10 Best Places to Retire in Chile

Chile is a very attractive country for all expats, and if you want to know why, stick to the end of our list of best places to retire in Chile.

Compared to the rest of Latin America, Chile leads the region in multiple rankings including those related to human development, economic freedom and income per capita. If you want to spend your retirement days in one of the most stable and prosperous countries on the continent, then you should definitely have Chile as your top choice. The fact that Chileans don’t need a visa to enter the United States speaks enough of how much this country has accomplished. Also, according to the World Happiness Report from 2017, Chile is ranked on the 20th place. For example, the same report ranks the United States in 14th place, while the countries like France and Spain are behind Chile.

Healthcare in Chile is provided by the government-operated public system and private insurance companies. According to the experiences of expats, the public healthcare system offers a good care, but it is overcrowded. Still, most of the expats turn to the private healthcare system that offers a better quality care and the waiting period is a lot shorter. According to OECD’s report about Health Policies in Chile, the country suffers from financial barriers when it comes to access to healthcare services. Among OECD countries, Chile ranks second (behind the United States) in out-of-pocket expenditures. This makes it harder for the low-income population to receive quality healthcare. Another worry is a low density of nurses and doctors in the country. There were 1.9 physicians and 5.6 nurses per 1,000 in 2013 in the country, both well below OECD average. Hospital bed per 1,000 population rate is 2.2, which puts Chile second to last in comparison to rest of OECD countries.

In terms of safety and security, Chile does look a lot better compared to other countries of the region. World Economic Forum ranked it on the 44th place in the world in their safety and security ranking. Chile 2017 Crime & Safety Report issued by the United States Overseas Security Advisory Council says that security environment in the country is moderately safe. When it comes to crimes against Americans, the most common were pickpocketing, vehicle thefts, and telephone scams. Violent crimes do occur, mostly in bigger cities like Santiago, but kidnappings and random shootings happen rarely. Theft related crimes saw an increase in 2016 compared to 2017, while residential burglaries and violent crimes went significantly down in the same period. In case you are not too disturbed with bad safety situations, you can check out our list of 10 best places to retire in Brazil as well.

Before we continue with the list of best places to retire in Chile, we should explain our methodology for creating it. We started by taking recommendations from multiple sources including Investopedia, Expat Exchange, and Trip Advisor among others, looking for places that were most often recommended as good retirement destinations and places to live in the country. After that, we ranked the countries and awarded points based on the average apartment rent cost (taken from Numbeo and various forums), hospital to population ratio (Google Maps), cheapest cost of one-way ticket to Miami, Fl from the nearest airport including the bus ticket to the airport (Google provided prices and Cheap Flights) and quality of urban life index rank obtained from Estudios Urbanos. After we summed up all the points into our IM score, we ended up with the complete list. We would like to add that hospital to population ratio should tell you (in theory) how many people are assigned to one hospital. Let’s now check out the list, shall we?

10. Iquique

IM Score: 11
Rent Cost: $600
Hospital to Population Ratio: 180,601
Flight to U.S. Cost: $988
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 77

One thing is for sure, in Iquique, you won’t feel like a stranger. Almost 10% of the population are not natives and come from different parts of the world. Most of them came to enjoy the city’s beaches and pleasant climate that has almost no rainfall. The temperatures are almost the same through the whole year, and the averages go from 60 to 77. The reason why the city isn’t ranked higher is the fact that the prices are pretty high and we couldn’t find more than one regional hospital.

9. Temuco

IM Score: 19
Rent Cost: $400
Hospital to Population Ratio: 65,632
Flight to U.S. Cost: $1,311
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 33

We are continuing our list of best places to retire in Chile with Temuco that is the perfect place if you want to have quick access to both the Pacific coast and Andean valley and enjoy the sea, lakes, and variety of other natural attractions this city has to offer. When it comes to weather, Temuco has an oceanic climate characterized with cool summers and winters.

