Advertisement
Published: October 26th 2011
Edit Blog Post
View from our condo
Facing the Las Condes section, the financial district. Don's office building is off to the right. Everyday is a shock when it comes to the local prices for, well nearly everything. Part of the problem is my unwarranted expectations that living in a Latin American country is cheaper than it is in the US. Where did I get this? From Mexico and Costa Rica. As I said, my assumptions are not justified or warranted.
Housing: It's not too bad for $1,750 US per month. We live in a two-bedroom, two-bath condo in the financial district (Las Condes). We chose it because it's about a pleasant 15-minute walk to Don's offices.
The condo is on a relatively quiet and tree lined residential street off one of the main streets called Amerigo Vespuccio. We are on the 12th floor of a 20-story building and get wonderful breezes from the two sides of the condo -- the windows and balcony. On days with less smog, we can see parts of the great Andes (still snow covered) and other local mountain ranges. It's about 900 sf including the balcony and has a small kitchen, laundry room, and a living/dining room. Great wireless and Cable TV connections.
The main concierge ("Major Domo") is Eduardo, and the evening assistant is
Raul. We do not get a key to the main gate outside the small courtyard with a water fountain. Each ingress/egress is controlled by the major domo or his assistant who presses the buzzer that emits a long and squeaky BEEEEEEP.
There is a swimming pool, which is a good size for about a dozen people to comfortably frolic. The surrounding area is grass and concrete -- practical but not very inviting. I'm used to the slick marble and glass environments of the Mexican swimming pools.
A small fitness center with the basic equipment in the condo building costs $6 US per use. We'll skip this feature too.
I walk to most places in this area, up to about one hour at a time when the sun's UV rating is less than 5. Between 10 am and 4 pm, the UV is more than 8 (on a scale of 0 - 11). It's a pretty deadly level. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, is usually 5 or less. The fast disappearing Ozone layer in this southern hemisphere is a real phenomenon that we live with.
The nearest supermarket, Jumbo, is about 1 KM (0.6 miles) and a pleasant walk.
I take a taxi back when laden with groceries. The taxi ride is $2.5 US minimum, but the cab drivers do not give me any change when I hand them a 2,000 peso bill ($4 US).
It's safe to assume that just about everything in the supermarket costs 150% of the costs in Seattle, WA, on average. Some as much as 300 or 400%.
- $5 for 1 quart of soy milk
- $3 for a small can of JalapeƱos (there are no readily available fresh JalapeƱos in Chile -- the subject of another blog).
- $4 for a tiny bottle of soy sauce
- About a $1 each for an avocado
- $16-$24 for a pound of so-so coffee (tastes like Folgers)
- $1 for a small bunch of cilantro or parsley or onions
- $7 or $8 for a 6-pack cans of local watery beer
- $12 or more for a 6-pack of imported beer
On the other hand, wine is plentiful and inexpensive. We're having fun choosing some really inexpensive bottles ($3 - $6) everyday and are constantly surprised by their complex and enjoyable qualities.
As for clothing and shoes, forget it. I'm making a list of some essentials (like a pair of sandals and long-sleeve summer shirts against the penetrating UV) for Don to pick up in his next trip to the US in November.
Restaurants: The quality and variety of the restaurant scene, or the bland cuisine, deserves a whole new blog entry. About the costs, any decent lunch downtown is a minimum of $50 for two. A cheap sandwich can be had for $10. Looking at the only Indian restaurant that's recommended online: The simple menu shows only the "combos" -- The cheapest, at $30, will make even a small eater like me hungry after eating (one chicken drumstick, 1/4 thin bread, some rice, a tiny dish of sauces). For Don and me to have a basic dinner (in quantity), we'd need to pick a combo that costs $80. We wouldn't have any leftovers.
Most of all, I'm surprised by the high price of the fish and seafood. Thus far, I haven't dared pick up any shrimp or calamari. Lobster or crabs? Figure about $120 US (not including any other items that should be accompanied).
We eat well enough though. I try not to look at the prices for the basic food stuff like lettuce, tomatoes, beef, chicken, rice, eggs, beans. We eat a lot of salads and beans, along with lean grass fed beef or local cheese and ham. Life is good.
Don keeps saying I should get used to the local pricing and just buy whatever I want. I will probably end up doing that soon (I hope) as the shock wears off.
The metro and bus rides are inexpensive. A little over $1 per metro ride and $7 for a bus ride this weekend to the coast about 1.5 hours away. Rental cars for automatic shift are $100 a day (in Puerto Vallarta, I paid about $30). The hotel in Valparaiso (this weekend for three nights) will cost $600. It's not the top end but receives favorable reviews on Tripadvisor.com. Seems to have good staff and panoramic views of the harbor. We are looking forward to the trip.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.069s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 5; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0451s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
John Forget
non-member comment
Wow...Those Prices!
Hi Kay, Really enjoying reading about your Chile experiences with Don. How do the locals afford to eat in their own country? On a side note, we just got back from a week long road trip. We found where all of the inexpensive stuff is in Mexico. The best we found was around Quiroga, Michoacan. It makes Tonola look pricey. I hope you find the Chilean equivalent and pass it along. Happy journeys!