Moving to Chile from Saudi Arabia
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Saudi Arabia to Chile — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Saudi Arabia to Chile, you would find that Chile is 7.9% more expensive than Saudi Arabia overall. A SAR281,786 salary in Saudi Arabia would need to be roughly CLF1,402 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 92°F in Riyadh, making it significantly cooler.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from Saudi Arabia to Chile.
What does your salary buy?
SAR281,786 → CLF1,402
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 2.1 times more
Groceries
pay 7.7% more
Transportation
pay 14.2% more
Housing
pay 18.7% less
Childcare
pay 11.8% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 22.5% 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
How Saudi Arabia and Chile stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Saudi Arabia 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
Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia 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
Chile performs significantly better than Saudi Arabia 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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in water stress level.
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
Saudi Arabia performs better than Chile across all employment & economy metrics.
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
Saudi Arabia generally does better on family life, though Chile leads in life expectancy.
Data: Department of Zakat and Income Tax, 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 | Riyadh | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 75°/50°F (24°/10°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 101°/72°F (38°/22°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 109°/77°F (43°/25°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 84°/56°F (29°/13°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Riyadh | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.9°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 74°/49°F (23.3°/9.3°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 82°/56°F (27.7°/13.2°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 92°/65°F (33.3°/18.4°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 103°/74°F (39.4°/23.4°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 109°/78°F (42.6°/25.3°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 111°/80°F (43.7°/26.4°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 111°/79°F (43.7°/26.3°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 105°/73°F (40.6°/22.9°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 96°/65°F (35.5°/18.2°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 83°/56°F (28.1°/13.3°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 72°/47°F (22.1°/8.4°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
National Center for Meteorology,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Saudi Arabia 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.
Saudi Arabia passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Required
Chile passport holder visiting Saudi Arabia
Visa RequiredData: 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 Saudi Arabia?
Generally yes: Chile runs about 21% cheaper than Saudi Arabia on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
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 SAR281,786 comparable salary, that's around CLF350 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 Saudi Arabia and Chile.
Is Chile safe for expats?
Saudi Arabia 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 0.8 in Saudi Arabia.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Saudi Arabia?
Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Saudi Arabia leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 30.8 in Saudi Arabia. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Saudi Arabia: 74).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Saudi Arabia?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 92°F in Riyadh. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Riyadh gets 4.4 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Saudi Arabia, the official language is Arabic.
