Moving to France from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Chile to France — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Chile to France, you would find that France is 75.2% more expensive than Chile overall. A CLF1,900 salary in Chile would need to be roughly €119,000 in France to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in French. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Paris averages 60°F vs 73°F in Santiago, making it significantly cooler.

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Is France cheaper than Chile?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 98.8% more

Groceries

pay 57.1% more

Transportation

pay 71.7% more

Housing

pay 81.1% more

Childcare

pay 2.1 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 55.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CLF = 35.61 EUR (October 2026)

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 France?

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,900 → €119,000

To maintain the same standard of living in France

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 France cost about 89% more than cities in Chile.

Chile

France

Paris ★ 64%
Cannes 64%
Antibes 61%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Chile to France, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
370 ↓ 14% vs 2022

people moved from Chile to France · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to France?

Top countries of origin for France's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Chile and France stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

CL
6.3
FR
1.3
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

CL
32%
FR
82%

France performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

CL
$3,612
FR
$6,868
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

CL
33.3
FR
32.8

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

CL
18.0
FR
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
FR
4.0t

Chile generally does better on environment, though France leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CL
23.7
FR
48.9
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
FR
21.4%

Chile generally does better on infrastructure, though France leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

CL
9.0%
FR
7.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$17,995
FR
$48,986

Chile generally does better on employment & economy, though France leads in unemployment rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

CL
81.4 yrs
FR
83.0 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
5.8
FR
3.4

France performs significantly better than Chile across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), Direction Générale des Finances Publiques (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in France vs Chile

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Santiago Rain: 13.5 in/yr (342 mm)
73° / 48°F

Avg. annual high / low

Paris Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
60° / 47°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago Paris
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 48°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 65°/50°F (18°/10°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 74°/58°F (23°/14°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 52°/43°F (11°/6°C)
View all months
Month Santiago Paris
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 44°/36°F (6.9°/2.5°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 47°/37°F (8.2°/2.8°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 53°/41°F (11.8°/5.1°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 58°/44°F (14.7°/6.8°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 66°/51°F (19.0°/10.5°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 71°/56°F (21.8°/13.3°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 76°/60°F (24.4°/15.5°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 76°/60°F (24.6°/15.4°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 69°/54°F (20.8°/12.5°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 60°/49°F (15.8°/9.2°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 51°/42°F (10.4°/5.3°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 46°/38°F (7.8°/3.6°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, Météo-France Météo-France

Can you move from Chile to France?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Chile and France. To live, work, or study long-term in France, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check France's immigration authority.

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting France

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter France without a visa.
France passport

France passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
France passport holders can enter Chile without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in France than Chile?

Day-to-day costs in France run about 75% higher than Chile on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to France?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CLF1,900 comparable salary, that's around €29,750 in France for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from France?

With 48.9 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, France can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Chile and France.

Is France safe for expats?

France performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in France is 1.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.3 in Chile. About 82% of people in France feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in France compared to Chile?

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though France leads in health coverage index. There are 32.8 doctors per 10,000 people in France, compared to 33.3 in Chile. France scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

What's the weather like in France compared to Chile?

The average high temperature in Paris is 60°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. Paris receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in France?

The official language in France is French. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CL FR
Population 19,859,921 68,720,337
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) Euro (€)
Languages Spanish French
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +56 +33
Time zones 2 14
Emergency number 131 112