Living in Peru

How would you describe life in Peru?

Easy.  Not rushed.  Good food.

Has it been complicated to settle down, to find an accommodation and a job?

Not complicated.  I found a job before moving.  Anybody wanting to move before finding a job should not do so without savings, but teaching English is always in demand.

Is it complicated to make friends in Peru?

No.  Strangers introducing themselves to me has almost become an annoyance.

What would you recommend to people who would like to live in Peru?

Learn Spanish.

You can survive just fine in Peru if you work remotely and receive an outside income (i.e. U.S.); it is easier to keep up with the costs of living and perks if you receive an income from abroad or save up if you do not have a decent paying job in Peru lined up before you move.

People mingling is easy. The bricheros and bricheras hang out at the tourist bars and karaokes.

Apartments in Lima can be hard to come by, don't look on the internet, look in El Comercio and be ready to have first and last month's rent in hand when PREVIEWING the property. Properties rent out quickly in Lima!

Public transportation is fine if you have basic Spanish, driving is okay if your vehicle is well insured and you have a valid international license to drive around (be prepared for constant police stops.)

If you are in Lima learn the roads and bus routes. It is very easy to become disorientated or lost.

Learning Spanish is easy if you at least have a foundation and in Peru you will build your Spanish quickly.

rachelinperu wrote:

People mingling is easy. The bricheros and bricheras hang out at the tourist bars and karaokes.

Hi Rachel, I'm a fan of your blog.
I find that if you're not interested in the brichero culture, it's not so easy to meet people in Peru. 
However, my mileage varies considerably in comparison to foreign guys who I know in Peru.  They get questioned almost every minute, endlessly, to the point where it gets irritating.

For a female foreigner (one who isn't doing the 'obviously  looking for a boyfriend' thing, at any rate), they're reserved to the point of silent.  Half the time, people in the sierra refuse to reply to any enquiry at all.

Course, that might be a serrano thing....

well live in peru is awesome. I'm a peruvian and i must tell you that in Peru you can have a good time visiting museums, discos, restaurants, beaches, churches, ufff there are many places to go. I have to mention the food and beverages, too. you should try ceviche, arroz con pato, causa rellana, rocoto relleno, pisco sour, inka kola, etc.
So if you come here enjoy it and if you have any question just tell me. good bye.

I will agree that it can be rather difficult to meet non-bricheros here (bricheros are ppl interested in foreigners because they are foreigners...to put it nicely...) I dated someone here for 10 months that I thought was a non-brichero...and he turned out to be a major brichero and I got used pretty bad...I will also say that I have lost a lot of trust in people. 

My boyfriend is Peruvian, and he and his family are great, though...so there are Peruvians you can trust...just be cautious. 

Peru in general is really a cool place.  I love it here...there is always something to do.  I work in a bilingual school as an English teacher - and it´s great.  I had a job set up at ICPNA before I came here... and then I hated it, so I found another job.  If you are a native English speaker you can get a job pretty easily at a language institute.  If you are a native English speaker and a certified teacher - you can get a job pretty easily at a colegio. 

Finding an apt is stressful... most of them are gone the day they show up in the newspaper.  Rent prices (at least in Lima) have gone up a lot...but it is still inexpensive for an American or a European. 

If you have any questions about living in Lima, feel free to contact me... I am more than willing to help!! Life is a lot easier here when you have a support network of some sort!

Considering the advice of Rachel about searching apartments in the newspaper, I have to say that is not completely true. Many people use to place fake rates, too low to be true, in order to make you call and then they say, no it is rented but I have another one, of course more expensive. It is the same strategy I have seen for years among the real state sales agents when you search for an apartment to buy.
In my opinion, people who advertise by internet, at least know foreign languages, and publish their availability calendars, so you can check which apartment is available.
If you like more information about this subject, just drop me a line vmrrhh@yahoo.com

What are the rates like for a single person just looking for a clean place with a bano and relatively safe say not exactly in the center of town?  Im considering moving there but not sure about where would be the best place to stay in terms of the city... Any help would be great!
Thanks

In my opinion, the best place for foreigners without a car to live would be Miraflores.  I have lived in La Molina, San Borja, and now Miraflores, and Miraflores is by far the best.  Everything is within walking distance - restaurants, clubs, bars, stores, markets, grocery stores, parks, the ocean, movie theaters, gyms, etc.  That was not the case for me at all in either of my prior two districts.  Miraflores, though, is a bit more expensive.  I have a friend who has a 1 bedroom apt with 1 bathroom, a living room and a kitchen - all furnished - and he pays $500 a month.  Another friend has the same, but 2 bedrooms, and pays $600.  I have a 3 br, 2 bathroom, unfurnished and i pay $550.  I have another friend who has the tiniest apt ever... $450 for a 1 bedroom studio.  Prices really varied quite a bit.  You will find a lot more apts in miraflores for around $1000+ a month... you need to look for the deals

As a `gringa` I have found the Peruvian women (in general, not ALL of them) to be fairly unfriendly and judgemental.