Moving to Portugal from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Chile to Portugal, you would find that Portugal is 42.9% more expensive than Chile overall. A CLF1,762 salary in Chile would need to be roughly €103,384 in Portugal to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Portuguese.

Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓

How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Chile to Portugal.

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,762 €103,384

To maintain the same standard of living in Portugal

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 37.2% more

Groceries

pay 13.2% more

Transportation

pay 41.8% more

Housing

pay 78.6% more

Childcare

pay 75.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 4.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CLF = 37.29 EUR (July 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.

Get free moving quotes to Portugal

We've teamed up with a vetted network of international movers to help MyLifeElsewhere readers plan their move with confidence. Tell us about your move and get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes in under 2 minutes.

  • ✅ Up to 5 quotes from screened movers
  • ✅ Licensed and insured providers only
  • ✅ 100% free — you choose who contacts you

Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
221 ↑ 14% vs 2015

people born in Chile live in Portugal · UN DESA

Who's moving to Portugal?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

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

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

CL
6.7
PT
0.8
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CL
10.3
PT
7.2

Portugal 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
PT
$4,928
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CL
31.7
PT
57.7

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

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

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
PT
3.3t

Portugal performs significantly better than Chile across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CL
22.7
PT
43.5
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
PT
12.3%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CL
9.0%
PT
6.5%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$29,500
PT
$41,700

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CL
79.8 yrs
PT
81.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
6.5
PT
2.5

Chile generally does better on family life, though Portugal leads in life expectancy.

Data: Chilean Tax Administration, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

Lisbon Rain: 29.6 in/yr (751 mm)
69° / 55°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago Lisbon
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 61°/48°F (16°/9°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 71°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 81°/63°F (27°/17°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 65°/53°F (18°/12°C)
View all months
Month Santiago Lisbon
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 58°/47°F (14.5°/8.2°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 60°/48°F (15.6°/9.0°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 64°/50°F (17.6°/9.9°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 66°/52°F (19.1°/11.1°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 71°/55°F (21.7°/13.0°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 77°/60°F (24.8°/15.6°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 81°/63°F (27.4°/17.4°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 82°/64°F (27.9°/17.7°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 80°/63°F (26.4°/17.0°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 72°/58°F (22.4°/14.6°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 64°/52°F (17.8°/11.2°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 59°/48°F (14.8°/8.9°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting Portugal

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

Portugal passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
Portugal 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 Portugal than Chile?

Day-to-day costs in Portugal run about 57% higher than Chile on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Portugal?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CLF1,762 comparable salary, that's around €25,846 in Portugal for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Portugal?

With 43.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Portugal 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 Portugal.

Is Portugal safe for expats?

Portugal performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Portugal is 0.8 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Chile.

How is healthcare in Portugal compared to Chile?

Portugal generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 57.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Portugal, compared to 31.7 in Chile. Portugal scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Lisbon is 69°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. Lisbon receives around 29.6 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in Portugal?

The official language in Portugal is Portuguese. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

Share this

At a Glance

CL PT
Population 18,430,408 10,242,081
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) Euro (€)
Languages Spanish Portuguese
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +56 +351
Time zones 2 2
Emergency number 131 112