Moving to Chile from Australia
What to Expect
Considering a move from Australia to Chile? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Australia to Chile, you would find that Chile is 52.5% cheaper than Australia overall. A A$110,000 salary in Australia would need to be roughly CLF904 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Australia and Chile.
What does your salary buy?
A$110,000 → CLF904
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 47.4% less
Groceries
pay 40.0% less
Transportation
pay 34.8% less
Housing
pay 63.4% less
Childcare
pay 73.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 49.9% 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.
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 49% less than cities in Australia.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Australia to Chile.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Chile compared to Australia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Australia 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
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Australia generally does better on environment, though Chile leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
Australia performs better than Chile across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Australia generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in top income tax rate.
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
Australia performs better than Chile across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Australian Taxation Office (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2020). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Canberra | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 80°/54°F (26°/12°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/39°F (16°/4°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 56°/35°F (13°/1°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 73°/47°F (23°/9°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Canberra | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82°/55°F (27.7°/13.0°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 81°/55°F (27.0°/12.9°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 76°/51°F (24.4°/10.7°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 68°/44°F (19.8°/6.6°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 60°/38°F (15.4°/3.1°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 54°/34°F (12.1°/0.9°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 52°/32°F (11.2°/-0.2°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 55°/34°F (12.9°/1.0°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 61°/38°F (16.0°/3.1°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 67°/43°F (19.2°/6.0°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 72°/47°F (22.4°/8.5°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 79°/52°F (26.0°/11.2°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Bureau of Meteorology,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Australia 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.
Australia passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Australia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Australia?
On average Chile is about 52% less expensive than Australia, with major cities narrowing the gap.
How much money do I need to move to Chile?
Budget about CLF226 for 3 months in Chile (based on a A$110,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Chile?
Connectivity is usually fine (Chile: 23.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Chile offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Chile safe for expats?
Australia performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Australia.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Australia?
Australia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 40.9 in Australia. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Australia: 87).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Australia?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 67°F in Canberra. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Canberra gets 24.8 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Australia, the official language is English.
