Moving to Chile from United Arab Emirates

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What to Expect

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

If you moved from United Arab Emirates to Chile, you would find that Chile is 18.4% cheaper than United Arab Emirates overall. A AED275,438 salary in United Arab Emirates would need to be roughly CLF946 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 93°F in Abu Dhabi, making it significantly cooler.

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How Far Will Your Money Go?

How your spending power changes when you relocate from United Arab Emirates to Chile.

What does your salary buy?

AED275,438 CLF946

To maintain the same standard of living in Chile

Calculate with your salary →

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 37.8% more

Groceries

pay 4.3% more

Transportation

pay 8.6% more

Housing

pay 60.0% less

Childcare

pay 34.0% less

Entertainment and Sports

pay 45.5% less

See full cost of living breakdown
Exchange rate: 1 AED = 0.0063 CLF (August 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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Key Indicator Comparison

How United Arab Emirates 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

AE
0.5
CL
6.7
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

AE
5.9
CL
10.3

United Arab Emirates 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

AE
$3,727
CL
$3,612
Doctors per 10,000 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

AE
29.1
CL
31.7

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

AE
70.0
CL
18.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

AE
18.3t
CL
3.9t

Chile performs significantly better than United Arab Emirates across all environment metrics.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people United Nations SDG Indicators, 2022

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

AE
40.0
CL
22.7
Water stress level United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

AE
1533.3%
CL
9.0%

United Arab Emirates generally does better on infrastructure, though Chile leads in water stress level.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate The World Factbook, 2023

percentage of the labour force without work

AE
2.7%
CL
9.0%
GDP per capita The World Factbook, 2023

a broad measure of economic output per person

AE
$75,600
CL
$29,500

United Arab Emirates generally does better on employment & economy, though Chile leads in poverty rate.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy The World Factbook, 2022

average years of life at birth

AE
79.6 yrs
CL
79.8 yrs
Infant mortality The World Factbook, 2022

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

AE
5.1
CL
6.5

United Arab Emirates generally does better on family life, though Chile leads in life expectancy.

Data: Ministry of Finance, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank

What's the Climate Like?

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Abu Dhabi Rain: 3.5 in/yr (89 mm)
93° / 68°F

Avg. annual high / low

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

Avg. annual high / low

Months Abu Dhabi Santiago
Jan–Mar 78°/56°F (26°/14°C) 84°/55°F (29°/12°C)
Apr–Jun 99°/72°F (37°/22°C) 66°/44°F (19°/7°C)
Jul–Sep 106°/81°F (41°/27°C) 63°/41°F (17°/5°C)
Oct–Dec 87°/64°F (31°/18°C) 79°/51°F (26°/10°C)
View all months
Month Abu Dhabi Santiago
Jan 75°/53°F (23.8°/11.8°C) 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C)
Feb 76°/56°F (24.6°/13.2°C) 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C)
Mar 83°/60°F (28.6°/15.8°C) 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C)
Apr 92°/66°F (33.4°/19.1°C) 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C)
May 101°/73°F (38.4°/22.8°C) 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C)
Jun 103°/77°F (39.6°/24.8°C) 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C)
Jul 108°/82°F (42.0°/27.6°C) 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C)
Aug 107°/84°F (41.5°/28.7°C) 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C)
Sep 104°/78°F (40.1°/25.6°C) 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C)
Oct 96°/71°F (35.8°/21.8°C) 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C)
Nov 87°/64°F (30.6°/17.5°C) 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C)
Dec 78°/57°F (25.7°/14.1°C) 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C)

Data: Dirección Meteorológica de Chile Dirección Meteorológica de Chile

Visitor Visa Requirements

Short-stay tourist visa rules between United Arab Emirates 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.

United Arab Emirates passport

United Arab Emirates passport holder visiting Chile

Visa Free
United Arab Emirates passport holders can enter Chile without a visa.
Chile passport

Chile passport holder visiting United Arab Emirates

Visa Free
Chile passport holders can enter United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates?

Generally yes: Chile runs about 46% cheaper than United Arab Emirates 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 AED275,438 comparable salary, that's around CLF236 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 United Arab Emirates and Chile.

Is Chile safe for expats?

United Arab Emirates performs better than Chile across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.7 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.5 in United Arab Emirates.

How is healthcare in Chile compared to United Arab Emirates?

Chile generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United Arab Emirates leads in health coverage index. There are 31.7 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 29.1 in United Arab Emirates. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United Arab Emirates: 82).

What's the weather like in Chile compared to United Arab Emirates?

The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 93°F in Abu Dhabi. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Abu Dhabi gets 3.5 in.

What language do they speak in Chile?

The official language in Chile is Spanish. In United Arab Emirates, the official language is Arabic.

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At a Glance

AE CL
Population 9,915,803 18,430,408
Currency United Arab Emirates Dirham (AED) Chilean Unit of Account (UF) (CLF)
Languages Arabic Spanish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +971 +56
Time zones 1 2
Emergency number 999 131