What if you were born in Chile?

If you had grown up in Chile instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Santiago could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Cuernos del Paine, Torres del Paine National Park. Photo: Pedro Szekely from Los Angeles, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Chile

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in CLP and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Chile: CLP 1,280,000Rs 359,000
Rent (city centre): CLP 369,000
Transport (public transport): CLP 65,100
Food: CLP 184,000
Saved: CLP 191,000

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Chile: CLP 2,930,000Rs 826,000
Rent (suburbs): CLP 748,000
Transport (public transport): CLP 150,000
Food: CLP 498,000
Saved: CLP 440,000

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Chile: CLP 4,750,000Rs 1,340,000
Rent (city centre): CLP 1,160,000
Transport (car): CLP 445,000
Food: CLP 582,000
Saved: CLP 1,330,000

Try it with my own income

A day in Santiago

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Santiago, a city of cool winters around 8°C and warm summers around 22°C, and rain is rare.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
You speak Spanish at work; English helps in the big cities.
Lunch
Lunch might be empanadas de pino: baked pastries filled with beef, onion, egg and olives.
Evening
You get home with CLP 440,000 saved each month. You stay alert in some areas at night.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast and the mountains.

Chile compared with Pakistan

	Chile	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	2.2× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	81 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	23 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	9.0%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	15°C	26°C
Languages	Spanish	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	CLP	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Chile, living in Chile and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Chile?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around CLP 2,930,000 a month at the same level in Chile (about Rs 826,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Chile more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 2.2 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Chile?

Mainly Spanish. English is spoken by some people, mostly in cities.

Can I actually move to Chile?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Chile page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.