Updated in 2022.
Santiago, Chile.
The capital and largest city in Chile. A modern city, and the financial, political and economic centre of the country. Located just a few hours from the ocean and snow-capped mountains, Santiago is a perfect base for exploring the varied and unique geography of Chile. But the city of Santiago has plenty to offer as well.
POPULATION: 5,500,000
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RENT AN APARTMENT IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
$600.00 will do the trick for something basic.
NIGHTLIFE IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
7/10
Has everything that’d you’d expect a city of its size to have in regards to nightlife, but not as easy to find the popular places as it is in other cities. Las Condes and Vitacura neighbourhoods probably have the best options.
I recommend: Las Urracas. A barrel of fun to be had here. They have both a lounge and a disco, so if you tire of the loud music or want to have a chat with someone, you need only go upstairs.
IS SANTIAGO, CHILE SAFE?
Santiago is one of the safest metropolises in South America. There are a few dangerous neighborhoods, but you’re unlikely to wander into them by mistake. Police here are trustworthy. Things have gotten a little bit worse in recent years, but Santiago is still one of the safest large cities in Latin America.
THINGS TO DO IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
Visit the Sky Costanera, a must do activity in Santiago.
Hike to the Apoquindo waterfall (Cascada Apoquindo).
Take the cable car! Take the Funicular access to Cerro San Cristobal.
Visit the Los Dominicos Park, a cool hipster park and market with artisans selling their goods.
Visit a museum! The Museo Nacional de Historia Natural is popular. The Museo Chileno de Arte Precolombino is also very cool if you are interested in history and ancient artifacts.
Head out to the coast and see the Pacific Ocean! Start with Valparaiso.
COST OF LIVING IN SANTIAGO, CHILE
The following data is from Expatistan, a crowdsourced database of prices and cost of living around the world. In our experience, the data tends to underestimate cost of living, so take the following as the minimum you might need to live here.
*Figures are listed in USD
You’ll need a minimum of $1410 USD/month to live in Santiago, Chile
HOW TO GET TO SANTIAGO, CHILE
Santiago has an excellent international airport. There are direct flights all over the world. By car, Santiago is surprisingly close to Mendoza, Argentina, the famed center of wine production. You could even drive to Cordoba, Argentina in about 13 hours. Buenos Aires is a 18 hour drive a straight drive east across the continent! Valparaiso, Chile is only a 90 minute drive.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A typical large city. Feels a bit soulless, unfortunately. It also isn’t cheap; prices are getting close to what you’d pay in the United States. Or at least, they were before the peso collapsed.
The people are reserved, but friendly once given a chance. I’d recommend Santiago for a long-term stay because it is safe, modern and orderly. And good wine of course. It’s also only a few hours drive from Mendoza, Argentina. Once you get in with a social group of Chileans, things will start opening up for you.
OVERALL RATING: 7/10
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