8. La Serena

IM Score: 19
Rent Cost: $530
Hospital to Population Ratio: 198,163
Flight to U.S. Cost: $877
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 19

Just like with the first entry on our list of best places to retire in Chile, we managed to find just one regional hospital in La Serena. But, the city has its perks, being ranked in the top 20 of Chilean cities with the best quality of urban life index. La Serena and the surrounding area represent one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, seeing more than 30% increase in population from 1992 to 2002. Being the second oldest city in Chile, La Serena has an important historical, and cultural significance and its unique and appealing architecture made it one of the top touristic destinations in the country. That, and the beautiful beaches of course.

7. Puerto Montt

IM Score: 22
Rent Cost: $335
Hospital to Population Ratio: 58,646
Flight to U.S. Cost: $1,341
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 30

If you have a tight budget, then Puerto Montt, the next one on our list of best places to retire in Chile is the city for you, unless you want to travel to the United States a lot. The rent cost in the lowest on our lists, but the flight cost is the highest since the city is located in the south of Chile.  There are plenty of things to enjoy in Puerto Montt, but keep in mind that most of them belong to the category of natural attractions.

6. Antofagasta

IM Score: 22
Rent Cost: $680
Hospital to Population Ratio: 43,177
Flight to U.S. Cost: $1,137
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 11

If you want to live in Antofagasta, you’ll have to be prepared to part way with a significant amount of money for rent. Overall, the city is considered to be the most expensive in the country. Still, there are lots advantages of retiring here. The city has seen a huge growth in the last decade, investing significantly in infrastructure and various urban projects. The temperatures are mild through the whole year, so you don’t have to worry about extreme heats or colds.

5. Concepción

IM Score: 23
Rent Cost: $460
Hospital to Population Ratio: 76,550
Flight to U.S. Cost: $1,301
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 10

If you like music, Concepción, the next one on our list of best places to retire in Chile will charm you right away. The city is famous for its vibrant music scene and is considered “capital of Chilean rock.” There are various other cultural and natural attractions to enjoy, including museums, art galleries, parks, and lagoons. Again, the temperatures are mild and stable throughout the year.  In terms of quality of urban life index, Concepción has the highest rank compared to all other cities on the list.

4. Valparaiso

IM Score: 24
Rent Cost: $365
Hospital to Population Ratio: 94,876
Flight to U.S. Cost: $772
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 61

Festivals, street arts, and colorful architecture are all the things you can expect if you settle in Valparaiso. The nightlife is also considered great for Chilean standards, and if you like bars and nightclubs, you won’t be bored here. Besides the second lowest rent, the city also has the second lowest flight to U.S. cost on our list of best places to retire in Chile. The temperatures are a bit lower than in other places on our list, and you can expect occasional snow.

3. Pucon

IM Score: 25
Rent Cost: $405
Hospital to Population Ratio: 22,081
Flight to U.S. Cost: $781
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: N/A

Pucon is the city with the lowest population on our list of best places to retire in Chile but represents a highly attractive touristic destination thanks to the proximity of Lake Villarrica and Villarrica volcano. Pucon is perfect for those of you craving for some adventure and offers numerous opportunities for outdoor activities like water skiing, hiking, biking, winter sports, and fishing. If you would just like to watch the nature, you can take long walks through one of many national parks or forests.

2. Vina Del Mar

IM Score: 27
Rent Cost: $525
Hospital to Population Ratio: 46,405
Flight to U.S. Cost: $774
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 20

This is probably the most well-rounded place on the list of best places to retire in Chile. Hospital to population ratio is moderate, rent and flight costs aren’t too expensive, and quality of urban life index is among the highest on the list. It gets better. The city is filled with numerous cultural attractions and entertainment options, while also attracting visitors with its resorts. This is the place where you can enjoy good food, cultural events, but also take advantage of city’s beautiful beaches and warm weather.

1. Santiago

IM Score: 28
Rent Cost: $590
Hospital to Population Ratio: 26,571
Flight to U.S. Cost: $766
Quality of Urban Life Index Rank: 26

On our similar lists, the capital of the country isn’t often highly ranked, but Santiago managed to top the best places to retire in Chile. You’ll probably get the best healthcare in the country here, while also being in proximity of International Airport that will take you to the United States. Santiago is the center of Chile’s cultural, sport and economic life, so there will always be something to see and do. The recommendation doesn’t go just for the city itself but the whole surrounding area, where you can find some quieter and smaller towns but still be close to the action.