Are there any expats happily (or not!) living in

Hi Pica1,

A new thread has been created as from your post on the Valparaiso forum for better visibility.

All the best,
Christine

I wold also love to hear from those who have traveled to Valparaiso as well.  My niece and her husband had traveled there and they have yet to say much about their travels.  They were there for at least a month.  He speaks Spanish better than some of the people who were born in Chile.  When he was in Chile he had experienced discrimination in many places.  Whenever he went to a restaurant he was always the last to be waited on and the last to get his food even when others cam in after him and ordered as much as 30 minutes after him.  Nobody was blatantly nasty but it was the constant subtle reminders that let him know he was not welcome.  That is troubling and yet I hear from others who say how good it is and how friendly and welcoming the people are.  I would love to hear from those who are there now or were there.  It seems that possibly the lack of comment may be due to the close monitoring of this site and negative posts never see the light of day.  I hope to travel to Chile and Valparaiso is on the top of my list.

Hi, guys!
I'm glad to read you would like to visit Chile, specially my hometown! I have to say, Chile is the most beautiful country in the world

I was born and raised in Viña del Mar/Valparaiso (it's pretty much one big city as they are joint due to growth, but are very different between them).
Viña del Mar is a very relaxed and chill city, my definite favorite in my country. The areas by the coast (Avenida Perú, 'Norte' avenues) are the best place to be in regards of being in the city but in a quiet area at the same time. The rest of the 'suburbs' are in the hills and be careful where you choose to go there, because, sadly, there's different and very marked social classes and it can get dangerous, specially for foreigners, to go to these places. The best residential areas in Viña del Mar would be Recreo, Cerro Castillo, Reñaca, Lomas de Montemar, and El Plan.
Valparaiso is a very bohemian city, with a lot of cultural displays going on. Its riches are in the hills and their colorful houses, and a trip through them are a must when visiting, specially Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción. Its architecure is also very traditional and nice.
The one bad thing I find about Valparaiso is that it's not cared been cared for properly in terms of appreciating the history of its building (graffiti) and excess of garbage in the streets in some areas.

I'm not very good at writing long paragraphs, but please, if you have any doubt, question let me know. I love to share about my country, and specially about my city to everyone.

Chileans are very friendly and we love to joke hehe. We always welcome foreigners as best as possible.

Pablo

Pablo,
     Thanks for responding to the forum.  Your information was very good.  I just talked with my Niece who just returned from Chile.  She loved the country in general.  She did warn me that in the metropolitan area it is important to have someone watch your vehicle so it is not stolen.  However in the rural areas, there is far less problem with theft or crime in general.  If I live in the rural areas I would need a car.  But, gas prices are $10.00-USD per gallon (or about 1339-CLP per Liter) which makes travel very expensive in the long term.  Do you see fuel prices increasing or decreasing over time? 

Mark

There are many foreigners that live in Valparaiso, they said that looks like San Francisco.. but the chilean way!

But actually, Chile isnŽt better than Ecuador in retirements for foreigners, so i donŽt know about prices and specific help issues.

If you want to rent a home in Valparaiso and pay all the services, you could have a good deal for 450 to 650 dolars per month. The public hospitals are bad, but there are many private hospitals that have a good level of service, technology and good doctors (but you should speak spanish if you want to visit them)

Also, Valparaíso have a lot of cultural activity, typical restaurants and beautiful places, is 2.5 hours from Santiago (where is the international airport and US embassy)


Good luck

Ricardo

I was born in Vina del Mar. That said, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar have changed for both (the good and the worst) in the past decade. There is plenty of retail business and entertainment. You will get anything you may want/need in a civilized metropolitan area. Both cities are just 60 miles from Santiago and transportation is good, modern and fast. The ocean is nice -although very cold. The rhythm in the city is slower and more relaxed than in Santiago. People is friendly and you will be welcome. There is no discrimination because of you being a foreigner as described by Mark. But there is racism, which means if you are not white, you may receive the sort of treatment Mark has described.

For retirement -or for living- Chile is not a place I will recommend (I live overseas and have no intention in going back other than for vacations)

First, cost of living is extremely expensive and it gets worse with time. So, unless you have a very affluent retirement income,  Chile is not the place to make your money worth more. Chile is as expensive as any other big city in USA or Europe. You will only save a little bit in the property lease. You will certainly expend more in utilities and groceries. Money-wise Chile is not a good option. Also, health is extremely expensive and very difficult to access by elder people. Another reason this is not a good place for retirement.

Second. While violence and stateless crime is not an issue -as it might be in Mexico with kidnapping, executions and drug-wars, to give an example- Petty crime is rampant and the metropolitan areas are not safe on that regard. Pick pocketing, vehicle robbery, house thefts are skyrocketing.

Third. It is an individualistic society so you are on your own. Stress is high and people is more violent than in other places. In example, if you make a mistake and hit someone else's car, don't expect your apologies will be well received and be prepared because chances are your car -or you- will receive punches and kicks. 

Now, that said, if you want to experience living in contact with nature in a very basic context, then, there are places in Chile like Valle del Elqui, Eastern Island or San Pedro de Atacama that you will love and as stated here, in small rural areas, crime is much lower.

Ricardo,

    Thanks for the background.  Can you tell me about taxes?  Is there a tax on personal income or is it just the VAT tax on purchased items?  Is food taxed as well as non-food items?  Do taxes change from place to place or is it uniform through out Chile?

Mark