Iquique vs Kingston
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Iquique edges it, 65 to 57, winning 7 of the 9 factors. Iquique is stronger on safety, healthcare, climate; Kingston on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Desert-cliff beach city with a duty-free zone and steady paragliding winds
Full Iquique profile →Plan a trip to Iquique →Reggae capital with the Blue Mountains on the doorstep
Full Kingston profile →Plan a trip to Kingston →Where they differ
- Safety. Iquique leads on safety, 56 to 37, against Kingston. Homicides per 100,000: 6.11 vs 40.36.
- Healthcare. Iquique leads on healthcare, 87 to 69, against Kingston. Health coverage index: 84 vs 74.
- Climate. Iquique leads on climate, 100 to 83, against Kingston. Comfortable months: 12 vs 10.
Where they are close. Within five points on getting there & around, cost of living.
Pick Iquique if you want
- faster internet (48.3 Mbps measured)
- the safer country figures
- stronger healthcare
- a longer comfortable season (12 months against 10)
Pick Kingston if you want
- to spend about $50 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 50 | 51 ✓ |
| Safety | 56 ✓ | 37 |
| Healthcare | 87 ✓ | 69 |
| Internet | 72 ✓ | 63 |
| Visa ease | 46 | 61 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 16 ✓ | 12 |
| Climate | 100 ✓ | 83 |
| Air quality | 81 ✓ | 72 |
| Quality of life | 76 ✓ | 67 |
Cost
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,650 | $1,600 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 6.11 ✓ | 40.36 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 68.6 | 75.1 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 84 ✓ | 74 |
| Life expectancy | 81.1 yrs ✓ | 72.6 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 48.3 Mbps ✓ | 26.1 Mbps |
| Upload | 10.6 Mbps | 12.3 Mbps ✓ |
Visa
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | none listed | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 6 | 17 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 3 ✓ | 2 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 |
Climate and air
| Metric | Iquique | Kingston |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 12 ✓ | 10 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 13.6 µg/m³ ✓ | 17.8 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Iquique or Kingston?
- Kingston is cheaper: about $1,600 per month versus $1,650 for one person.
- Is Iquique or Kingston safer?
- Iquique scores higher on safety (56 vs 37), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Iquique or Kingston?
- Iquique: a measured median of 48.3 Mbps versus 26.1 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.2. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.