Moving to United Kingdom from Chile

moving to

What to Expect

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

If you moved from Chile to United Kingdom, you would find that United Kingdom is 2.1 times more expensive than Chile overall. A CLF1,900 salary in Chile would need to be roughly £120,000 in United Kingdom to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in English. You’ll also switch from driving on the right to the left. Expect a noticeable climate shift — London averages 60°F vs 73°F in Santiago, making it significantly cooler.

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Is United Kingdom cheaper than Chile?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 95.8% more

Groceries

pay 29.0% more

Transportation

pay 2.1 times more

Housing

pay 2.9 times more

Childcare

pay 3.8 times more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 85.4% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 CLF = 30.02 GBP (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 United Kingdom?

What does your salary buy?

CLF1,900 → £120,000

To maintain the same standard of living in United Kingdom

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 United Kingdom cost about 125% more than cities in Chile.

Chile

United Kingdom

Surrey 79%
Harrow 74%
Ealing 72%
Wigan 68%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Living there in 2020
8,063 ↑ 13% vs 2015

people born in Chile live in United Kingdom · UN DESA

Who's moving to United Kingdom?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Chile and United Kingdom 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
GB
1.1
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

CL
10.3
GB
2.4

United Kingdom 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
GB
$6,606
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

CL
33.3
GB
33.0

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom 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
GB
13.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

CL
3.9t
GB
4.2t

Chile generally does better on environment, though United Kingdom 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
GB
42.2
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

CL
9.0%
GB
14.3%

Chile generally does better on infrastructure, though United Kingdom 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%
GB
4.8%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

CL
$17,995
GB
$57,602

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

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

CL
81.4 yrs
GB
81.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

CL
5.8
GB
4.1

United Kingdom performs significantly better than Chile across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2017–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), HM Revenue & Customs (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in United Kingdom vs Chile

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

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

Avg. annual high / low

London Rain: 22.0 in/yr (558 mm)
60° / 46°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Santiago London
Jan–Mar 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) 49°/38°F (9°/3°C)
Apr–Jun 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) 64°/48°F (18°/9°C)
Jul–Sep 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) 72°/56°F (22°/13°C)
Oct–Dec 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) 53°/43°F (12°/6°C)
View all months
Month Santiago London
Jan 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) 47°/38°F (8.1°/3.1°C)
Feb 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) 47°/37°F (8.6°/2.7°C)
Mar 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) 53°/40°F (11.6°/4.6°C)
Apr 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) 58°/43°F (14.6°/5.9°C)
May 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) 65°/48°F (18.1°/8.9°C)
Jun 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C)
Jul 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) 74°/57°F (23.4°/13.7°C)
Aug 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) 74°/57°F (23.1°/13.8°C)
Sep 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) 68°/53°F (20.0°/11.4°C)
Oct 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) 60°/48°F (15.5°/8.8°C)
Nov 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) 52°/42°F (11.3°/5.8°C)
Dec 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) 47°/38°F (8.4°/3.4°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile, Met Office Met Office

Can you move from Chile to United Kingdom?

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

Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting United Kingdom

Electronic Travel Authorisation
Chile passport holders need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) to enter United Kingdom.
United Kingdom passport

United Kingdom passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom than Chile?

Day-to-day costs in United Kingdom run about 111% higher than Chile on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to United Kingdom?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a CLF1,900 comparable salary, that's around £30,000 in United Kingdom for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from United Kingdom?

With 42.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom.

Is United Kingdom safe for expats?

United Kingdom performs significantly better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in United Kingdom is 1.1 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.3 in Chile.

How is healthcare in United Kingdom compared to Chile?

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Kingdom leads in health coverage index. There are 33.0 doctors per 10,000 people in United Kingdom, compared to 33.3 in Chile. United Kingdom scores 88 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Chile: 82).

What's the weather like in United Kingdom compared to Chile?

The average high temperature in London is 60°F, compared to 73°F in Santiago. London receives around 22.0 in of rainfall per year, while Santiago gets 13.5 in.

What language do they speak in United Kingdom?

The official language in United Kingdom is English. In Chile, the official language is Spanish.

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At a Glance

CL GB
Population 19,859,921 69,487,000
Currency Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF) British Pound Sterling (£)
Languages Spanish English
Driving side Right Left
Calling code +56 +44
Time zones 2 9
Emergency number 131 999