Santiago, Chile Report of what it's like to live there - 06/01/26
Personal Experiences from Santiago, Chile
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
First full-time overseas posting, but numerous long-term TDYs across the globe.
2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?
Washington, DC. Chile is surprisingly far south and isolated. It’s about 9 hours to Miami or Atlanta then another 2ish hours plus layover to DC.
3. What years did you live here?
2024-2026.
4. How long have you lived here?
2 years.
5. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Diplomatic mission.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
Housing is generally really good and in great areas. Families live in SFHs in Lo Barnechea, a northeastern suburb about 15-45 minutes’ drive to the embassy, and close to the main school. Singles and couples with no or younger kids live in apartments within walking or a short bike to the embassy.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
Grocery prices are mostly on par with the US. Beef and wine are cheaper. Some vegetables too. There are amazing fruits and vegetables of all kinds here. Table grapes, avocados, citrus, stone fruit, cherries, etc. Jumbo is a local chain that sells almost anything you could want. KiosClub sells Costco stuff (at a markup of course). Hot peppers are sometimes difficult to find.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Nothing.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Santiago is a foodie city. There are tons of restaurants and cafes of all types. UberEats and PedidosYa will deliver. The late-night options are a bit lacking; most delivery stops after 9:30pm.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Ants are a problem for a little while in the single family homes. Pantry moths sometimes. Maybe an occasional spider. The windows don’t have screens because there are so few flying insects. It’s awesome.
The only other infestation is a thin layer of dust/particulate matter that will find its way into the apartments downtown no matter what you do, both on the balconies and inside the units. It’ll get over everything and you’ll have to vacuum and mop every couple days.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO. You could theoretically send through the Chilean mail system but you’d have to pay some sort of duty on any packages you receive. I received a couple of letters from the US via the Chilean mail system and the letters took about 6 weeks to arrive.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Cleaners and housekeepers run about $10/hour. Beware that Chileans love bureaucracy and labor contracts very much favor workers. If you hire someone, do it with a contract and legally to save yourself a lot of headache.
3. Do you feel that it is safe to walk, run or hike outside? Are there areas where bike riding is possible? What is the availability and safety of outdoor space for exercising? Are these easily accessible?
Hiking is a definite perk of this posting. A lot of trails around Santiago don’t have shade so prepare accordingly. Chilean Patagonia is amazing. Follow all park rules as the country takes conservation seriously, especially during fire season.
It’s mostly safe to run and bike. There are tons of biking and running paths and the city shuts down some main roads on Sundays for biking/running. Tons of people roller skate and scooter here too. Beware of drivers when biking on the main streets.
4. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Lots of local gyms at all price points. Some are really modern. There are CrossFit centers too. The more Spanish you speak, the more options will be available. The embassy has a small gym that can get crowded.
5. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Credit cards are widely accepted, more so than the US. It’s mostly tap-to-pay and they bring the reader to you. Use ATMs in banks; skimming is not unheard of. Ensure the price is in Chilean pesos and not dollars, especially in cabs.
6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Your personal and professional life will suffer here without Spanish. Chileno is its own beast of a dialect too. Even if Chileans speak English (which only about 4 percent do), they will let you suffer through Spanish until you ask if they speak English.
Learn Spanish first.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Maybe in some parts but where diplomats live and work it’s generally okay.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Mostly yes. Nothing is off-limits. Pickpocketing is endemic to public transit, which can get very crowded during the rush hour. Sometimes violent protests target the metro system.
Taxis will require some Spanish. Beware of credit card scams from taxi drivers, and ensure the meter is running.
2. What kind of vehicle(s) including electric ones do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, infrastructure, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car or vehicles do you advise not to bring?
Chileans love huge pickup trucks, even in the city. Any car would work. The carjacking threat should always be in the back of your mind here, especially if you don’t have diplomatic plates.
Santiago has a lot of toll roads and the toll costs will cause sticker shock.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
You need a local id (RUT or Cedula de Identidad) card before you’re a real person here. You can’t set up internet or local phone plans or even sign up for grocery rewards without the RUT. It’s a pain the first month or two while you’re waiting.
