Moving to Spain from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Chile to Spain, you would find that Spain is 44.6% more expensive than Chile overall. A CLF1,762 salary in Chile would need to be roughly €107,262 in Spain to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

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

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,762 €107,262

To maintain the same standard of living in Spain

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 65.1% more

Groceries

pay 23.2% more

Transportation

pay 45.3% more

Housing

pay 68.1% more

Childcare

pay 47.8% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 15.6% 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
8,599 ↑ 12% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Spain?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Chile and Spain 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
ES
0.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

CL
32%
ES
78%

Spain 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
ES
$4,935
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

CL
31.7
ES
44.8

Spain 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
ES
10.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
ES
4.5t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

CL
22.7
ES
36.0
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
ES
43.2%

Spain generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

CL
9.0%
ES
12.1%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$29,500
ES
$46,400

Chile generally does better on employment & economy, though Spain leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

CL
79.8 yrs
ES
82.5 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
6.5
ES
2.5

Spain generally does better on family life, though Chile leads in education spending.

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

Madrid Rain: 16.6 in/yr (421 mm)
68° / 50°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago Madrid
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 55°/40°F (13°/4°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 73°/53°F (23°/12°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 86°/64°F (30°/18°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 58°/44°F (14°/7°C)
View all months
Month Santiago Madrid
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 50°/37°F (9.8°/2.7°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 54°/39°F (12.0°/3.7°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 61°/43°F (16.3°/6.2°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 65°/46°F (18.2°/7.7°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 72°/52°F (22.2°/11.3°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 83°/61°F (28.2°/16.1°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 90°/66°F (32.1°/19.0°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 88°/66°F (31.3°/18.8°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 80°/60°F (26.4°/15.4°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 67°/51°F (19.4°/10.7°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 56°/43°F (13.5°/6.2°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 50°/38°F (10.0°/3.6°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, Agencia Estatal de Meteorología Agencia Estatal de Meteorología

Visitor Visa Requirements

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

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting Spain

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

Spain passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
Spain 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 Spain than Chile?

Day-to-day costs in Spain run about 63% higher than Chile on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Spain?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CLF1,762 comparable salary, that's around €26,816 in Spain for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Spain?

With 36.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Spain 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 Spain.

Is Spain safe for expats?

Spain performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Spain is 0.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.7 in Chile. About 78% of people in Spain feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Spain compared to Chile?

Spain generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 44.8 doctors per 10,000 people in Spain, compared to 31.7 in Chile. Spain scores 85 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

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

The average high temperature in Madrid is 68°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. Madrid receives around 16.6 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in Spain?

The official languages in Spain are Basque, Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CL ES
Population 18,430,408 47,163,418
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) Euro (€)
Languages Spanish Basque, Catalan, Galician, Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +56 +34
Time zones 2 2
Emergency number 131 112