Job Discussion Forums

[PL]

Hi,

My wife & I are probably moving to Chile in mid March. (Finally!!) I�m an English teacher and my wife is a Psychologist. We would be very grateful for advice on the following:

We intend to stay in Santiago and to get to know it better. Which areas are recommended and are there any areas we should avoid?

Also, what would we expect to pay for a two bed apartment in a good area?

In the UK we have the dreaded Council Tax! Besides the obvious utility bills, are there any other taxes involved in renting or owning a property there?

Which areas have broadband? (Maybe there�s a website that indicates such areas?)

Would it be best to buy a wireless router before we travel or just buy one when we get there?

I know these questions have probably been asked many times before, but up to date information would be very helpful.

Thanks, Philip

[mike30]

You will probably want to live in Las Condes or Providencia, especially if you want to be able to take the tube to work....expect about US$500 per month for a decent 2-3 bedroom place, that includes about 100 dollars in gastos comunes, which are like condo fees that every building has, even for renters.

Anywhere you would want to live will have broadband available.

I would not recommend buying a place until you have lived there a year....the pollution in the winter really is quite a problem, so you should make it through a winter before committing to a long-term deal.

[-Stu-]

Las Condes and Providencia are nice places, but for something with a little more character and where the prices aren't quite so high try Nunoa, which is to the south of Providencia - take the bus down Pedro De Valdivia. Great area with all the local amenities, plus broadband. While away the evenings sipping pisco sours in Plaza Nunoa, whilst Sundays you can hit the national football stadium to watch the mighty La U de Chile strut their stuff.

Whilst Santiago isn't Rio or BsAs it really is a great city to live in. The winter pollution is pretty bad, but you can always escape to the mountains and play in the snow, there are some great ski resorts just 40km from the city centre.

As the poster above mentioned all apartment blocks have a local community charge which pays for the upkeep of the building and a local payment for rubbish collections, etc. We used to pay about �30 a month in our old apartment, which seemed standard. The rent on our fairly spacious two bedroom apartment was around �220 per month.

Drop me a line if you need anyother info.