Once set up, internet is generally fast and reliable; I believe they have some of the fastest speeds in Latin America.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
GoogleFi works well for the most part. Plenty of people get local plans too. They’re reasonably priced.
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
Chileans love animals, especially dogs and cats. There are lots of vets and specialists, some even speak English and do house calls.
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Local wages are surprisingly low given the cost of living, even for those with a university degree. Many embassy spouses work remotely for a US company, or at the embassy.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
There are volunteer opportunities, like habitat for humanity.
3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Business to business casual in the offoce. Wealthier Chileans like to dress up. In public places you’ll see everything from three piece suits to goths and therians.
Health & Safety:
1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
Many Chileans will say that crime is out of control compared to 7 years ago. Chile is still probably the safest country in South America and is safe 98 percent of the time. That being said, pickpocketing and bag/phone snatching are very common, especially in more upscale and touristy areas.
Armed carjackings are a constant fear, especially late at night. They are not super common in the upscale areas but do happen. Armed robberies are rare in the nicer areas of the city but do happen. Armed home invasions are becoming more popular but the embassy housing is fortified more than the average house/apartment.
Earthquakes are common, but Chile being a developed country enforces strict seismic building codes. Many of the buildings that are not up to code have already crumbled from previous earthquakes.
2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
The embassy-recommended hospital, Clinica Alemana, is on-par with US standards and laughably cheap compared to US prices. Some doctors and specialists speak English.
3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?
Pollution gets bad during the winter, bad enough to push Santiago to the top 5 most polluted big cities worldwide. Seasonal flu is a thing. Some people have allergies because all of the dust in the air year-round. It doesn’t rain much here.
4. What do people who suffer from environmental or food allergies need to know?
Your environmental allergies will likely get worse here.
5. Are there any particular mental health issues that tend to crop up at post, such as Seasonal Affective Disorder (winter blues)?
This can be a very isolating post both socially and geographically. Chileans are shallowly warm; don’t expect them to invite you into their inner circle. Within the embassy community, there’s a definite divide between the suburbs/family crew and the city crew.
6. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
It’s similar to Southern California weather. No humidity. The sun here is STRONG year-round, especially in the summer. It’s a dry desert climate, with a defined rainy season (June-September). Summers are hot. Winters are extremely mild; an inch or two of snow is not unheard of in Lo Barnechea.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Medium. Overall morale seems to be good for families and ok for singles and couples without kids. This is a ‘find your own activities’ posting and there’s so much to do.
2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
Vineyards, hiking groups. There’s an active American Women’s Club.
3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
Great for families. Singles and spouses without kids may get lonely here. It’ll be extra hard if you don’t have Spanish.
4. Is it easy to make friends with locals here? Are there any prejudices or any ethnic groups who might feel uncomfortable here?
No. Chileans appear to make their friends in middle school and stay with that crew their whole lives. Those who have lived or studied abroad may be more open, but they are few.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes. Chile is a bit conservative but there is an an active LGBT community and an annual pride parade.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
Many Chileans are xenophobic and a few African American coworkers have experienced prejudice and blatant mistreatment. Chileans tend to blame immigrants (Haitians and Venezuelans shoulder a lot of the blame) for the country’s problems.
7. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?
So much good hiking here. Really good food, too (Chilean food can be a bit bland).
8. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Did I mention hiking? And vineyards. And world-class skiing. There’s an amazing craft beer scene too. If you like outdoors and/or alcohol, then you’ll love what Chile has to offer. A visit to Pomaire for black clay pottery and lucky three-legged pigs is nice too.
9. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Somewhat, yes. Many amass a large collection of wine.
10. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
It’s a mostly modern city with a well-functioning metro system. The highways are great. It’s safe and modern for Latin America. There so much to do and see both in Santiago and north and south.
Words of Wisdom:
1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?
How bad pollution is. How isolating it can be. How long flights are to anywhere else and the often awful times they depart. How much they love bureaucracy. How black as white the average Chilean is (no se puede is an unofficial Chilean motto). The sheer quality and quantity of outdoor activities is breathtaking in the best way.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Maybe. I think it’s a much more difficult country than the 5% differential would have one think.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
sobriety.
4. But don't forget your:
sunscreen and hiking boots.
