Chile: Living

Communities of Expatriates

The Number of Expatriates: In 2012, there were 339,536 foreign residents in Chile, representing 2 % of the country's total population.
Blogs For Expats: All Chile
Hotel reservation websites: Chile Travel
Immigration Authority: Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Migration (en inglés)
Transportation Companies For Moving/Removals: AGS Movers
Unipack
North American
Contact the Embassy: Contact the Embassy of Chile in the United States.
Contact Your Embassy: Contact the Embassy of the United States in Chile.

Ranking of Cities

Cost of Living: According to the latest available edition of the Cost of Living Worldwide City Rankings Survey by Mercer, Santiago is ranked 87th out of 227 cities worldwide in terms of cost of living.
Quality of Life: According to the latest available edition of the Quality of Living Worldwide City Rankings Survey by Mercer, Santiago is ranked 93rd out of 231 cities worldwide in terms of quality of living.
Hotel reservation websites: Quality of Living Worldwide City Rankings (Survey by Mercer)
Cost of Living Worldwide City Rankings (Survey by Mercer)

Renting an Apartment

Average Lease Term: The length of the rental agreement can be negotiated with the owner. In touristic areas, short-term contracts are usually preferred. The tenant usually pays for electricity, water, municipal and other charges.
Average Rental Costs: A deposit equal to one month's rent is usually required at the beginning of a rental agreement. It is returned after the contract has ended, while substracting possible damages or losses. Keys are given to the tenant on the first day of the rental period in exchange for the payment of the first month's rent; they are returned to the owner during the inventory.
Rental Agency Websites: Home Chile
Contact Chile

School System

The Education System: The Chilean education system includes maternity schools (educación parvularia) for children of 6 and over; eight-year primary/elementary schools (educación básica); secondary school (educación media) with four levels and two different tracks (general and technical); higher education (educación superior) provided by universities, professional institutes and techinical centers. One of the specificities of the local system is a high level of privatisation.
International Schools: Regarding primary and secondary education, there is a number of English, French, Italian and German bilingual schools in Santiago and other major cities. There is also an international school in Santiago, the International School Nido de Aguilas.
Hotel reservation websites: Ministry of Education
Study Abroad, website about Chili
Study Abroad, website about Santiago

Health System

The Healthcare System: Chile has both private and public healthcare services. Most of the large cities have private hospitas which meet the highest international standards in terms of equipment, infrastructure and staff and are recognized as some of the best in the region.
International Hospitals: In Santiago, there are two modern medical centres offering 24/7 emergency services, and specialized care accessible by appointment and in-patient care:
-Clínica Las Condes (210-4000; Lo Fontecilla 441, Las Condes)
-Clínica Alemana (212-9700; Av Vitacura 5951, Vitacura)
Health System Insurance Body: ISAPRES Association
FONASA

Tourism and Culture

Different Forms of Tourism

Historical: Located in the middle of the Pacific, several thousand kilometers from the coast of Chile, Easter Island attracts visitors from all over the world, intrigued by the mysterious megalithic statues left by a fascinating people. Located 120 km north-west of the capital, Valparaiso is one of Chile's main tourist destinations. With its elegance and charm of a 19th century colonial city, it has been placed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Cultural: Religious traditions, carnivals, oral traditions, folklore, crafts, visual arts, audiovisual arts, choreographic arts, scenic arts, literature, music
Nature: 'Salto del Laja': a beautiful waterfall located in the Laja River, the central part of the country
Puerto Montt: in Patagonia, where land and sea merge in a maze of islands, fjords, rivers, lakes and mountains covered in ancient trees
The Atacama Desert: a vast plateau covering a massive area of Chile
Religious: Festivals or celebrations of Easter of los negros, Assumption, Corpus Christi, the May Cross, feast of St. Peter, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Transito, Candlemas, Epiphany, Saint Rose of Pelequén and Saint Sebastian of Yumbel
Thermal: Puyehue, in the Osorno province, which consists of hot springs, hot water swimming pools and a lake strewn with beautiful islands
Beach: Vina del Mar is a glamorous seaside resort, with a long, wide sandy beach and many restaurants and bars along its lively shopping streets.
Winter Sports: The skiing season runs from mid-June to mid-September. The ski resorts with the finest ski slopes are located near Santiago.
Outdoor Activities: Rafting, trekking, horseback riding, sand boarding
Shopping: The pedestrian streets in the city centre of Santiago are overflowing with all types of boutiques for tourists. The city also hosts many Chilean craft fairs.

Top Highlights in the Main Cities
Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art
National History Museum,Santiago, Chile
Plaza de Armas
MAC Museum of Contemporary Art
National Museum of Art

Top Highlights of the Country
Santiago
Valparaiso
Isla Negra
Torres del Paine
Vallée de la Luna
Puerto Natales
Ile de Chiloe
Punta Arenas
San Pedro de Atacama

Tourism Organisations: National Chilean Tourism Board (in Spanish)
Chilean Tourism Promotion Corporation
Cultural Organizations: Ministerio de las Culturas, las Artes y el Patrimonio

Individual and Civic Freedoms

Civil Liberty: 1/7
: World Ranking of Freedom of the Press According to "Reporters sans Frontières", 2021 report : 54/180

Religion

Beliefs: Roman Catholic 66.7%, Evangelical or Protestant 16.4%, Jehovah's Witnesses 1%, other 3.4%, none 11.5%, unspecified 1.1%

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