Summary
A typical 3-bedroom house in Chile asks about 4,110 UF in October 2026, or CLP 169 million (USD 173,000), based on Índice Aguila national medians for about 100 m².
The cheapest real entry point is a small 2-bedroom house in outer Santiago: about 2,070 UF (USD 87,300) in Puente Alto and 2,450 UF in Maipú.
Big family houses with 4 or more bedrooms have a national median of about 180 m², which works out to roughly 8,150 UF (USD 344,000), and 19,080 UF in Las Condes.
Houses cost about 30% less per m² than apartments: 41.9 UF against 60.1 UF nationally, so the same budget buys more space in a house.
By commune, house asking prices go from about 21 UF per m² in small Maule towns and 29.6 UF in Valparaíso to 108.2 UF per m² in Vitacura.
Asking is not selling: in Quilpué, San Pedro de la Paz and San Miguel, house listings sit 30% to 33% above recent registered sales, while in Vitacura and Lo Barnechea registered sales come in higher than asking prices.
Buying costs are low because Chile has no transfer tax: about 0.5% to 1% in cash and 1% to 2% with a mortgage, so roughly CLP 1.7 to 3.4 million on a 4,110 UF house with a loan.
Contribuciones are zero if the house's fiscal value is below CLP 61.7 million; at a fiscal value of CLP 150 million, expect about CLP 788,000 a year.
From December 1, 2026, developers can sell some finished new homes without 19% IVA; the government talks of up to about 14% off, the CChC of only 2% to 7%.
Used houses in the Santiago region sold in about 88 days in Q2 2026 (RE/MAX), and prices rose only 2.39% in UF over the year to Q1 2026 (Banco Central).
Bottom line: budget around 3,000 to 4,000 UF for an ordinary family house outside the eastern communes, check registered sales before you offer, and negotiate hardest where the asking-vs-sold gap is widest.
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Message a proWhat does a house cost in Chile, from a small starter home to a big family house?
What's the median and average house price in Chile?
Chile doesn't publish an official median house price, so the best proxy is the asking-price data from the Índice Aguila (October 2026). Nationally, houses ask a median 41.9 UF per m². A median 3-bedroom house has about 100 m² and asks 41.1 UF per m², which puts it around 4,110 UF, or CLP 169 million, USD 173,000 or EUR 154,000.
The average is higher. RE/MAX Chile reported an average sale price of CLP 292 million (USD 299,000, roughly 7,090 UF) for used houses in the Santiago Metropolitan Region in Q2 2026.
The average sits above the median because expensive houses in Vitacura, Las Condes and Lo Barnechea pull it up. That's why we prefer to look at medians by commune and by number of bedrooms.
Ordinary family houses go from about 2,070 UF for a 2-bedroom in Puente Alto to about 14,700 UF for a 3-bedroom in Providencia or a large house in Puerto Varas. At around 4,000 UF, you can get a 4-bedroom house of 110 to 121 m² in Puente Alto or Maipú (3,890 to 4,000 UF), while in Viña del Mar a median 3-bedroom of about 116 m² already asks 4,860 UF.
What's the cheapest livable house budget?
The cheapest realistic budget for a livable house is about 2,000 to 2,500 UF, or CLP 82.4 million to CLP 101 million (USD 84,300 to USD 103,000). In October 2026, a 2-bedroom house of about 60 m² asks a median 2,070 UF in Puente Alto, and a 69 m² one 2,450 UF in Maipú. Nationally, a 2-bedroom house of 69 m² at 33.2 UF per m² comes to about 2,290 UF.
At this entry-level budget, "livable" usually means the house has basic services, legal access, usable bathrooms and kitchen, and no obvious structural emergency, but it may be small, old, far from the best jobs, or in need of repairs.
The lowest prices per m² are in smaller towns of the Maule region (Colbún 21.3, Molina 24.3 and Parral 27.0 UF per m²), then Valparaíso (29.6), Temuco (34.1) and San Bernardo (35.3). Puente Alto (38.3) and Maipú (38.2) are the big Santiago communes where you'll find the most low-priced houses for sale.
