Moving to Chile from Argentina
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Argentina to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Argentina to Chile, you would find that Chile is 14.1% cheaper than Argentina overall. A ARS110,000,000 salary in Argentina would need to be roughly CLF1,560 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Chile cheaper than Argentina?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 42.3% less
Groceries
pay 3.9% less
Transportation
pay 3.2% less
Housing
pay 11.5% less
Childcare
pay 25.2% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 2.9% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
What salary do you need in Chile?
What does your salary buy?
ARS110,000,000 → CLF1,560
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →Cost of living by city
Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).
On average, cities in Chile cost about 31% less than cities in Argentina.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Chile
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Argentina to Chile, based on official data.
people moved from Argentina to Chile · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Argentina to Chile.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Argentina performs better than Chile across all safety metrics.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Argentina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Chile performs significantly better than Argentina across all environment metrics.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Chile generally does better on infrastructure, though Argentina leads in broadband per 100 people.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Argentina generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Argentina generally does better on family life, though Chile leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Federal Administration of Public Revenue (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Chile vs Argentina
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Buenos Aires | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 83°/66°F (29°/19°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 67°/52°F (19°/11°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 64°/48°F (17°/9°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 78°/61°F (26°/16°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Buenos Aires | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86°/68°F (30.1°/20.1°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 84°/67°F (28.7°/19.2°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 80°/64°F (26.8°/17.7°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 73°/57°F (22.9°/13.8°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.7°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.1°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 60°/45°F (15.3°/7.4°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 64°/48°F (17.7°/8.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 67°/51°F (19.3°/10.3°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 73°/56°F (22.7°/13.3°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 78°/61°F (25.6°/15.9°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 83°/65°F (28.5°/18.4°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Servicio Meteorológico Nacional,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Can you move from Argentina to Chile?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Argentina and Chile. To live, work, or study long-term in Chile, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Chile's immigration authority.
Argentina passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Argentina
Visa FreeData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Chile than Argentina?
Yes — Chile is on average about 14% cheaper than Argentina. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Chile?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CLF390 in Chile on a ARS110,000,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Chile?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Chile has 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Chile safe for expats?
Argentina performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.5 in Argentina. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Argentina?
Argentina generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 51.1 in Argentina. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Argentina: 79).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Argentina?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 73°F in Buenos Aires. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Buenos Aires gets 48.7 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Argentina, the official languages are Guaraní and Spanish.
