Finding a place to live during your stay in Chile isn’t too difficult. We recommend that you visit Chilean websites that offer houses, apartments or rooms for rent, where you will be able to find something to meet your needs.
Some of our institutions also offer search services for student lodgings, which range from helping you find accommodation to organizing a homestay with a Chilean family for the duration of your studies.
*None of the services mentioned above are owned by Learn Chile, and as such we do not accept any liability for their operations or pricing.
It is important to consider the time of year in which you will visit Chile in order to be prepared for the weather conditions in each season.
Apart from the extreme weather conditions present in the Andes and the Atacama Desert, Chile largely enjoys a temperate climate. However, due to its topography and length from north to south, the country is exposed to a wide range of climates.
– Desert climate in the north, between Arica and La Serena.
– Mediterranean from the central valleys to Concepción.
– Temperate and rainy from Concepción to Punta Arenas.
– Polar climate in the Antarctic.
As Chile is located in the Southern Hemisphere, students arriving in August can expect mild winter weather, which rapidly shifts towards spring. Students arriving in March can expect summer weather, moving towards autumn and then winter by the end of the semester.
The official currency in Chile is the Chilean peso (ISO code: CLP). Besides paying in cash, credit and debit cards are widely accepted in Chile, and can be used everywhere from large department stores to paying your utilities bills. Online payment systems are also widely available.
Chile has been acknowledged as a pioneer in terms of investment in and coverage of its telephone and internet services, enabling the country to easily maintain contact with the rest of the world.
Various Chileans studies on Internet connectivity in the country have also indicated that more than half of Chilean homes are connected to the Internet.
In order to make it easier for you to find your way around after arriving in Chile, below we have provided information about the various means of public transport available in the country.
If you are staying in the Santiago Metropolitan Region, you can use the Transantiago urban bus system and the Santiago Metro, which covers most of the city through a network of underground railway lines. Both systems require use of a “Bip!” payment card, which you must charge before using buses and metros in the city.
In other regions of the country, urban bus services are widely available, offering a convenient and low-cost means of transport, while taxis and colectivos (shared taxis) are also popular, especially when traveling at night.
Keep these numbers at hand:
– Carabineros de Chile / Chilean Police: 133
– Ambulance: 131
– Fire Department: 132
– Investigation Police (PDI): 134
– Aerial Rescue: 138
– Search Service and maritime rescue: 137
– Police Information: 139