Moving to Chile from Uruguay
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Uruguay to Chile — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Uruguay to Chile, you would find that Chile is 32.3% cheaper than Uruguay overall. A UYU3,000,000 salary in Uruguay would need to be roughly CLF1,250 in Chile to maintain the same lifestyle.
Planning this move? Get up to 5 free, no-obligation quotes from vetted international movers. Get free quotes ↓How Far Will Your Money Go?
What to expect for your wallet after moving from Uruguay to Chile.
What does your salary buy?
UYU3,000,000 → CLF1,250
To maintain the same standard of living in Chile
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 44.0% less
Groceries
pay 27.6% less
Transportation
pay 35.9% less
Housing
pay 29.8% less
Childcare
pay 17.0% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 26.3% 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.
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 37% less than cities in Uruguay.
Compare cities head-to-head
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Who Else Is Making This Move?
How many people actually move from Uruguay to Chile, based on official data.
Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Uruguay to Chile.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Chile performs significantly better than Uruguay 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
Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in suicide rate.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Uruguay 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
Chile generally does better on infrastructure, though Uruguay leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Uruguay 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
Chile generally does better on family life, though Uruguay leads in literacy rate.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), Dirección General Impositiva (2016), Chilean Tax Administration (2016), The World Factbook (2021). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Montevideo | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 81°/63°F (27°/17°C) | 84°/55°F (29°/12°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 65°/50°F (19°/10°C) | 66°/44°F (19°/7°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 61°/46°F (16°/8°C) | 63°/41°F (17°/5°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/57°F (24°/14°C) | 79°/51°F (26°/10°C) |
View all months
| Month | Montevideo | Santiago |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°/64°F (28.4°/18.0°C) | 86°/56°F (30.1°/13.3°C) |
| Feb | 82°/64°F (27.5°/17.9°C) | 85°/55°F (29.5°/12.8°C) |
| Mar | 78°/61°F (25.5°/16.2°C) | 81°/53°F (27.4°/11.4°C) |
| Apr | 72°/55°F (22.0°/12.9°C) | 74°/47°F (23.1°/8.6°C) |
| May | 65°/50°F (18.6°/10.2°C) | 65°/44°F (18.5°/6.4°C) |
| Jun | 59°/46°F (15.1°/7.7°C) | 60°/41°F (15.7°/5.0°C) |
| Jul | 59°/45°F (15.0°/7.2°C) | 60°/39°F (15.3°/3.9°C) |
| Aug | 61°/46°F (16.2°/7.8°C) | 63°/41°F (17.1°/5.1°C) |
| Sep | 64°/48°F (18.0°/9.1°C) | 67°/44°F (19.4°/6.8°C) |
| Oct | 69°/53°F (20.5°/11.5°C) | 73°/47°F (22.9°/8.6°C) |
| Nov | 75°/58°F (23.7°/14.2°C) | 79°/51°F (26.1°/10.3°C) |
| Dec | 80°/61°F (26.5°/16.3°C) | 84°/54°F (28.8°/12.2°C) |
Data:
Instituto Uruguayo de Meteorologia,
Dirección Meteorológica de Chile
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Uruguay 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.
Uruguay passport holder visiting Chile
Visa Free
Chile passport holder visiting Uruguay
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 Uruguay?
Yes — Chile is on average about 32% cheaper than Uruguay. 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 CLF312 in Chile on a UYU3,000,000 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?
Chile performs significantly better than Uruguay across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Chile is 6.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 11.2 in Uruguay.
How is healthcare in Chile compared to Uruguay?
Uruguay generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Chile leads in suicide rate. There are 33.3 doctors per 10,000 people in Chile, compared to 46.7 in Uruguay. Chile scores 82 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Uruguay: 82).
What's the weather like in Chile compared to Uruguay?
The average high temperature in Santiago is 73°F, compared to 71°F in Montevideo. Santiago receives around 13.5 in of rainfall per year, while Montevideo gets 43.3 in.
What language do they speak in Chile?
Both Uruguay and Chile share the same official language: Spanish.
