Moving to Chile from Peru

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from Peru to Chile, you would find that Chile is 35.5% more expensive than Peru overall. A PEN254,104 salary in Peru would need to be roughly CLF2,061 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from Peru to Chile.

What does your salary buy?

PEN254,104 CLF2,061

To maintain the same standard of living in Chile

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 75.5% more

Groceries

pay 32.3% more

Transportation

pay 15.5% more

Housing

pay 46.0% more

Childcare

pay 61.5% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 16.7% more

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 PEN = 0.007 CLF (July 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.

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

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

Moved in 2023
10,802 ↓ 69% vs 2022

people moved from Peru 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

How Peru and Chile stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

per 100,000 people per year

PE
5.7
CL
6.7
Feel safe walking at night United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

of residents who feel safe walking alone at night

PE
39%
CL
32%

Peru generally does better on safety, though Chile leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2024

annual government + private spending per person

PE
$956
CL
$3,612
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

PE
16.2
CL
31.7

Peru generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in doctors per 10,000 people.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

PE
26.0
CL
18.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

PE
2.0t
CL
3.9t

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

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

PE
9.3
CL
22.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

PE
7.2%
CL
9.0%

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

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

PE
4.8%
CL
9.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

PE
$15,100
CL
$29,500

Peru generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

PE
68.9 yrs
CL
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

PE
10.8
CL
6.5

Chile performs significantly better than Peru across all family life metrics.

Data: Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administración Tributaria, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Lima Rain: 0.5 in/yr (13 mm)
72° / 62°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Lima Santiago
Jan–Mar 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) 84°/55°F (29°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) 66°/44°F (19°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 66°/58°F (19°/15°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Oct–Dec 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) 79°/51°F (26°/10°C)
View all months
Month Lima Santiago
Jan 78°/66°F (25.8°/19.1°C) 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C)
Feb 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.4°C) 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C)
Mar 79°/67°F (26.0°/19.2°C) 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C)
Apr 76°/64°F (24.3°/17.6°C) 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C)
May 71°/61°F (21.7°/16.1°C) 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C)
Jun 67°/60°F (19.7°/15.3°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C)
Jul 66°/59°F (18.7°/15.0°C) 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C)
Aug 65°/58°F (18.4°/14.6°C) 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C)
Sep 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C)
Oct 68°/59°F (19.9°/15.2°C) 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C)
Nov 71°/62°F (21.9°/16.4°C) 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C)
Dec 75°/64°F (23.9°/17.7°C) 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C)

Data: Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú, Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Peru 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.

Peru passport

Peru passport holder visiting Chile

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

Chile passport holder visiting Peru

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter Peru 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 Peru?

Day-to-day costs in Chile run about 16% higher than Peru on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Chile?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a PEN254,104 comparable salary, that's around CLF515 in Chile for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Chile?

With 22.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Chile can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Peru and Chile.

Is Chile safe for expats?

Peru generally does better on safety, though Chile leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 5.7 in Peru. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.

How is healthcare in Chile compared to Peru?

Peru generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 16.2 in Peru. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Peru: 71).

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

The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 72°F in Lima. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lima gets 0.5 in.

What language do they speak in Chile?

The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Peru, the official languages are Aymara, Quechua and Spanish.

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At a Glance

PE CL
Population 32,275,736 18,430,408
Currency Peruvian Nuevo Sol (PEN) Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF)
Languages Aymara, Quechua, Spanish Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +51 +56
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 105 131