This lower budget can work, but a foreign buyer should be extra careful with extensions, permits, flood risk, neighborhood safety, and the property's ROL before paying a reservation fee.
How much do 2 and 3-bedroom houses cost?
A 2-bedroom house costs about 2,070 to 2,450 UF in the big outer Santiago communes, or CLP 85.3 million to CLP 101 million (USD 87,300 to USD 103,000). There aren't many of them: only about 1,400 of the roughly 17,700 houses Aguila tracks for sale nationally have 2 bedrooms.
3-bedroom houses are where prices spread out the most, from about 3,100 UF in Estación Central to 14,700 UF in Providencia:
| Commune | Median 3-bedroom house (asking, Oct 2026) | In pesos | In US dollars |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estación Central (Santiago) | 3,100 UF | CLP 128 million | USD 131,000 |
| Puente Alto (Santiago) | 3,120 UF | CLP 129 million | USD 132,000 |
| Maipú (Santiago) | 3,290 UF | CLP 136 million | USD 139,000 |
| Quilpué (Valparaíso region) | 3,650 UF | CLP 150 million | USD 154,000 |
| San Pedro de la Paz (Concepción area) | 3,770 UF | CLP 155 million | USD 159,000 |
| Santiago Centro | 3,850 UF | CLP 159 million | USD 162,000 |
| Chiguayante (Concepción area) | 4,700 UF | CLP 194 million | USD 198,000 |
| Viña del Mar | 4,860 UF | CLP 200 million | USD 205,000 |
| San Miguel (Santiago) | 5,800 UF | CLP 239 million | USD 245,000 |
| Puerto Varas | 7,940 UF | CLP 327 million | USD 335,000 |
| La Reina (Santiago) | 11,720 UF | CLP 483 million | USD 494,000 |
| Las Condes (Santiago) | 13,600 UF | CLP 560 million | USD 574,000 |
| Providencia (Santiago) | 14,700 UF | CLP 606 million | USD 620,000 |
Going from 2 to 3 bedrooms costs a lot more than one extra room: the median goes up about 51% in Puente Alto (2,070 to 3,120 UF) and about 34% in Maipú (2,450 to 3,290 UF), because 3-bedroom houses are also bigger (80 to 84 m² against 60 to 69 m²).
How much do 4-bedroom houses cost?
Nationally, a house with 4 or more bedrooms has a median size of 180 m² and asks 45.3 UF per m², so roughly 8,150 UF, or CLP 336 million (USD 344,000).
The spread is huge. In October 2026, the median 4-bedroom-plus house asks 3,890 UF in Puente Alto (110 m²) and 4,000 UF in Maipú (121 m²), but 10,430 UF in Viña del Mar (200 m²), 14,700 UF in Puerto Varas (265 m²) and 19,080 UF in Las Condes (210 m²), or CLP 786 million (USD 805,000).
Aguila doesn't split 5 and 6-bedroom houses from the rest. Those big houses are mostly in Las Condes, Lo Barnechea, Vitacura and Colina (Chicureo). As a rough guide, a 250 m² house at Colina's median of 64.5 UF per m² comes to about 16,100 UF (USD 680,000), and a 200 m² house in Vitacura at 108.2 UF per m² to about 21,640 UF (USD 913,000).
How much do new-build houses cost?
Nobody publishes a reliable price gap between new and resale houses in Chile, so any precise premium is a guess. Compare prices per m² for similar houses in the same commune instead.
New houses are mostly built in gated condominiums on the edge of Santiago, like Colina (Chicureo, 64.5 UF per m² for houses), Peñalolén (62.5) and La Florida (48.5). A new house sold by a developer includes 19% IVA in the price, which is one reason it costs more than an older house next door.
Developers rarely cut the list price openly. The discount usually comes as a "bono pie" (help with the down payment), extras, or covered closing costs, so ask for the total price in UF with everything included.
