Santiago, Chile’s capital city, has long been bypassed by digital nomads in favor of LatAm hubs like Medellín and Mexico City.
All that's changing. In recent decades, Chile's flourishing economy has fueled urban innovation, helping Santiago come into its own. Today, corruption is low, infrastructure is strong, and countless new hotels, restaurants, and shops are cropping up across the city. The lively metropolis is emerging as a hotspot for remote workers, thanks to a growing number of coworking spaces and a small but mighty digital nomad community.
Thinking about making Santiago the next stop on your remote work journey? Here's a complete guide to being a digital nomad in Chile's underestimated capital and up-and-coming-nomad hotspot.
Why digital nomads love Santiago, Chile
Against a striking backdrop of the Andes mountains, Santiago beckons remote workers with a high quality of life and low cost of living. For nomads with American clients, the city sits in a convenient time zone — only two hours ahead of New York.
As part of its efforts to attract entrepreneurs, Chile runs a business accelerator program called Start-Up Chile (SUP). In exchange for setting up a company in Santiago, SUP offers founders up to $50,000 in funding. In addition, the country makes it easy for U.S. entrepreneurs, remote workers, and expats to make Santiago their short-term home, with a Temporary Residency Visa valid for up to two years.
Of course, the city's biggest draw is the experiences it offers digital nomads away from their screens. Santiago is home to half of the country’s population and many of its best museums, restaurants, and street art. The Chilean capital surrounds a historic center with street art-decorated barrios (neighborhoods) and gleaming skyscrapers. Not to be overlooked is the fact that Chile is the gateway to some of the world’s greatest natural wonders — like Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, and Easter Island, to name a few — and serves as an excellent home base for adventurous nomads.
Santiago for digital nomads at a glance
- Climate: Santiago has a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool, rainy winters. Temperatures regularly reach the high 80s Fahrenheit (around 30°C) in the summer and average around 50°F (10°C) in the summer.
- Getting there: Fly into Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport (SCL), about 25 minutes from Santiago's city center. You can reach the city via rideshare, taxi, private transfers, shuttle bus, or public transport. A popular option is Transvip, an established Chilean company offering airport transfers that you can book online.
- Living costs: Budget around $1,300 to $1,700 USD per month for expenses, including a furnished apartment, food, and transportation.
- Language: Spanish is essential as English is rare outside tourist areas.
- Safety: Santiago is considered one of the safer cities in LatAm. Primary concerns include pickpocketing and bag snatching, so stay vigilant and avoid flashing valuables.
- Visa: Chile offers a Temporary Resident Visa for remote workers and freelancers. Applicants must meet income requirements and provide proof of health insurance. Learn how to apply for Chile's Temporary Resident Visa step-by-step.
Where to live: Top digital nomad neighborhoods in Santiago
Considering Santiago's daunting size, you might think it'd be tricky to decide on the right barrio to call home. But four Santiago barrios stand as ideal for remote workers due to factors like coworking availability, access to restaurants and shops, and safety:
Providencia
Popular among nomads and expats, this upper-middle-class residential neighborhood is centrally located. Providencia is the city's restaurant and shipping district, jammed with eclectic restaurants, colorful cocktail bars, and trendy boutiques. This is where you'll find the bulk of the city's coworking spaces, in addition to some of its better cafes and Airbnb options.
Lastarria
With meandering cobblestone streets and elegant architecture, Lastarria has a distinctly European vibe. The barrio recently witnessed a wave of boutique hotel openings, followed by a rush of new restaurants and shops. For nomads, the neighborhood offers a handful of coworking spaces and quaint cafes.
Las Condes
Nicknamed "Sanhattan" for its glimmering skyscrapers, Las Condes is Santiago's glitzy financial district. The area is where you'll find some of the city's most luxurious hotels, finest restaurants, and most glamorous shopping. The neighborhood is home to Los Dominicos artisans market, a former Dominican estate housing over 160 stalls of craft vendors.
Bellavista
Quirky Bellavista is the city’s bohemian quarter and nightlife hub. The hip barrio is dotted with cocktail bars, restaurants, boutiques, and galleries, as well as some popular coworking spots. Bellavista is where you'll find La Chascona, the house of the famous poet Pablo Neruda.
Where to work
Best cafes in Santiago for digital nomads
Fair warning: Compared to the blossoming, remote work-friendly cafe cultures in fellow LatAm destinations like Medellin and Mexico City, Santiago's coffee scene is somewhat less laptop-friendly. Nevertheless, digital nomads seeking to shack up in a cafe will find a few solid options in the city:
- Santander Work/Cafe (Multiple Locations). Part cafe, part bank, part free coworking space, Santander Work/Cafes are operated by Banco Santander and located across the city. Unlike many traditional Santiago coffeehouses, these coworking cafes are designed for remote work, with WiFi, comfy seating, and a full menu of coffee drinks and treats.
- Café Público (Alameda Libertador Bernardo O'Higgins 227). Café Público draws a laptop-wielding crowd with ample seating and solid WiFi. Only a few tables have outlets, so come fully charged.
- Café Trieste (Padre Luis de Valdivia 339, Lastarria). This cozy cafe offers fast, reliable WiFi and indoor and outdoor seating. The staff, while slow at times, is friendly to remote workers who set up shop with their laptops for a few hours.
- Cafe del 10 (Morandé 243). This cozy cafe offers reliable WiFi, multilevel seating, and plenty of plugs. Meeting rooms are available to rent.
- Black Mamba Coffee (Huelén 71, 7500617 Providencia). Popular among remote workers, this cute cafe offers WiFi, plugs, and a tasty menu with vegetarian and vegan options. Seating is limited, so be prepared to wait for a table during the lunch hour.
Best coworking space in Santiago for digital nomads
What Santiago lacks in laptop-friendly cafes, it makes up for in sleek, modern, plentiful coworking spaces. The city is home to a variety of local and international chains, as well as independent operations:
- WeWork Santiago (Multiple Locations). The iconic coworking chain has locations throughout Santiago, each offering modern spaces with high-speed internet and unlimited coffee.
- Launch Coworking (Multiple Locations). This trendy Santiago-based chain hooks members up with high-speed internet, common spaces, and free coffee and tea.
- Co-Work Latam (Multiple Locations). With locations across the city, Co-Work Latam accommodates remote workers with modern workspaces and top-notch Wi-Fi.
- iF - Sede Italia (Multple Locations). Another local chain, iF has multiple locations in popular neighborhoods like Las Condes and Vitacura. These spaces are packed with amenities, including kitchenettes, communal spaces, lockers and printing centers.