Electricity prices in Latin America 2026: ranking by country and where Chile stands

Updated October 21, 2026. Chile has the fourth most expensive household electricity in Latin America: US$0.262 per kWh (about CLP 254 per kWh) in March 2026, according to data from GlobalPetrolPrices, which include the cost of energy, distribution, transmission and all taxes and fees. Only Guatemala (US$0.329), El Salvador (US$0.272) and Uruguay (US$0.266) are higher. The cheapest in the region, excluding Cuba, is Paraguay, at US$0.070.

Chile's price is 46% above the world average, which GlobalPetrolPrices puts at US$0.179 per kWh for households in the third quarter of 2026. Businesses in Chile pay US$0.200 per kWh, in the middle of the regional table.

The table ranks Latin American countries by household electricity price in March 2026, in dollars per kWh and in local currency, according to GlobalPetrolPrices' country pages. The household price corresponds to typical home consumption and includes taxes:

GlobalPetrolPrices does not report figures for Bolivia or Venezuela for that period. Cuba's price, less than one US cent at the official exchange rate, reflects a heavily subsidised tariff system and is not comparable with the rest.

Chile's figure matches the utilities' tariff schedules. CGE's BT1 residential rate in cities such as Rancagua and Concepción stood at CLP 255.27 per kWh from October 2026, as we detailed in electricity prices in Chile by municipality.

Paradoxically, Chile has some of the world's lowest solar generation prices, but that does not show up in household bills. There are four main reasons:

• Old contracts: much of the energy for regulated customers comes from tenders held more than a decade ago, signed at high prices and still in force.
• End of the freeze: tariffs were frozen from 2019, and since 2024 steep increases have been applied to repay the debt built up with generators.
• Transmission and distribution: grid costs and public service charges are added to the price of energy.
• No general subsidy: unlike Paraguay, Argentina or Mexico, Chile does not subsidise the tariff for all households; the electricity subsidy targets vulnerable families.

The trend may change. Preliminary figures indicate that electricity bills would fall 4.3% on average from January 2027, as expensive contracts expire and cheaper ones come in, as we reported in the 2027 electricity bill cut.

The lowest prices in the region come down to two factors: large domestic hydropower production or state subsidies on tariffs.

Mexico shows the effect of subsidies: households pay US$0.114 per kWh, but businesses US$0.202, almost double. In Chile, as in most countries in the table, households pay more than businesses: large customers buy on the free market and do not pay the same distribution charges.

For businesses, the order changes. Colombia has the region's most expensive commercial electricity, at US$0.250 per kWh, followed by El Salvador (US$0.240) and Costa Rica (US$0.238). Chile, at US$0.200, sits in the middle, and Paraguay is again the cheapest, at US$0.058.

For comparison with other regions: in Spain, the household price was US$0.273 per kWh and in the United States US$0.203, in March 2026, according to the same source. In other words, a Chilean household pays almost the same for electricity as a Spanish one.

At the March price, a home using 180 kWh a month pays about CLP 45,700 for energy, according to a simple Energía Futura calculation. The same home would pay about US$12.6 in Paraguay and about US$59 in Guatemala. How that consumption splits between appliances is in how much electricity a home in Chile uses per month.

The high grid price is also one reason for the boom in rooftop solar. With electricity above CLP 250 per kWh, a residential PV system pays for itself faster in Chile than in countries with subsidised tariffs. Chile's position in solar capacity is in the world ranking of countries by solar power.

Electricity prices by world region

GlobalPetrolPrices also publishes household averages by continent in its third-quarter 2026 update. South America, at US$0.220 per kWh, is above the world average and close to Oceania and Europe:

According to the same site, the world household price rose 5.29% in a year and 1.97% from the second quarter, pushed up by natural gas prices.

When comparing with your own bill, bear in mind that the price per kWh in this ranking is an average that already includes all charges. Chilean bills list the fixed charge, energy, transmission, public service and distribution separately, and the final value per kWh varies by municipality and consumption level. How to read each line is explained in our guide to electricity prices by municipality.

Methodology

Prices are from GlobalPetrolPrices' country pages, collected in March 2026, and include energy, distribution, transmission, taxes and fees. They are converted to dollars at the exchange rate of that period, so currency movements affect the comparison. The world average (US$0.179 for households and US$0.172 for businesses) is the same site's third-quarter 2026 update. The data are published under a CC BY 4.0 licence. We will update this ranking on this same page when new figures are available.

Which country has the most expensive electricity in Latin America?

Guatemala, at US$0.329 per kWh for households in March 2026, according to GlobalPetrolPrices.

Where does Chile rank?

Fourth, at US$0.262 per kWh (CLP 253.9), behind Guatemala, El Salvador and Uruguay.

Which country has the cheapest electricity in the region?

Paraguay, at US$0.070 per kWh, thanks to Itaipú and Yacyretá. Cuba's price is lower, but reflects a subsidised, non-comparable tariff system.

Is electricity in Chile more expensive than the world average?

Yes, 46% more expensive for households: US$0.262 against a world average of US$0.179 per kWh.

Energía Futura (2026). Electricity prices in Latin America 2026: ranking by country and where Chile stands. Based on GlobalPetrolPrices data (March 2026). Available at https://energiafutura.cl/en/news/electricity-prices-in-latin-america-2026-ranking-by-country-and-where-chile-stands. The cover chart may be reproduced crediting Energía Futura and linking to this page.