How much do houses with land cost?
Start with the land. In October 2026, a typical urban residential plot of 735 m² asks a median 5,320 UF (USD 224,000) nationally, about 9.3 UF per m². A "parcela de agrado" of 5,000 m², the semi-rural lifestyle plot many buyers look for, asks a median 2,450 UF (USD 103,000) for the land alone.
So a house with a real garden in town quickly lands above the commune medians in this article, while a house on a parcela can cost less per m² of land but adds the cost of building or of an older house on the plot.
Land can be a benefit or a risk, because rural and semi-rural houses may involve water rights, wells, septic tanks, road access, and regularization issues.
Is a house or an apartment the better buy in Chile right now?
Per m², houses are clearly cheaper: 41.9 UF against 60.1 UF for apartments nationally in October 2026, about 30% less. With roughly the same money, a median 3-bedroom apartment gives you about 76 m² for 4,130 UF, while a median 3-bedroom house gives you about 100 m² for around 4,110 UF.
Houses also sold a bit faster in the Santiago region: about 88 days for used houses against 97 days for used apartments on RE/MAX listings in Q2 2026.
The trade-off is upkeep and location. A house outside a condominium has no gastos comunes (the median in Santiago apartments is about CLP 90,000 a month), but you pay for the roof, garden, security and heating yourself. And the cheapest houses are in outer communes, far from the Metro lines and offices that tenants want.
Our take: if you'll live in it with a family, a house gives you more space per UF. If it's a rental investment in Santiago, an apartment near the Metro is usually easier to rent and resell.
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Where are houses cheapest and most expensive in Chile?
Which neighborhoods have the lowest house prices?
In Greater Santiago, the lowest house prices per m² in October 2026 are in Estación Central (34.9 UF), San Bernardo (35.3), Maipú (38.2), Puente Alto (38.3) and Quilicura (39.1). Outside the capital, Valparaíso (29.6) and Temuco (34.1) are among the cheapest larger cities, and small towns in the Maule region go down to 21 to 28 UF per m².
In these communes, a realistic budget is about 2,070 to 4,000 UF, or CLP 85.3 million to CLP 165 million (USD 87,300 to USD 169,000): that's the range from a 2-bedroom to a 4-bedroom house in Puente Alto or Maipú.
Prices are lower here because buyers often face longer commutes, weaker access to high-income jobs, older housing stock, smaller plots, and more due-diligence work around permits or extensions.
Which neighborhoods have the highest house prices?
The most expensive houses are in Santiago's eastern communes: Vitacura (108.2 UF per m²), Las Condes (95.0), Lo Barnechea (87.5) and La Reina (81.5), with areas such as Lo Curro, Santa María de Manquehue, La Dehesa, Los Trapenses, San Carlos de Apoquindo and Los Dominicos. On the coast, Puchuncaví (79.3) comes next.
In Las Condes, the median house for sale has 180 m² and asks 17,500 UF, or CLP 721 million (USD 738,000). A 200 m² house in Vitacura at the median comes to about 21,640 UF, and the top of the market goes well beyond that.
These neighborhoods cost the most because they combine large plots, private schools, security, mountain views, low-density zoning, and fast access to Santiago's highest-income jobs. Buyers are mostly high-income Chilean families, executives and entrepreneurs, plus returning Chileans and some foreigners who want space and schools.
How much do houses cost near the city center?
Houses in Santiago Centro are cheap per m² (32.2 UF in October 2026) because many are old, small or partly commercial: a median 3-bedroom house asks 3,850 UF (USD 162,000). Just east, prices jump: Ñuñoa houses ask 62.6 UF per m² and Providencia 76.2, with a median 3-bedroom house at 14,700 UF (USD 620,000) in Providencia.
Along the Metro, the gap is just as wide. Houses ask about 38.3 UF per m² in Puente Alto, 48.5 in La Florida, 62.6 in Ñuñoa and 95.0 in Las Condes, so the same 120 m² house costs roughly 4,600 UF in Puente Alto and 11,400 UF in Las Condes.
