South America · Santiago
Cost of living in Chile
Chile is 53% cheaper than the US, ranking #94 of 203 countries we cover for cost of living.
World Bank data through 2024 · last reviewed 2026-06.
What drives the cost here
Price levels by category, where the world average = 100. Above 100 is pricier than the global norm; below it is cheaper.
In Chile, food & groceries is the priciest category relative to the world (125), while health is the most affordable (69).
Category price levels: World Bank ICP 2021 (world average = 100) · source
What your money is worth here
A $100,000 US lifestyle would cost roughly $47,000 in Chile.
Quality of life
92/100 · #46 of 198Beyond cost — health, safety, and connectivity. The score is a transparent, equal-weight composite of the verified metrics below (see methodology).
About Chile
Indigenous groups inhabited central and southern Chile for several thousand years, living in mixed pastoralist and settled communities. The Inca then ruled the north of the country for nearly a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century. In 1541, the Spanish established the Captaincy General of Chile, which lasted until Chile declared its independence in 1810. The subsequent struggle with the Spanish became tied to other South American independence conflicts, with a decisive victory not being achieved until 1818.
Read the full background
In the War of the Pacific (1879-83), Chile defeated Peru and Bolivia to win its current northernmost regions. By the 1880s, the Chilean central government cemented its control over the central and southern regions inhabited by Mapuche Indigenous peoples. Between 1891 and 1973, a series of elected governments succeeded each other until the Marxist government of Salvador ALLENDE was overthrown in 1973 in a military coup led by General Augusto PINOCHET, who ruled until a democratically elected president was inaugurated in 1990. Economic reforms that were maintained consistently since the 1980s contributed to steady growth, reduced poverty rates by over half, and helped secure the country's commitment to democratic and representative government. Chile has increasingly assumed regional and international leadership roles befitting its status as a stable, democratic nation.
Background from the CIA World Factbook (public domain), archived 2026-06-03.
Frequently asked
Is Chile expensive to live in?
Chile is 53% cheaper than the US, ranking #94 of the 203 countries we track. Its most expensive category relative to the world is food & groceries; health costs the least.
How much money do you need to live in Chile?
A lifestyle that costs $100,000 in the United States would cost roughly $47,000 in Chile, going by overall price levels. The salary translator turns your own figure into a local equivalent.
Is Chile cheaper than the United States?
Yes. Its overall price level is 46.9, against 100 for the United States.
What is the quality of life in Chile?
Chile scores 92 out of 100 on our quality-of-life index (#46 of 198), a composite of life expectancy, safety, health, and connectivity, with life expectancy around 81 years.
Every number, sourced.
We cite the exact source and year for each figure. Derived values are computed at build time, never hand-entered.
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