Moving to Chile from Netherlands

moving to

What to Expect

Considering a move from Netherlands to Chile? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.

If you moved from Netherlands to Chile, you would find that Chile is 55.5% cheaper than Netherlands overall. A €67,000 salary in Netherlands would need to be roughly CLF828 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 56°F in Amsterdam, making it significantly warmer.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Netherlands and Chile.

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → CLF828

To maintain the same standard of living in Chile

Calculate with your salary →

How key spending categories compare

Restaurants

pay 58.5% less

Groceries

pay 32.7% less

Transportation

pay 55.9% less

Housing

pay 67.1% less

Childcare

pay 63.1% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 40.0% 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 54% less than cities in Netherlands.

Netherlands

Rotterdam 68%
Arnhem 63%

Chile

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

What the data shows about people moving from Netherlands to Chile.

Moved in 2022
35 ↑ 52% vs 2021

people moved from Netherlands 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

The numbers behind daily life in Chile compared to Netherlands.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

NL
0.7
CL
6.3
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

NL
3.4
CL
10.3

Netherlands 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

NL
$8,195
CL
$3,612
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2023

affects wait times and access to care

NL
38.8
CL
33.3

Netherlands 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

NL
13.0
CL
18.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

NL
6.6t
CL
3.9t

Netherlands generally does better on environment, though Chile leads in co₂ emissions per capita.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

NL
43.0
CL
23.7
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

NL
16.7%
CL
9.0%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

NL
3.9%
CL
9.0%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

NL
$73,684
CL
$17,995

Netherlands generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in top income tax rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

NL
82.0 yrs
CL
81.4 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

NL
3.4
CL
5.8

Netherlands performs better than Chile across all family life metrics.

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

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Amsterdam Rain: 30.7 in/yr (780 mm)
56° / 43°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Amsterdam Santiago
Jan–Mar 45°/34°F (7°/1°C) 84°/55°F (29°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) 66°/44°F (19°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 69°/53°F (21°/12°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Oct–Dec 50°/40°F (10°/4°C) 79°/51°F (26°/10°C)
View all months
Month Amsterdam Santiago
Jan 42°/33°F (5.4°/0.5°C) 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C)
Feb 43°/32°F (6.0°/0.2°C) 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C)
Mar 49°/36°F (9.2°/2.4°C) 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C)
Apr 54°/39°F (12.4°/4.0°C) 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C)
May 63°/46°F (17.1°/7.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C)
Jun 67°/51°F (19.2°/10.4°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C)
Jul 71°/54°F (21.4°/12.5°C) 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C)
Aug 71°/54°F (21.8°/12.3°C) 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C)
Sep 65°/50°F (18.4°/10.2°C) 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C)
Oct 57°/45°F (14.1°/7.0°C) 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C)
Nov 49°/39°F (9.2°/3.9°C) 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C)
Dec 44°/35°F (6.5°/1.9°C) 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C)

Data: Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute, Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Netherlands 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.

Netherlands passport

Netherlands passport holder visiting Chile

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

Chile passport holder visiting Netherlands

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter Netherlands 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 Netherlands?

On average Chile is about 55% less expensive than Netherlands, with major cities narrowing the gap.

How much money do I need to move to Chile?

Budget about CLF207 for 3 months in Chile (based on a €67,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Chile?

Connectivity is usually fine (Chile: 23.7 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Chile offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?

Is Chile safe for expats?

Netherlands performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.7 in Netherlands.

How is healthcare in Chile compared to Netherlands?

Netherlands generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 38.8 in Netherlands. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Netherlands: 85).

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

The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 56°F in Amsterdam. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Amsterdam gets 30.7 in.

What language do they speak in Chile?

The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Netherlands, the official language is Dutch.

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At a Glance

NL CL
Population 18,087,633 19,859,921
Currency Euro (€) Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF)
Languages Dutch Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +31 +56
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 112 131