Job Discussion Forums

[socratesocks]

I'm moving to Latin America with my gf in October. I'm having a terribly tough time obtaining information that I'd consider relevant. We're not looking to teach (we're doing that right now in Korea), we're looking for an extended but frugal vacation of at least 8 months with at least 10 grand USD behind us. My questions are what country has the lowest cost of living (particularly rent) in Latin America? What country in Latin America is safest? Bonus points for having a population that gringos blend into more easily (less gringo tax), ease of tourist visa regulations, reliable internet and mild weather. The main concern, my main question is: in what generally safe country can we rent the cheapest furnished 1 bedroom apartment (major city, not countryside)?

[Insubordination]

Awesome! Are you ruling out Central America? It's dirt cheap but I'm not sure if it what you are looking for as some consider it unsafe, particularly in the cities. Your dollars will go far there and you could stay that long. I loved Guatemala and stayed for quite a few months.

Do you want to live near a city or do you want to chill out in nature? Chile and Argentina or Uruguay are the safest and you won't be a huge novelty there but they are costlier. Maybe you should try a smaller city to keep costs down?

Actually, this is impossible to narrow down. Is there any country that you or your partner have always wanted to go to? Any particular history or culture that fascinates you?


Can't say I've been much help but I like your plan.

[Hadit]

I like the following site for a nice worldwide comparison. It looks like Ecuador and Guatemala would be good for you.

http://www.travelindependent.info/america-south.htm

[socratesocks]

What a fantastic site. Thank you so much. We've recently been leaning toward Bolivia and this site has given me even more reason to lean that way. La Paz it is!

[naturegirl321]

Look into visas as well. Maybe countries won't bother to get you ones and you'll have to border hop. If you only plan on goign for a bit, then it's ok.

[epik_teacher]

I'm in the same boat. I'm in Korea, in a rut and tired of the place. I'm thinking of doing the CELTA and heading to South America. I've got a decent amount saved, so salary isn't as big an issue as it might be. I'm thinking Uruguay, Paraguay or Ecuador...........but am still information shopping.

[TeresaLopez]

You probably won't get cheap and a city both. But if you want beautiful, I would suggest the area around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. You could have a base there and travel around the country, it's small. There is even a hippie colony made up of Americans/Canadians and Europeans there. Most everything is cheap. You can totally skip Guatemala City, there is nothing of interest, and it's not all that safe. Antigua is beautiful, but not cheap. If you are interested in Mexico, maybe one of the state capitals in the central to south part of the country. Zacatecas and San Luis Potosi are decent sized cites and quite safe. Also, Veracruz and Oaxaca are fairly inexpensive and safe. Also, you might want to refrain from using the term "gringo tax" if you want to make friends with the locals, it's like saying everyone is dishonest.

[spanglish]

Yeah, definitely skip Guatemala City. Very dangerous, very ugly. Same goes for San Salvador, though it's a bit more interesting, but probably even more dangerous. If I were you I'd look for a mid-size city in Argentina or Chile, or check out Montevideo.