Prices in Chile: is it still worth going to buy technology and clothes?

By: Lorena Sidoti lorena.sidoti@elsol.com.ar @loresidoti

As of January 1, the Los Libertadores pass will reopen to vacation in Chile and many Mendoza are already planning to travel to the trans-Andean country for a few days. In addition to being days of rest, they also became the possibility of shopping, above all, to get technology and other top-brand items in the malls or small stores, which in Argentina are more expensive or are not directly available. However, after the pandemic, is it still convenient to buy in the neighboring country?

The first thing necessary is to calculate how much the change is. According to calculations, the most convenient thing is to opt for the use of credit cards and pay the official Chilean peso with two insurmountable surcharges: 30% of the PAIS “solidarity” tax and 35% withholding (Perception RG4815). This account shows that the price of the "tourist dollar" today is 173.25 ($105.50 official + 65% tax).

The purchase made in Chile with a credit card will appear in the following summary converted to Argentine pesos at the "tourist dollar" value at the time the card is closed.

In Chile, $812.65 local pesos is equivalent to $1 dollar. So the account that must be done is to divide the amounts in Chilean pesos by 812.65, that will convert the value of the products in dollars.

People who pay Income Tax will later be deducted from this contribution what they have paid as withholding 35% Perception RG4815. Those who are not covered by the Income Tax may request a refund of this 35% in AFIP.

What does the price comparison say?

Among the items most sought after by Argentines in Chile, historically is technology: televisions, cell phones, notebooks, among others; shoes and clothing from leading international brands.

In the comparison between what is available in Argentine stores and the Chilean offer on websites, it is still convenient to buy certain top-brand products in the trans-Andean country that are not easily available in Mendoza or that are sold at much more expensive prices. . Although for those who wish to "card" their purchases in several installments, national stores are still the best option, since you must bring cash to Chile or pay with a card in a single payment.

There is the option of refinancing purchases in Chile with credit cards, but the interest applied by Argentine banks is high and increases the final prices to be paid too much.

notebooks

In this type of device, compared to the same model, there are cases in which Argentine prices are more convenient and in others they are not. The two great advantages of buying in the country are that it can be financed in up to 12 installments and that, in the event of an inconvenience, the guarantee could be used more easily. The advantage of buying in the trans-Andean country is that, for the same money, you can get better devices.

Mid-range

Professionals

gamers

HP 16-A0061LA Intel Core i5 10300H 8GB of RAM 512GB SSD 32GB Optane, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 1920x1080px Windows 10 Home: In Argentina: $170 thousand. In Chile: $206,690 thousand ($970 thousand Chileans or $1,193 dollars).

SmartTV

As for Smart TVs, the models offered by Chilean online stores are more recent than those available in Argentina. But, respecting the inches and the same functions, the comparison showed that the prices are similar, although there are cases where the difference is abysmal, as it happens in the newer models and with larger inches. For example, a 65'' Smart TV in Argentina is available for more than $800,000 while in Chile it costs around $20,000 (Argentines).

Cell phones

In the prices of mobile devices it is still much more convenient to buy in Chile. If it is top-of-the-range equipment, the Argentine websites do not offer them in stock and, if there are, the vast majority cannot be paid in installments.

Although the mobile phone market is very broad, the values ​​depend on the memory and often also on the color, among the top-of-the-range equipment that is quite difficult to obtain in Argentina, in Chile they are sold in official stores at much higher prices. affordable.

Shoes

As for the shoes, if the official stores and the recently launched models are compared, the Chilean prices are considerably lower than the Argentine ones. In this area, Chile offers a wide range of shoes from previous seasons with significant discounts, which in some cases reach -50%, both in official stores and in other large multi-item stores.

In the neighboring country, you can also find top-brand sneakers, both sports and urban, and soccer boots from $6,000 Argentine pesos for adults and from $3,500 for children. In official stores, in large stores and in small sporting goods stores.

various products

Both Chilean department stores and hypermarkets offer other products that are tempting for Argentines who like to buy imported brand-name products that they can't get in the province, such as sunglasses, speakers, Stanley thermoses and suntan lotions.

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