Moving to Chile from Iceland
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Iceland to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Iceland to Chile, you would find that Chile is 54.7% cheaper than Iceland overall. A ISK9,402,000 salary in Iceland would need to be roughly CLF567 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 45°F in Reykjavik, making it significantly warmer.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Iceland to Chile.
What does your salary buy?
ISK9,402,000 → CLF567
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 61.9% less
Groceries
pay 51.0% less
Transportation
pay 54.8% less
Housing
pay 52.0% less
Childcare
pay 42.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 58.7% 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.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Iceland to Chile.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Iceland 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
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Iceland 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
Iceland performs better than Chile across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Iceland generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in top income tax 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
Iceland performs better than Chile across all family life metrics.
Data: Directorate of Internal Revenue, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Reykjavik | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 37°/28°F (3°/-2°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 48°/38°F (9°/4°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 54°/45°F (12°/7°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 39°/31°F (4°/-1°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Reykjavik | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35°/27°F (1.9°/-3.0°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 37°/28°F (2.8°/-2.1°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 38°/28°F (3.2°/-2.0°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 42°/33°F (5.7°/0.4°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 49°/38°F (9.4°/3.6°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 53°/44°F (11.7°/6.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 56°/47°F (13.3°/8.3°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 55°/46°F (13.0°/7.9°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 50°/41°F (10.1°/5.0°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 44°/36°F (6.8°/2.2°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 38°/30°F (3.4°/-1.3°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/27°F (2.2°/-2.8°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Icelandic Meteorological Office,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Iceland 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.
Iceland passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Iceland
Visa FreeData: 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 Iceland?
Yes — Chile is on average about 68% cheaper than Iceland. City-level variation can be significant.
How much money do I need to move to Chile?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CLF142 in Chile on a ISK9,402,000 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Chile?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Chile has 22.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Chile safe for expats?
Iceland performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Iceland. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Iceland?
Iceland generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 45.2 in Iceland. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Iceland: 89).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Iceland?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 45°F in Reykjavik. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Reykjavik gets 31.4 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Iceland, the official language is Icelandic.
