Chilean electricity operates at 220 volts, 60 Hz, which means you will need to purchase a converter. These can be purchased in Chile for about USD$10. You can buy a cheap hair dryer, alarm clock, etc., on-site instead of bringing yours with the necessary converters and adapters. You will need adapters to plug dual-voltage appliances into wall outlets. You may find these for approximately USD$5 in Chile. Please note an adapter only changes the shape of the plug—it does not protect your appliance from burning out due to higher voltage. For more information on voltage converters/plug adapters...

Students are able to receive letter-sized mail to the IES Abroad Center. If you are shipping a debit or credit card, we recommend that you disguise it as regular mail (i.e., put it in a birthday card or use a cardboard FedEx or UPS envelope). Mail should be addressed to: IES Abroad Santiago ATTN: Student Name Dr. Manuel Barros Borgoño #159 Providencia, Santiago, Chile 750-0513 We urge family and friends not to ship any packages to you while you are abroad. However, if necessary, packages should be sent to your housing address after you have confirmed with your housing provider that you can...

Meeting Local People Attending university courses is one the best way to meet Chilean students. Being part of a university community in Santiago will open doors for you to experience academic culture in Chile and participate in activities outside of classes. Life at Chilean universities is very lively. Students spend hours at the university before and after their classes in cafés, libraries, parks, and campus facilities. They study, meet for group projects, play sports, and spend time with friends. A major difference with the United States is that Chilean students live at home and not in dorms...

All costs below are shown in US dollars ($). Food & Drink Breakfast at a restaurant $10 Lunch at a restaurant $20 Dinner at a restaurant $30 Soft drink $3 Coffee $5 Meal at a university Dining Hall $10 Housing Toiletries (per week) $10+ Local Transportation Public Transportation (per month - for academic activities only) $50 - $100 One-way Ground Transportation from airport to IES Abroad Center $50 Social Activity & Entertainment Movie $8 Theater Performance $10+ Museum Entry Fee $0+ Fitness Club Membership (per month) $40 Dance Club Cover Charge $5-15 Communication Chilean Sim Card $2 Data +...

Currency The Chilean monetary unit is the peso and is signified by $, Ch$, or CLP. There are coins of $10, $50, $100 and $500. Bills start at $1.000. Denominations in the thousands are signified by a period (.) rather than a comma (,). Thus, $1.000 means one thousand pesos. Check a source such as www.xe.com to confirm the exchange rate before departing for Santiago. Handling Money Abroad Before departing for Chile or upon arrival at the airport, you should exchange between USD$50 and USD$100 into Chilean pesos in order to cover incidental expenses during your first few days in Chile. Chilean...

Commuting Daily commuting using the city’s extensive public transportation system is a reality for all who live in or near Santiago. Like local students, you will commute to classes, either at the Center or a partner university, using public transportation. Commuting time may take between 20 to 50 minutes depending on the locations of your classes, internships, or other daily responsibilities. Public Transportation Santiago’s public transportation system is very user friendly, clean, and safe. There are peak hours that you will need to consider in order to arrive promptly to your destination...

While you should try to be flexible and adventurous in sampling new and different types of foods, if you have dietary restrictions, you must inform IES Abroad on the Housing Form and remind the IES Abroad Center staff upon arrival. For example, let us know if you have food allergies, what type of vegetarian you are, if you have religious restrictions, or if there are certain foods that you will not eat. With adequate warning, some host families are willing to prepare special dishes for you, but you also need to be flexible and cooperative. Vegetarians should be prepared to eat egg dishes (...