As someone whom has spent a decent amount of time living in Latin America, I wanted to share some pros and cons about being there. Things are certainly different down there and not everyone is cut out for the lifestyle here. So without further delay, let’s get started!
The Cons of Living in Latin America
It’s Dangerous!
Safety will be much more of a concern when you are down here. You have to realize that the poverty in many of these countries far surpasses anything you can see back home. With such levels of poverty, comes more crime.
Pick pocketing is extremely common down here, you need to be much more cautious no matter where you are. Be sure to keep your wallet in your front pocket; this can really be said about going anywhere in the world though.
Robberies and muggings are quite common in many places. Be very careful when you are walking alone or at night. Be sure to be aware of your surroundings. Don’t wear anything fancy and definitely keep that fancy iPhone out-of-sight! It’s not only the tourists who get targeted, many of my Latino friends have been robbed as well; some have even been beaten after complying with robbers’ demands.
Infrastructure Is Not As Consistent
When it comes to internet, power, roads, sidewalks, plumbing, and many other things we take for granted, these things are just not as consistent when you live in Latin America.
For example, one time when I lived in Lima, Peru, my apartment had everything I needed. But the places across the street often had trouble with city water, internet, and power even though it was considered a nice neighborhood. This is just a reality of living here, you really need to research the place you are going to stay when you need to have all of these things.
Getting Things Done Takes Longer
If you need a plumber, an electrician, a technician to fix your internet, or anything like that, be prepared to wait… and wait. You can yell at them over the phone in Spanish all you want and call at all hours of the day, but in many cases, people take their time here.
It’s not always like this of course, if you live in a nice and posh district, you won’t have to worry so much. But I am aware that many of us cannot afford to live in such places down here, so the reality is that many people will encounter difficulties when trying to get things done that would otherwise be simple back at home.
Corruption Is Rampant!
If you think our politicians are bad, you have another thing coming. It’s not just the politicians, but the airport security guards, the police, lawyers, judges, and more can all be pretty shifty down here. I have heard so many horror stories about people being shaken down for money at all levels of government in various countries. It’s pretty sad, but this is the reality for most of Latin America.
If you do end up living here, buying a house, or maybe even starting a business, chances are that you will have to bribe someone at some point. Since you’re gringo, the price will likely be higher and they may even be more likely to try and shake you down for cash. It’s just the reality of living here.
There are some hilarious advantages to this as well, especially if you’re talking about traffic violations, but I will just leave that to your imagination. 🙂
The Pros of Living in Latin America
It’s Cheaper! (Depends on which country and where…)
It can be really cheap to live down here. Of course, if you don’t have a first-world-income, that won’t matter much. But if you can work from anywhere, then you are in luck! Countries like Mexico, Ecuador, and Colombia can be very cheap to live in.
The Family Unit Still Exists
People still care about families down here and it shows. All of my Latin American friends talk to their aunts, uncles, and parents. I haven’t spoken to some of my uncles in over a decade. I really admire the fact that people value family so much more down here.
The Food
Fruits and vegetables are better down here. I have eaten giant avocados in Colombia and paid less than five cents for an avocado in Peru. It’s cheap down here. Some places have “organic” stuff down here too, if that’s your thing. But do you really believe farmers are adhering to all of the regulations? That’s another topic…
The Weather
In many places you can kiss winter as you know it goodbye. Much of Latin America doesn’t see a single snowdrop for the entire duration of the year. If you live in an area with high altitude levels or live very far south in South America, you will still experience snow, however. Argentina, Chile, parts of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and other countries still experience some snow from time-to-time.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are many pros and cons to living in South America. If you are unsure about moving to any place in the world, I really think you should spend at least a month or two there in order to really see if you would be able to live there. Either way, I hope these tips help. I will be sure to update this post if I think of anything else to add!
