Moving to Chile from Latvia

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What to Expect

Everything you need to know before relocating from Latvia to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.

If you moved from Latvia to Chile, you would find that Chile is 10.6% cheaper than Latvia overall. A €67,000 salary in Latvia would need to be roughly CLF1,660 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 50°F in Riga, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

What to expect for your wallet after moving from Latvia to Chile.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → CLF1,660

To maintain the same standard of living in Chile

Calculate with your salary →

Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day

Restaurants

pay 20.8% less

Groceries

pay 2.0% less

Transportation

pay 23.2% less

Housing

pay 7.0% more

Childcare

pay 41.5% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 18.9% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 EUR = 0.0277 CLF (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.

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 Chile cost about 20% less than cities in Latvia.

Latvia

Riga ★ 43%
Liepaja 40%
Jelgava 33%

Chile

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

How many people actually move from Latvia to Chile, based on official data.

Moved in 2023
1 ↓ 67% vs 2022

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

Who's moving to Chile?

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

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Latvia to Chile.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

LV
2.5
CL
6.3
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

LV
75%
CL
32%

Latvia performs better than Chile across all safety metrics.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

LV
$3,034
CL
$3,612
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

LV
34.0
CL
33.3

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile 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

LV
40.0
CL
18.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

LV
3.6t
CL
3.9t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

LV
25.8
CL
23.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

LV
1.0%
CL
9.0%

Latvia generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in electricity per capita.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

LV
6.6%
CL
9.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

LV
$26,312
CL
$17,995

Latvia generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

LV
76.4 yrs
CL
81.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

LV
2.2
CL
5.8

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

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2021), State Revenue Service, Latvia (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Riga Rain: 24.9 in/yr (633 mm)
50° / 36°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Riga Santiago
Jan–Mar 31°/20°F (0°/-7°C) 84°/55°F (29°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 60°/42°F (15°/6°C) 66°/44°F (19°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 67°/51°F (20°/11°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Oct–Dec 41°/31°F (5°/0°C) 79°/51°F (26°/10°C)
View all months
Month Riga Santiago
Jan 28°/18°F (-2.3°/-7.8°C) 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C)
Feb 29°/18°F (-1.7°/-7.6°C) 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C)
Mar 37°/24°F (2.7°/-4.7°C) 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C)
Apr 50°/34°F (9.8°/1.0°C) 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C)
May 61°/43°F (16.2°/5.9°C) 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C)
Jun 68°/50°F (20.1°/10.0°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.7°/12.3°C) 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C)
Aug 70°/53°F (21.0°/11.8°C) 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C)
Sep 61°/46°F (16.3°/8.0°C) 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C)
Oct 51°/39°F (10.4°/4.0°C) 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C)
Nov 39°/31°F (3.9°/-0.5°C) 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C)
Dec 33°/24°F (0.3°/-4.4°C) 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C)

Data: Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Latvia 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.

Latvia passport

Latvia passport holder visiting Chile

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

Chile passport holder visiting Latvia

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter Latvia 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 Chile than Latvia?

Yes — Chile is on average about 11% cheaper than Latvia. 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 CLF415 in Chile on a €67,000 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 23.7 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?

Latvia performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 2.5 in Latvia. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Chile compared to Latvia?

Latvia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in health coverage index. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 34.0 in Latvia. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Latvia: 75).

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

The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 50°F in Riga. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riga gets 24.9 in.

What language do they speak in Chile?

The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Latvia, the official language is Latvian.

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At a Glance

LV CL
Population 1,847,785 19,859,921
Currency Euro (€) Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF)
Languages Latvian Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +371 +56
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 131