Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and Iquitos

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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Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

Iquitos

🇵🇪 Peru

$663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santiago and in Iquitos

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

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

Santiago $1,190
Iquitos $663

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

Santiago $1,892
Iquitos $1,185

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

Santiago $2,595
Iquitos $1,707

Santiago costs about 80% more than Iquitos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$4.31 PEN 14.81

140.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$38.44 PEN 132

34.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$7.30 PEN 25.06

22.47%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$3.57 PEN 12.26

-8.68%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$0.85 PEN 2.92

96.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.56 PEN 1.91

119.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$2.82 PEN 9.69

41.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$7.41 PEN 25.45

-38.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.76 PEN 6.05

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$2.30 PEN 7.91

-19.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$2.56 PEN 8.80

60.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$3.28 PEN 11.26

103.96%

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)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$0.89 PEN 3.07

21.35%

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)

$151 CLP 149.0K

$34.73 PEN 119

335.96%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$11.34 PEN 38.95

8.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$8.74 PEN 30.03

114.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$29.05 PEN 99.8

16.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

$8.75 PEN 30.06

34.86%

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$5.64 PEN 19.37

32.09%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$2,789 PEN 9,576

287.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$87.7 PEN 301

-43.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$35.24 PEN 121

-17.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$52.9 PEN 182

24.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$26.21 PEN 90.0

207.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$343 PEN 1,180

62.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$265 PEN 909

44.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$882 PEN 3,029

13.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$712 PEN 2,445

9.55%

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)

$804 CLP 791.0K

$573 PEN 1,968

40.24%

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 Santiago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Iquitos: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

Iquitos

–

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

Iquitos

–

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

Iquitos

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

Iquitos

–

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

Iquitos

–

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

Iquitos

–

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

Iquitos

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $559 in Santiago versus $343 in Iquitos. 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 $52.0 in Santiago versus $38.00 in Iquitos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $236 vs $78.0 – making Iquitos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇵🇪 Iquitos

🕒 Local time

21:52 9:52 PM

19:52 7:52 PM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

32,853

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Peruvian Sol PEN S/

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 PEN = 0.291 USD

1 PEN = 0.259 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PEN, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Peruvian Sol exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.43 PEN (1 PEN = 0.291 USD). 1 EUR = 3.86 PEN (1 PEN = 0.259 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Santiago
Iquitos

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

Santiago vs Iquitos: 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 $1,785 per month in Santiago and $994 in Iquitos. 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 $52.0 in Santiago and $38.00 in Iquitos. 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.