Moving to Chile from South Korea
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from South Korea to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from South Korea to Chile, you would find that Chile is 28.5% cheaper than South Korea overall. A ₩100,000,000 salary in South Korea would need to be roughly CLF1,350 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 63°F in Seoul, making it significantly warmer.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓Is Chile cheaper than South Korea?
Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 13.3% more
Groceries
pay 54.3% less
Transportation
pay 18.4% less
Housing
pay 20.1% less
Childcare
pay 51.6% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 20.0% 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.
What salary do you need in Chile?
What does your salary buy?
₩100,000,000 → CLF1,350
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 33% less than cities in South Korea.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from South Korea 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
South Korea performs better than Chile across all safety metrics.
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 South Korea leads in health coverage index.
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 South Korea 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
South Korea 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
share of people below the poverty line
South Korea generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in poverty rate.
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
South Korea performs better than Chile across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), The World Factbook (2016–2021), World Health Organization (2024), National Tax Service, South Korea (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Chile vs South Korea
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Seoul | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 43°/28°F (6°/-2°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/56°F (23°/13°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 83°/70°F (28°/21°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 54°/38°F (12°/4°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Seoul | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36°/22°F (2.1°/-5.5°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 41°/26°F (5.1°/-3.2°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 52°/35°F (11.0°/1.9°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 64°/46°F (17.9°/8.0°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 74°/56°F (23.6°/13.5°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 82°/66°F (27.6°/18.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 84°/72°F (29.0°/22.3°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 86°/73°F (30.0°/22.9°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 79°/64°F (26.2°/17.7°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 68°/51°F (20.2°/10.6°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 53°/38°F (11.9°/3.5°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 40°/26°F (4.2°/-3.4°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Korea Meteorological Administration,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Can you move from South Korea to Chile?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between South Korea 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.
South Korea passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting South Korea
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 South Korea?
Yes — Chile is on average about 29% cheaper than South Korea. 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 CLF338 in Chile on a ₩100,000,000 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?
South Korea performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in South Korea. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to South Korea?
Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though South Korea leads in health coverage index. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 26.1 in South Korea. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (South Korea: 89).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to South Korea?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 63°F in Seoul. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Seoul gets 55.8 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In South Korea, the official language is Korean.
