Finding the perfect place to live can be a very difficult task in your own country, let alone abroad! You have to consider so many different aspects. Whether you want to live in the city centre or the suburbs, with flatmates or alone, with Chileans or foreigners?
So before you go, it´s really worth taking the time to decide what kind of living experience you want in Chile- it can really affect your first impressions if you're not living in the right place. Santiago is divided into comunas (areas), each with a different living style so there are many options to choose from.
If you want a busy and convenient lifestyle, being surrounded by restaurants, pubs, bars, etc I would go for a place in the centre. Alternatively, you can opt for the more relaxing, family lifestyle in the suburbs. Pretty, quiet neighbourhoods with picturesque streets, green spaces and trees! Both have their advantages and disadvantages so it depends on your preference.
During my time in Santiago, I was lucky enough to experience living in both the suburbs and the centre, which presented me with two very different living situations (which one I preferred, I'm still not sure).
Chilean Host Family in the Suburbs
For the first four months off the year, I lived with a host family in a peaceful residential area in San Miguel (a comuna about 30 mins away from the centre). I absolutely loved living there! I stayed with a Chilean girl, Karen and her mother, who accepted their family with open arms and treating me like the little sister. As Nora didn't speak English it was great Spanish practice for me. It was a real comfort to be part of a Chilean family after just having left my own back in England.
The Suburbs
But living out of the centre was proving more difficult than I expected. Everyday, I found it harder and harder to travel to/from my work in the centre. I wanted to be closer to the buzz of Santiago.
Chilean Student flat in the Centre
So for the second part of the year, I made the scary decision to move to the centre. As I'm more accustomed to the countryside than city life, my move to a block of flats in the centre was a bit of a shock. Roaring traffic, the constant smell of pollution, the inescapable noise of the street just outside my bedroom window. I thought I'd made the worst decision of the year... until I got to know my flatmate. Living with Dania, a second year uni student, has been so much fun! I got the student life back that I left behind in England- joining her friends at the pub, going clubbing, house parties, everything a student could want.
The centre
So I hope I've shown from my experience that where you live can have a huge impact on your year abroad experience in another country. For me, moving to another place half way through the year was a worthwhile decision, as I made a whole new circle of friends and got a better idea of what Santiago city life is like.
If you are currently looking for accommodation in Santiago, here's some websites that may help:
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