Moving to Chile from Sweden
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Sweden to Chile — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Sweden to Chile, you would find that Chile is 38.4% cheaper than Sweden overall. A SEK740,000 salary in Sweden would need to be roughly CLF1,160 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 52°F in Stockholm, 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 Sweden?
The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 40.2% less
Groceries
pay 34.9% less
Transportation
pay 43.2% less
Housing
pay 44.0% less
Childcare
pay 50.8% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 39.5% 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.
What salary do you need in Chile?
What does your salary buy?
SEK740,000 → CLF1,160
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 40% less than cities in Sweden.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from Sweden to Chile, and how the trend has changed.
Key Indicator Comparison
How Sweden and Chile stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Sweden 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
Sweden generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile 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
Sweden performs better than Chile 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
Sweden performs better than Chile across all infrastructure metrics.
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
Sweden generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in top income tax 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
Sweden performs better than Chile across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Skatteverket (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this
Weather in Chile vs Sweden
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Stockholm | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 36°/28°F (2°/-2°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 69°/56°F (21°/13°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 43°/36°F (6°/2°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Stockholm | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34°/27°F (1.0°/-2.9°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 34°/26°F (1.2°/-3.2°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 40°/30°F (4.7°/-1.1°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 51°/37°F (10.7°/2.6°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 62°/45°F (16.5°/7.1°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 69°/53°F (20.8°/11.6°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 74°/59°F (23.6°/14.8°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 72°/58°F (22.1°/14.2°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 62°/50°F (16.6°/10.2°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 50°/42°F (10.1°/5.5°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 42°/35°F (5.4°/1.9°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 36°/30°F (2.5°/-1.2°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI),
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Can you move from Sweden to Chile?
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Sweden 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.
Sweden passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Sweden
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 Sweden?
Generally yes: Chile runs about 38% cheaper than Sweden 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 SEK740,000 comparable salary, that's around CLF290 in Chile for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Chile?
With 23.7 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 Sweden and Chile.
Is Chile safe for expats?
Sweden performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 1.1 in Sweden. About 32% of people in Chile feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Sweden?
Sweden 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 44.1 in Sweden. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Sweden: 85).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Sweden?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 52°F in Stockholm. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Stockholm gets 21.5 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
The official language in Chile is Spanish. In Sweden, the official language is Swedish.
