2026 RATES — IATSE CPA BASED

Chile Production
Cost Estimator

Get a ballpark estimate for your film, commercial or streaming production in Chile. Based on IATSE CPA 2025 scale rates adjusted for the Chilean market.

This is a preliminary estimate — every production is unique. We'll refine the numbers together in a discovery call.

Why International Productions Choose Chile

01

Extreme Landscape Diversity

The world's driest desert (Atacama), Andean peaks, Pacific coastline, lakes, glaciers, vineyards, and cosmopolitan Santiago — all in one country. No other location offers this range within 2-3h flights.

02

35-45% Cost Savings vs USA

Crew rates run 35-45% of US IATSE union scale. Equipment rental 50-65% of US prices. Plus a 30% cash rebate on qualifying production spend (40% outside Santiago) through CORFO's IFI Audiovisual program.

03

Reversed Seasons

Need summer in December? Snow in July? Chile's Southern Hemisphere location means you can shoot "summer" content during the Northern Hemisphere winter — and vice versa. Year-round production capability.

04

Safety & Infrastructure

Highest safety rating in Latin America. Modern airports, highways, hotels and telecommunications. Reliable power grid even in remote locations. Santiago has direct flights from LAX, Miami, NYC, Dallas, Atlanta, Madrid, London, and more.

05

Experienced Local Crews

Chile has a mature film industry with crews experienced in international co-productions. Spanish and English-speaking professionals. Rental houses with ARRI, RED, and Sony Venice inventory.

06

Straightforward Permitting

Municipal permits in 5-15 business days. Film Commission Chile provides free location scouting support. Chile has co-production treaties with 12+ countries. We handle all paperwork.

Build Your Estimate

Configure your production and get an instant ballpark figure

Step 1 — What Deliverables Do You Need?

Select all that apply. Each deliverable adds its own crew, equipment and post-production costs.

🎥
TV Commercial
30s-60s, mid-scale crew (~40)
🎞
Agency Commercial (Large)
Full-scale, multi-location (~118 crew)
📱
Digital / Social Ads
Online spots, reels, stories
🎬
Brand Film
Corporate, brand story 2-10min
🎞
Feature Film
Theatrical / indie feature
📺
Streaming / Series
Netflix, HBO, episodic
🎵
Music Video
Single or multi-location
🌎
Documentary
Docu, nature, travel
📸
Fashion / Lookbook
Photo + video campaign
📲
Social Content Unit
Separate social crew on set (+9)
🎦
Behind the Scenes
BTS content from the shoot
📷
Photography / Stills
Campaign stills, key art
Step 2 — Crew & Location
14 people
Auto-calculated from your deliverables
Step 3 — Equipment & Production Needs

Select everything your production requires. Costs are per day.

Camera & Tech
Production Services
Crew Travel & Accommodation
Auto-filled based on crew size + location
Shoot days + 1 travel day each way
Agency / Client Hospitality (optional)

If your agency or client team is visiting for the shoot

Post-Production
Preliminary Estimate
$12,400
~$11.656.000 CLP
Range: $10,500 – $14,900
Crew $3,620
Equipment $2,400
Location, Permits & Fuel $600
Production Services $0
Crew Travel & Accommodation $0
Agency / Client Hospitality $0
Post-Production $4,000
Subtotal $10,620
Contingency (10%) $1,062
Production Service Fee (25% AICP) $1,593
Total Estimate $12,400
This is a preliminary estimate for budgeting purposes only. Every production has unique requirements. Final costs are determined after a detailed discovery call and location scout. Prices do not include talent fees (SAG-AFTRA or local), which vary significantly by project.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about filming in Chile

A commercial production in Chile typically costs between $5,000 and $50,000 USD depending on crew size, shoot days, locations, and post-production. Chile crew costs run approximately 35-45% of US IATSE union rates, with 24% crew fringes (vs 30-40% in the US). Chile also offers a 30% cash rebate on qualifying production spend through the IFI Audiovisual program (40% outside Santiago).
Based on 2025 IATSE CPA scale adjusted for Chile: Director of Photography $500-$800/day, Camera Operator $280-$450, Gaffer $200-$350, Sound Mixer $280-$400, PA $80-$130. Chile uses a 10-hour base day with OT at 1.5x for hours 11-12, 2x after that, capped at 14 hours. Crew fringes are 24%.
Chile is 10-20% more expensive than Argentina/Colombia for labor, but offers: higher safety standards, superior infrastructure, extreme landscape diversity (Atacama desert to Patagonian glaciers), reversed seasons for year-round flexibility, reliable logistics, and the 30% production rebate. Many productions find the quality-to-cost ratio and reliability make Chile the better overall value.
Domestic flights from Santiago: Calama (Atacama) $150-$300 RT, Punta Arenas (Patagonia) $180-$350 RT, Temuco (Lakes District) $120-$250 RT. Flight times are 2-3 hours. Budget extra for ground transport from airports: 4x4 vehicles in Atacama ~$200-$400/day, vans in Patagonia ~$300-$600/day. Hotels range from $80-$250/night depending on remoteness.
Yes. Municipal permits: $100-$500 USD, 5-15 business days. National parks: CONAF permits required. Private locations: negotiate with owners. Film Commission Chile offers free location scouting support. PVB handles all permitting, insurance, and logistics as part of our production service.
The 22% production service fee is the industry standard for Latin American production services. It covers: dedicated line producer, full production coordination, crew hiring and management, vendor negotiations, on-ground logistics, schedule management, daily production reports, location scouting, permit handling, insurance coordination, equipment sourcing, travel and accommodation booking, and 24/7 availability during production. This is your complete local production arm — we handle everything on the ground so your team can focus on the creative.
Yes. If your agency or client team is traveling to Chile, budget for: international flights, hotel, ground transport, per diem, and client dinners at well-known Santiago restaurants ($60-$120/person). These are standard production expenses. We can recommend hotels and restaurants for every budget level and arrange all reservations.

Schedule a Discovery Call

Tell us about your project and we'll come back with a detailed, line-by-line estimate within 48 hours.