MigrantoCost of living in Chile
Average monthly spending, by standard of living, by category, and against other countries
Monthly cost
CLP 649,000
what a typical person spends
Spending by standard of living
CLP 260,000richest 20%
CLP 2,240,000
Chile carries the price tag of one of Latin America's more developed economies — wages run higher, the cities feel modern, and the cost of a normal life tracks right along with that. The flip side is one of the sharpest divides anywhere between how the well-off and the barely-getting-by actually live.
Where people spend money in Chile
Food is what takes the biggest bite of a Chilean month, and it's stubborn — a long, narrow country means most of what you eat travels a long way before it reaches the shelf. Rent and getting around come next, and there's more room to trim those than there is to eat for less.
Living-cost calculator
What it costs to live in Chile
Tell us what you earn and spend today — we'll estimate what the same lifestyle would cost in Chile and how much you could have left each month
- What your lifestyle costs
- How much could be left each month
- How it compares with today
Cost of living in Chile
CLP 260,000/mo
vs CLP 726,000 in your country
Take-home
CLP 593,000
vs CLP 1,090,000 in your country
Potential savings
CLP 333,000
more than in your country
Standard of living
Under a minute, no sign-up
How living costs in Chile compare
On a world scale, Chile lands among the more expensive places to settle, and within Latin America it sits high rather than in the middle. It comes down to a stronger, more developed economy than most of its neighbours — the prices follow the higher wages, so the region's cheap reputation doesn't really hold here.
Data source: household consumption 2024 (World Bank), International Comparison Program 2021 (World Bank), category breakdown 2023 (United Nations Statistics Division), adjusted to 2026 using IMF GDP-per-capita growth
Ask Migo
Tap a question — our AI assistant answers it in chat
Frequently asked questions
What is the cost of living in Chile?
A typical person in Chile spends about CLP 649,000 a month — around CLP 7,790,000 a year — on housing, groceries, transport and other everyday costs. It's a nationwide average across different regions, cities and types of housing.
What is the cost of living in Chile in US dollars?
The cost of living in Chile is about $715 a month, or roughly $8,580 a year per person.
How much money do you need to live comfortably in Chile?
It all depends on your standard of living. A modest budget runs about CLP 260,000 a month per person, a typical one around CLP 649,000, and a comfortable life around CLP 909,000. In big cities and for a family, costs are usually higher.
What do people spend the most on in Chile?
The biggest expense is groceries, at about CLP 138,000 a month (21% of spending). Then come housing (CLP 101,000, 16%) and transport (CLP 75,300, 12%).
Is the average salary in Chile enough to live on?
Yes, with room to spare. Average spending is about CLP 649,000 a month, while the average take-home pay in Chile is about CLP 1,050,000. For more on incomes, see salaries in Chile.
Is Chile an expensive country to live in?
Yes. Chile is more expensive than 66% of countries worldwide and ranks 11th of 33 in Latin America by cost of living.
Where to live?
Match a country to your priorities
Living in Chile
See the full country overview