Near the top international and private schools, such as Nido de Águilas, Santiago College, The Grange School, Alianza Francesa, Deutsche Schule and Craighouse School, you're mostly in Vitacura, Las Condes, Lo Barnechea, La Reina and Peñalolén, where houses ask between 62.5 and 108.2 UF per m². A 200 m² family house there costs roughly 12,500 to 21,640 UF.
In other expat-popular places outside Santiago, houses ask 47.6 UF per m² in Viña del Mar, 61.4 in Concón, 51.5 in Pucón and 55.1 in Puerto Varas.
How much do houses cost in the suburbs?
In the mass-market suburbs of Santiago, a family house usually costs about 3,100 to 4,000 UF, or CLP 128 million to CLP 165 million (USD 131,000 to USD 169,000), based on 3 and 4-bedroom medians in Puente Alto and Maipú.
Per m², Puente Alto and Maipú houses are about 39% cheaper than Ñuñoa (38.3 against 62.6 UF) and about 50% cheaper than Providencia (76.2 UF). The exception is the upscale suburbs: Colina, which includes Chicureo, asks 64.5 UF per m², more than Ñuñoa.
The most popular suburbs for house buyers include Puente Alto, San Bernardo, Maipú, Quilicura, La Florida, Peñalolén and Colina (Chicureo), depending on budget and how long a commute you can live with.
What areas are improving and still affordable?
Areas that are still affordable for houses and getting better connected include Maipú and Puente Alto in Santiago, Quilpué near Viña del Mar, San Pedro de la Paz and Chiguayante near Concepción, plus regional cities like Temuco (34.1 UF per m²) and La Serena (47.2).
A median 3-bedroom house in these places asks about 3,120 to 4,700 UF in October 2026, or CLP 129 million to CLP 194 million (USD 132,000 to USD 198,000): 3,290 UF in Maipú, 3,650 in Quilpué, 3,770 in San Pedro de la Paz and 4,700 in Chiguayante.
What improves an area is not just "growth" but transport, services, retail and jobs. In Santiago, Metro Line 7 will link Renca to Vitacura, but it won't open before late 2028, so don't pay today for a station that isn't there yet.
How far are house asking prices from real sale prices in Chile?
It depends a lot on where you buy. Nobody publishes an official "asking vs sold" gap, but you can compare October 2026 asking medians (Índice Aguila) with houses actually registered as sold between July 2025 and June 2026 (Tasaria, built from registry data).
| Commune | Asking per m² (Aguila, Oct 2026) | Registered sales per m² (Tasaria, Jul 2025 to Jun 2026) | Asking vs registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quilpué | 39.9 UF | 30.0 UF | +33.0% |
| San Pedro de la Paz | 40.5 UF | 30.6 UF | +32.4% |
| San Miguel | 47.7 UF | 36.7 UF | +30.0% |
| Chiguayante | 42.0 UF | 32.9 UF | +27.7% |
| Estación Central | 34.9 UF | 31.0 UF | +12.6% |
| La Florida | 48.5 UF | 44.0 UF | +10.2% |
| La Reina | 81.5 UF | 74.2 UF | +9.8% |
| Concón | 61.4 UF | 57.4 UF | +7.0% |
| Las Condes | 95.0 UF | 96.7 UF | -1.8% |
| Ñuñoa | 62.6 UF | 63.9 UF | -2.0% |
| Providencia | 76.2 UF | 78.6 UF | -3.1% |
| Lo Barnechea | 87.5 UF | 93.0 UF | -5.9% |
| Vitacura | 108.2 UF | 115.8 UF | -6.6% |
Two different pictures. In middle-income communes like Quilpué, San Pedro de la Paz, San Miguel and Chiguayante, asking prices sit 28% to 33% above registered sales. Part of that is the mix (registered sales include many older and smaller houses), but it's also a sign that sellers there ask too much and that you have room to negotiate.
