Moving to Chile from Canada
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Canada to Chile — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Canada to Chile, you would find that Chile is 45.4% cheaper than Canada overall. A CA$110,000 salary in Canada would need to be roughly CLF1,040 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santiago averages 73°F vs 52°F in Ottawa, making it significantly warmer.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Canada to Chile.
What does your salary buy?
CA$110,000 → CLF1,040
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 41.7% less
Groceries
pay 38.1% less
Transportation
pay 25.5% less
Housing
pay 60.7% less
Childcare
pay 49.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 30.9% 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 46% less than cities in Canada.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Canada to Chile, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Canada and Chile stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Canada 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
Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada 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
Canada 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
Canada generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in internet access.
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
Canada generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in poverty 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
Canada generally does better on family life, though Chile leads in education spending.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Canada Revenue Agency (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2008). 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 | Ottawa | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 27°/10°F (-3°/-12°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 64°/45°F (18°/7°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 41°/25°F (5°/-4°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Ottawa | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21°/4°F (-6.1°/-15.3°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 25°/8°F (-4.1°/-13.3°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 36°/19°F (2.2°/-7.1°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 51°/33°F (10.8°/0.6°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 66°/46°F (19.1°/7.7°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 75°/55°F (23.8°/12.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 80°/60°F (26.5°/15.4°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 77°/57°F (24.9°/14.1°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 67°/48°F (19.5°/9.1°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 54°/37°F (12.5°/3.0°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 41°/27°F (4.8°/-2.8°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 27°/12°F (-3.0°/-11.1°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Meteorological Service of Canada,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Canada 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.
Canada passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Canada
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: 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 Canada?
Generally yes: Chile runs about 45% cheaper than Canada on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Chile?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CA$110,000 comparable salary, that's around CLF260 in Chile for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Chile?
With 23.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Chile can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Canada and Chile.
Is Chile safe for expats?
Canada performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.0 in Canada. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Canada?
Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Canada leads in health coverage index. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 28.2 in Canada. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Canada: 91).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Canada?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 52°F in Ottawa. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Ottawa gets 37.1 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Canada, the official languages are English and French.
