLP 377.8K

-31.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 PEN 3,029

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

-12.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$712 PEN 2,445

$780 CLP 767.9K

-8.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$573 PEN 1,968

$804 CLP 791.0K

-28.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

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

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Groceries & Markets

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Eating Out

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Getting Around

Iquitos

–

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $343 in Iquitos versus $559 in Santiago. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 40% higher in Santiago, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Iquitos versus $52.0 in Santiago. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $78.0 vs $236 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🇨🇱 Santiago

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

2 h ahead of Iquitos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,853

6,139,087 Capital

💱 Currency

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to PEN – Peruvian Sol Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇪 Peruvian Sol (S/)

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

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).

USD to PEN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Iquitos Santiago 3,310 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Iquitos
Santiago

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

Iquitos vs Santiago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santiago is pricier by about 80%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $994 per month in Iquitos and $1,785 in Santiago. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Iquitos, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 202% more in Santiago, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Iquitos and $52.0 in Santiago. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Iquitos, where all-in costs run around $663, than in Santiago at $1,190. In Iquitos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santiago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Iquitos – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Iquitos. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santiago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.