In the eastern communes, it's the opposite: registered sales are at or above asking medians in Las Condes, Providencia, Lo Barnechea and Vitacura. Good houses there sell close to their price, so don't count on a big discount.
What to do: before you make an offer, ask for recent registered sales on the same street (Conservador de Bienes Raíces records or a Tasaria report) and anchor your offer on those, not on the listing.
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Taxes and fees on top of the price, before you sign.
Message a proWhat extra costs should I budget for a house in Chile right now?
What are typical buyer closing costs for houses right now?
Closing costs are low because Chile has no property transfer tax. On a resale house, budget about 0.5% to 1% of the price in cash and 1% to 2% with a mortgage, and up to about 3.5% to 4.5% if you also pay a broker.
On a 4,110 UF house (CLP 169 million), that's roughly CLP 0.85 to 1.7 million in cash, CLP 1.7 to 3.4 million with a mortgage, and up to CLP 5.9 to 7.6 million if a broker charges you 2% plus 19% IVA.
The main items are the notary (about CLP 140,000 to 600,000), registration at the Conservador de Bienes Raíces (0.2% of the price in Santiago, capped at CLP 264,200), a lawyer's title study, and, with a loan, the bank appraisal and the stamp tax of 0.8% of the loan amount.
How much are property taxes on houses right now?
Contribuciones are calculated on the SII fiscal value (avalúo fiscal), not on the market price. In the second half of 2026, homes with a fiscal value up to CLP 61,711,570 (USD 63,200) pay nothing. Above that, the rate is 0.893% on the part above the threshold, and 1.042% on the part above about CLP 220 million.
In practice, a house with a fiscal value of CLP 100 million pays about CLP 342,000 a year (USD 350), one at CLP 150 million about CLP 788,000 (USD 805), and one at CLP 250 million about CLP 1.7 million (USD 1,770). Fiscal values are often well below what the house would sell for.
From 2027, the Ley de Reconstrucción exempts the main home of owners aged 65 and over, under conditions. That's not in force yet.
Always ask for the ROL and check the SII record before signing, because the real tax bill is property-specific.
How much is home insurance for a house right now?
There's no public benchmark for house insurance premiums. As a rough guide, a normal house costs about CLP 250,000 to 800,000 a year to insure (USD 255 to USD 820), and much more for big or high-value houses.
Premiums depend on rebuild value, earthquake and fire cover, construction quality, age, location, flood or landslide risk, and whether a bank requires the policy for a mortgage (fire and earthquake cover usually are).
What are typical utility costs for a house right now?
For a normal family house, utilities often run about CLP 120,000 to 280,000 a month (USD 125 to USD 285), as a rough estimate.
A practical split is about CLP 35,000 to 90,000 for electricity, CLP 20,000 to 60,000 for water, CLP 30,000 to 150,000 for gas or heating, and CLP 20,000 to 35,000 for internet, plus extra if the house has a garden, a pool or condominium fees.
Heating is the big variable: a house in Puerto Varas, Pucón, Valdivia or Temuco can cost much more to heat in winter than a similar house in Santiago.
What are common hidden costs when buying a house right now?
Hidden costs can easily add CLP 1 million to 10 million (USD 1,020 to USD 10,200) before any major renovation.
A basic technical inspection costs roughly CLP 150,000 to 350,000, and a structural or specialist inspection roughly CLP 350,000 to 900,000.
Other hidden costs include regularizing extensions, checking municipal files, fixing humidity, improving insulation, repairing roofs, upgrading heating, checking septic tanks, confirming wells or water rights, and paying condominium fees in gated communities.
The one that surprises first-time buyers most is permit regularization: a house can look finished but have extensions that were never recorded with the municipality, and the bank or the next buyer will notice.
Can the December 2026 IVA break or a state-backed loan make a new house cheaper in Chile?
