Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Iquique vs Lima

Iquique vs Lima

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Lima 36% cheaper Iquique +60 Mbps N/A / Low

Iquique

Cristian Paul/Unsplash

Lima

Eduardo Flores/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$2,004

Iquique

$1,284

Lima

Internet

279

Mbps

219

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Iquique

Low

Lima

Air Quality

5/5

Iquique

5/5

Lima

Healthcare

N/A

Iquique

High

Lima

Population

196.6k

Iquique

8.9m

Lima

Iquique (Chile) and Lima (Peru) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Lima is the clear budget winner at $1284/mo — 36% cheaper than Iquique's $2004/mo, a saving of $8640 per year.

For families, Iquique costs $2410.668054045553/mo compared to Lima's $2188.437491200074/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Iquique leads on internet connectivity at 279 Mbps (ranked #0 globally) versus Lima's 219 Mbps (#26). The speed gap is notable for video-heavy remote work.

Quality of Life

Both Iquique and Lima share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Iquique and Lima.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Iquique is January (around 28 degrees, 0mm rain, score 367), while Lima peaks in January (27 degrees, 0mm rain, score 454). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

IquiqueLima

Nomad$2,004/mo$1,284/mo

Expat$1,019/mo$794/mo

Local$689/mo$625/mo

Family$2,411/mo$2,188/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

IquiqueLima

City Speed

279 Mbps

219 Mbps#26

Country Speed279 Mbps200 Mbps

Environment & Health

IquiqueLima

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AHigh

ClimateN/AHigh

Humidity7970

Quality of Life

IquiqueLima

SafetyN/ALow

HealthcareN/AHigh

Monthly Weather Comparison

Iquique

Lima

Jan

28°

0mm367

27°

0mm454

Feb

29°

0mm367

29°

0mm454

Mar

28°

0mm367

28°

0mm454

Apr

25°

0mm347

25°

0mm434

May

20°

0mm327

21°

0mm414

Jun

19°

0mm327

18°

0mm414

Jul

17°

0mm327

17°

0mm414

Aug

18°

0mm327

17°

0mm414

Sep

19°

0mm327

18°

0mm414

Oct

22°

0mm347

19°

0mm414

Nov

24°

0mm347

23°

0mm434

Dec

25°

0mm347

25°

0mm434

Who Should Choose Iquique?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 279 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2410.668054045553/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 196.6k residents
Peak season in January — 28 degrees, score 367

Who Should Choose Lima?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1284
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 219 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2188.437491200074/mo for families
Major city energy with 8.9m residents
Peak season in January — 27 degrees, score 454

Overall Verdict

Overall, Lima edges ahead for most digital nomads — at $1284/mo it runs 36% cheaper than Iquique's $2004/mo, with 219 Mbps internet for reliable remote work.

Granular Price Comparison

Iquique Lima

ItemIquiqueLimaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$5.66$3.92

31%

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$39.62$22.19

44%

McMeal or equivalent combo$5.09$5.22

Cappuccino (regular)$3.4$2.66

22%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.83$2.09

26%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.96$3.92

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$2.04$0.86

58%

Water (0.33L)$1.7$0.57

66%

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.79$1.22

35%

White bread (500g)$1.13$1.83

38%

White rice (1kg)$0.91$1.11

18%

Eggs (12)$1.81$1.81

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.09$4.99

Beef round (1kg)$6.79$8.2

17%

Local cheese (1kg)$6.51$6.89

Apples (1kg)$0.91$1.54

41%

Bananas (1kg)$0.91$1.02

11%

Oranges (1kg)—$0.93

—

Tomatoes (1kg)—$0.98

—

Potatoes (1kg)—$0.74

—

Onions (1kg)—$0.89

—

Lettuce (1 head)$0.95$0.72

24%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.85$0.72

15%

Wine, mid-range bottle—$7.83

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$0.91$1.6

43%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.13$2.33

52%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$9.05$5.22

42%

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket—$0.52

—

Monthly transport pass—$15.66

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)—$2.61

—

Taxi per 1km$2.26$1.44

36%

Taxi 1hr waiting$3.4$6.27

46%

Gasoline (1L)$1.08$1.31

18%

Volkswagen Golf (new)—$18,274.38

—

Toyota Corolla (new)—$21,697.31

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo—$71.32

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$22.64$30.91

27%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.14$0.18

22%

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly—$37.19

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)—$12.4

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$5.66$5.48

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo—$213.5

—

International primary school/yr—$5,851.01

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$13.58$43.81

69%

Summer dress (chain store)—$28.35

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$67.91$71.57

Men's leather business shoes—$68.37

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre—$511.24

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$349.69

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre—$954.12

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre—$701.14

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre—$1,962.17

—

Price per m², outside centre—$1,483.1

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary—$489.76

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$3$8.29

64%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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