Apartments for rent in Santiago: which neighborhood should you choose?

• Home
• Expat Guide
• Accommodation in Chile
• Apartments for rent in Santiago

Deciding in which neighborhood to live

One of the main criteria to consider is your budget, especially in the Santiago region, which features a broad range of prices.

The second criterion is the type of properties available. Some neighborhoods mostly have houses, while others — especially near metro stations — only have apartments in buildings.

If you already have a neighborhood in mind, you can have a look at our dedicated pages for each area to get an idea of the price range. If you're just starting your search, a general rule to keep in mind is that apartment prices increase along a southwest to northeast line. The further southwest you go, the cheaper the rent; the further northeast, the more expensive. This is because pollution — especially in winter — tends to decrease as altitude increases. Neighborhoods to the northeast are at a higher altitude on the Cordillera. They are more sought-after, and the rent reflects it.

Let's look at the type of apartments you can find in each part of Santiago. We've limited this analysis to the neighborhoods where most foreigners live. Each neighborhood attracts a different population.

Rent a flat in Santiago Centro

Of all the areas where foreigners live, Santiago Centro is the cheapest. You can usually find many apartments, from studios to 3-bedroom units. Most of the modern ones are located south of the Alameda avenue, in tall buildings (20-25 floors).

The first buildings in this area went up about 15 years ago, just south of metro line 1. Some are starting to show their age, especially where maintenance has been neglected. A common problem is rooftop swimming pools that are no longer usable. If being close to the metro isn't essential for you, look at apartments 4-5 blocks south or further. The neighborhood won't be as safe, but you can get a bigger apartment for the same price, often in a more modern building. The services and amenities tend to be better too — property developers had to increase quality to compensate for the distance to the metro.

If you're on a budget, this area is worth a look. On the north side, the historic part of Santiago Centro also offers accommodation, but the properties are older or refurbished for short-term tourist rental.

Apartment for rent in Providencia

This is one of the neighborhoods that young people like the most, especially those who want to avoid buying a car. You'll find students, young professionals, and couples with or without children here. Residential buildings are usually limited to 8-10 floors, which means less crowded streets in the morning and evening.

The area close to metro line 1 is quite old, with buildings from the 60s through the 80s. To the south, more recent buildings have been (or are being) constructed next to the new metro line 3.

Young couples and families like the area around Plaza Las Lilas — a small park — because it's quiet and still very close to the Cristóbal Colón metro station. The biggest park in Providencia is Inés de Suárez, located 20 minutes south of Manuel Montt metro. If you like parks and don't need to be right next to the metro, this is worth considering.

Because Providencia is appealing to both Chileans and foreigners, rental prices are slightly overvalued compared to the actual quality of the properties, especially for small units. All small apartments get rented in a few days, unless they are really overpriced. You need to be reactive when a new listing appears.

Loft apartment for rent in Providencia, just near park Inés de Suárez

Rent an apartment in Ñuñoa

Ñuñoa is one of the neighborhoods attracting the most interest right now, thanks to the new metro lines and the development of the area around avenida Italia. This avenue has been transformed into a cultural and artistic strip — great for going out on weekends, with small art galleries and restaurants.

Very animated during the weekend, much quieter during the week. Ñuñoa can be divided in two main parts:

1. The north half, located north of avenida Irarrázaval, next to Providencia. Many houses here. For apartments, plaza Ñuñoa (where the city hall is) is an interesting neighborhood with shops and restaurants. Several new buildings are under construction near avenida Italia, just south of the zone classified as historical heritage.

2. The south part, with lower-quality construction and some tall buildings like in Santiago Centro. Average rental costs will be lower, so it can be an option if you want a bigger apartment than what you'd get in Providencia.

Rent an apartment in Vitacura

You won't find as many apartments in Vitacura compared to other neighborhoods. Historically, it was almost exclusively houses. In recent years, some areas have been converted, with developers building premium apartments.

Buildings are usually limited in height due to municipal regulations. Compared to Las Condes, you'll find fewer buildings with swimming pools, especially in recent developments. The 7-8 floor limit means developers can't split pool maintenance costs across enough units to keep fees reasonable.

If you don't mind an older building, there are interesting apartments in the north part of Vitacura, with a nice view of the Bicentenario park.

Gorgeous apartment for rent in the heart of Vitacura. Ideal for a family

Apartments in Las Condes

Las Condes is the largest commune in Santiago, and you can find many apartments for rent. It's difficult to summarize the rental offer in a few lines, as the commune contains diverse areas. We have pages dedicated to the areas that attract the most foreigners:

1. El Golf
2. Manquehue
3. Escuela Militar. This is where you'll find some of the largest parks in Santiago. The area between metro line 1 and parks Araucano / Juan Pablo II is ideal for families.

Typical in condominiums of Las Condes, Santiago: huge private park with swimming pool, ideal to let children play safely

To rent an apartment in Colina (Chicureo / Chamisero)

Chicureo and Chamisero are not areas where you'll find many apartments. The offer is very limited. These areas are about houses in private condominiums (gated residential developments). Check our article on houses for rent in Santiago for more information.

A few recent developments offer premium lofts, but they are rare and usually not available for rental. If you want an apartment, you're better off in Las Condes or Vitacura.

Furnished or unfurnished?

Furnished apartment rental is subject to 19% VAT according to Chilean tax law. This does not apply to unfurnished properties, leading to a significant price difference. In practice, the difference between furnished and unfurnished is 25% to 50%, with an average of around 30%. The smaller the apartment and the closer to a metro station, the higher the premium.

Is it worth buying furniture?

To give you an idea, we've done a simulation for a 120 sqm apartment (1,300 sq ft):

• With affordable or second-hand furniture: 8 to 10 months to break even with the rental cost difference. For example, you buy furniture for CLP 2,000,000 and save CLP 200,000-250,000 per month.
• With new furniture: 12 to 18 months depending on quality.

This holds roughly true regardless of apartment size — the furniture cost and the rental price difference scale proportionally.

Renting furniture separately

Another option is to rent an unfurnished apartment and rent furniture from a company that specializes in it. Rental periods range from 1 to 24 months. By doing this, you pay VAT only on the furniture rental, not on your apartment rent.

For a 2-bedroom apartment, furniture rental runs around CLP 300,000-350,000 per month. That includes everything:

• Main bedroom (bed, bedside tables, bed linen, lamps, closet)
• Child bedroom (same)
• Living and dining room (2 sofas, lamps, table, chairs)
• Kitchen (table service for 6, oven, microwave, blender)
• Laundry room (washing machine, dryer)

It costs more than buying, but it gives you maximum flexibility. Contact us if you need recommendations.

How to search and how easy is it to rent as a foreigner?

For more information on the search process, read our article Finding an apartment in Santiago, which details the process and how easy (or hard) it is to rent as a foreigner in Santiago. For specific searches, contact us a few weeks or months before your move. The earlier we know what type of property you like, the better — we'll have a better selection ready when you arrive.

Do you want to go more in detail?

I wrote the Chile Handbook for Foreigners for anyone and everyone looking to move permanently and enjoy life in Chile. It's a 265-page book that goes over all aspects of relocating to Chile. Here is what you get:
✅ Practical tips based on 7-year relocation experience
✅ To-do lists to help you start
✅ Last updated in 2025

DOWNLOAD TODAY