Possibly, if you buy a finished new home from a developer. The Ley de Reconstrucción (Law 21.850), published on October 17, 2026, lets developers sell new homes without 19% IVA between December 1, 2026 and November 30, 2027. It covers the first sale of homes that got their final municipal approval (recepción definitiva) before the law was published, and it's optional for the developer.
How much will prices really drop? The government's undersecretary talked about up to about 14%, but the CChC, the builders' chamber, expects only 2% to 7%. On a 4,110 UF new house, that's the difference between about 3,535 UF and 3,820 to 4,030 UF.
The other help is FOGAES, expanded in August 2026 (Law 21.748): a state guarantee and a rate subsidy of about one point for a first home, new and up to 6,000 UF (USD 253,000), with as little as 10% down, until May 31, 2028. The average UF mortgage rate was 4.07% in September 2026. We couldn't confirm whether foreigners qualify, so ask the bank before you count on it.
What to do: if you're about to sign for a finished new house in November 2026, ask the developer in writing whether it will apply the IVA exemption and what the price becomes on December 1, and make sure the promesa says who keeps the saving.
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Are houses in Chile overpriced, and are prices still rising?
Do people think houses are overpriced?
Many locals and expats think houses are expensive, especially in Santiago's eastern communes, Viña del Mar, Reñaca, Pucón, Puerto Varas, Zapallar and other places where good houses are scarce.
Houses do sell, though: used houses in the Santiago region took about 88 days to sell on RE/MAX listings in Q2 2026. Overpriced ones sit much longer, and in middle-income communes asking prices are often far above what houses actually sell for (see the table above).
The main reason prices feel high is that the best houses near safe areas, good schools, reliable transport and good jobs cost far more than normal local salaries can support.
Are prices still rising or cooling?
Prices are rising slowly, not booming. The Banco Central housing price index, built from real transactions, rose 2.39% in UF between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, and only 3.34% over five years. Since the UF follows inflation, that means real prices have been almost flat.
Financing is better than two years ago: the average UF mortgage rate was 4.07% in September 2026, against 4.82% on average in 2024. But on October 27, 2026, the Banco Central kept its policy rate at 4.50% and warned of rising inflation risks, so don't expect much cheaper mortgages soon.
Nobody publishes a reliable price forecast for 2027. Expect a slow, selective recovery: good houses in strong locations keep their price, while overpriced or legally messy houses still need discounts to sell.
Our methodology
This article estimates what a house costs in Chile in October 2026: by number of bedrooms, by commune, how asking prices compare with real sales, the extra costs of buying and owning a house, and what the new IVA break and FOGAES change for new homes.
House prices come from the Índice Aguila (median asking prices per m², median sizes and median prices by bedrooms, by commune, October 8, 2026). Registered sale prices come from Tasaria (registry data, July 2025 to June 2026), the average used-house price and days on market from RE/MAX Chile (Q2 2026), and price changes from the Banco Central de Chile housing price index (IPV, in UF). Where we multiply a median price per m² by a size, we say it's an estimate. All calculations were done by script.
Rules on fees and taxes come from the SII (contribuciones, stamp tax, IVA and the Ley de Reconstrucción, Law 21.850), the Conservador de Bienes Raíces de Santiago tariff, published 2026 notary tariffs and MINVU for FOGAES.
We checked these figures in October 2026. We converted amounts at about 977 Chilean pesos per US dollar and 1,099 pesos per euro, and used a UF value of about CLP 41,200 (SII, October 22, 2026).
Limits: asking prices are not closed prices, and Aguila and Tasaria don't cover the same houses. Insurance, utilities and inspection costs are rough estimates, not published averages. Nobody publishes a reliable new-vs-resale premium for houses or a national median house price.
Key sources used for this analysis include Índice Aguila (October 2026), Tasaria, RE/MAX Chile, Banco Central de Chile IPV, SII Impuesto Territorial, SII, Ley de Reconstrucción IVA exemption, SII UF 2026, Conservador de Bienes Raíces de Santiago, MINVU FOGAES and Portal Inmobiliario.
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