Moving to Chile from Malaysia
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Malaysia to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Malaysia to Chile, you would find that Chile is 23.0% more expensive than Malaysia overall. A MYR310,000 salary in Malaysia would need to be roughly CLF2,330 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Santiago averages 73°F vs 90°F in Kuala Lumpur, making it significantly cooler.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Chile cheaper than Malaysia?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 2.0 times more
Groceries
pay 3.4% less
Transportation
pay 22.2% more
Housing
pay 36.4% more
Childcare
pay 18.0% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 10.9% more
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 Chile?
What does your salary buy?
MYR310,000 → CLF2,330
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
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 Chile cost about 21% less than cities in Malaysia.
Compare cities head-to-head
Get free moving quotes to Chile
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Malaysia to Chile, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Malaysia 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
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Chile leads in road traffic deaths.
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
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Chile performs significantly better than Malaysia across all environment metrics.
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
Malaysia generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Malaysia generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in gdp per capita.
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
percentage of adults who can read and write
Chile performs significantly better than Malaysia across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
Weather in Chile vs Malaysia
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Kuala Lumpur | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 91°/73°F (33°/23°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/75°F (33°/24°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 90°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 89°/74°F (32°/23°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Kuala Lumpur | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 90°/72°F (32.1°/22.5°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 91°/73°F (32.9°/22.8°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 92°/74°F (33.2°/23.2°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/75°F (33.1°/23.7°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 91°/75°F (32.9°/23.9°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 91°/74°F (32.7°/23.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.2°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 90°/74°F (32.3°/23.1°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 90°/74°F (32.1°/23.2°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 89°/74°F (31.6°/23.2°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 89°/73°F (31.5°/22.9°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Malaysian Meteorological Department,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Can you move from Malaysia to Chile?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Malaysia 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.
Malaysia passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Malaysia
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 Malaysia?
No — Chile is on average about 23% more expensive than Malaysia. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Chile?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly CLF582 in Chile on a MYR310,000 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?
Malaysia generally does better on safety, though Chile leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Malaysia. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Malaysia?
Malaysia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 23.4 in Malaysia. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Malaysia: 76).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Malaysia?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 90°F in Kuala Lumpur. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Kuala Lumpur gets 95.6 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Malaysia, the official languages are English and Malay.
