Cost of Living in Medellín for a Couple

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View from my current apartment, looking east – Los Molinos mall is on the left
View from my current apartment, looking east – Los Molinos mall is on the left
View from my current apartment, looking east – Los Molinos mall is on the left
View from my current apartment, looking east – Los Molinos mall is on the left

The relatively low cost of living in Medellín is one of the reasons I started living in the city after I discovered it several years ago. The near-perfect weather and the quality of life, for the cost, are very challenging to beat anywhere in the world.

I am often asked how much money it costs to live in Medellín, so over the last year I tracked my expenses.

Dave previously shared his costs of living last year as a single guy living in a shared apartment in Medellín. This post provides another perspective with the actual costs of living I have experienced for a couple living in Medellín.

A Word About My Standard of Living

First I would like to share some insight into my standard of living, because more than anything, this is what will affect a person’s cost of living in Medellín.

I have a job in the US with location flexibility, which means I can do my job from anywhere in the world with a fast internet connection and telephone. I have now been living in Medellín for over three years.

I live with my Colombian girlfriend in Medellín in a three-bedroom apartment. This cost of living post details our costs for a couple living together in Medellín over the past 12 months.

While living in Colombia, I also am taking Spanish classes at Universidad EAFIT, which was covered in a recent post. I also typically travel eight to ten times each year for my job with my company paying all my travel expenses.

Our cost of living in Medellín, past 12-months
Our cost of living in Medellín, past 12-months

* The exchange rate fluctuates each day; my average exchange rate over the past year was 1,924 pesos to the US dollar, which is the exchange rate used in this post

Our Monthly Cost of Living

Groceries = 1,126,425 pesos ($585)

Groceries are our largest expense in Medellín as a couple living together. We cook at home frequently and normally shop at an Exito grocery store, which is conveniently located two blocks from our apartment in the Los Molinos mall.

We also sometimes shop at a Jumbo for a few things that can’t be found at Exito and also for the sales there. A Metroplús station is located only one block from our apartment so it is an easy and inexpensive ride to the Jumbo at Premium Plaza mall.

Occasionally we shop at Plaza Minorista for inexpensive fruits and vegetables. We also occasionally travel to El Poblado to shop at a Carulla, which can have a few imported items not found at Exito or Jumbo.

This category also includes our expenses for drugstore items.

Apartment rent = 1,090,000 pesos ($567)

Apartment rent is out second biggest monthly expense. I have been renting unfurnished apartments while living Medellín for over three years.

My experience in renting apartments in Medellín was recently documented in a four-part series: the first part is here, the second part is here, the third part is here and the fourth part is here.

We currently live in a three-bedroom apartment in the Los Alpes barrio in Belén, which is located two blocks from the Los Molinos mall. My current apartment specifications include:

  • 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, about 78 square meters (840 square feet)
  • Kitchen with oven and gas cooktop
  • Gas water heater (tankless)
  • 14th floor in a high-rise building, with two balconies
  • Pool and small gym in building
  • 24×7 security
  • Estrato 4 neighborhood (but across the street is Estrato 5)

The past year time frame includes 10 months living in my current apartment in Los Alpes plus two months living in my previous apartment located in Loma de Los Bernal in Belén.

Dining = 600,361 pesos ($312)

We eat out at nice restaurants in Medellín typically a few times each month. Several times each month when we are too tired to go out or cook, we also order takeout (domicilio) from nearby restaurants or fast food places.

Each month we also sometimes eat lunch at small restaurants near our apartment, which typically have inexpensive Colombian food. Set lunches (menú del día) in these small restaurants typically costs just $3 – $5 per person.

School = 477,842 pesos ($248)

This category covers my costs for six Spanish classes at University EAFIT plus books over the past year. In addition, my girlfriend just started taking English classes in June that cost 300,000 pesos per month.

Vacation in Guatapé
Vacation in Guatapé

Vacation travel = 426,487 ($222)

Over the past year, we traveled on vacation to Brazil (both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), Cartagena and Guatapé.

For our trip to Brazil, I was traveling on business to Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo for two weeks, which I turned into a combination business/vacation trip. My company covered my complete travel costs so the only expenses we incurred were for airline tickets for my girlfriend for this trip.

During the past year we also spent four days in Cartagena and three days in Guatapé on vacation.

Medical = 330,292 pesos ($172)

Our medical costs include medical insurance for my girlfriend and me, glasses and contacts I purchased during the year plus a few trips to the dentist over the year. I have medical insurance from IMG Global and my girlfriend has medical insurance from Sura.

My IMG Global medical insurance covers me while I am in Colombia and my company offers medical insurance good only in the US and also when I travel internationally for business.

Gifts = 255,400 pesos ($133)

This category is for gifts over the past year for Christmas, birthdays and a few other holidays like Valentine’s Day and Día del Amor y Amistad.

Ground transportation = 231,600 pesos ($120)

This includes costs for using the metro and taxis. We almost never use buses in Medellín.

We live two blocks from the Los Molinos mall with an Exito, Homecenter, Cine Colombia movie theater, food court and many shops. So we can walk to where we do much of our shopping.

We also live one block from a Metroplús station providing access to the inexpensive metro to get around the city. I use the metro to go to/from Universidad EAFIT when I am taking Spanish classes.

Clothing = 238,435 pesos ($119)

I rarely buy clothes as I brought quite a lot with me from the US when I moved to Colombia. Over the past year, I only bought some shoes and a couple of shirts in Colombia. This category over the past year has been more for clothes shopping for my girlfriend.

Computers and electronics = 224,608 pesos ($117)

In the past year, I purchased an Apple iMac computer in Medellín as well as a new Wi-Fi router plus I repaired my iPad crystal screen that had cracked.

Note that it is possible to buy computers in Colombia for cheaper than in the US. My understanding is that there is no taxes or duties charged on computers in Colombia. When I purchased an iMac in Medellín last year, the price I paid was about $65 less than the price listed on Apple’s website for the same model.

Entertainment = 117,407 pesos ($61)

This includes expenses for going to movie theaters, bars, discotecas and concerts. We typically incur entertainment expenses a couple of times each month.

Utilities (electric, gas and water) = 114,851 pesos ($60)

Utility services are provided by EPM, the local utility in Medellín. There is really no need for heating or cooling with the climate in Medellín, which results in relatively low utility bills. We also live in an estrato 4 neighborhood, which has lower utility rates than are found in estrato 5 or 6 neighborhoods.

Triple-play Internet/TV/phone services = 112,287 pesos ($58)

We have triple-play services provided by Claro with 10-MB Internet, several hundred TV channels including some in English and free local land-line telephone calls.

Similar to utilities, we pay a lower rate for triple-play services in an estrato 4 neighborhood than would be found in estrato 5 or 6 neighborhoods.

Miscellaneous = 104,936 pesos ($55)

The general category is miscellaneous stuff, which includes some small things purchased for the apartment, laundry expenses plus an Amazon Prime membership.

Several times each year I buy some things on Amazon that are much cheaper or difficult to find in Colombia. Many items purchased on Amazon will ship for free to Miami where I have a mailing service that forwards to Medellín for a relatively low cost.

Mail services = 103,896 ($54)

I use the Mail Boxes Etc. e-box service in Medellín. This e-box service provides a mailbox in Medellin linked to a mailing service in Miami. This is the solution I use to reliably receive US mail (letters and packages) in Medellín.

With this service, I get a mailing address in Miami and any mail received at this address in Miami is forwarded to Medellín. This service costs $14 per month and includes a one-kilogram package for free each month.

I also have a UPS mailbox in the US that I use as my primary mailing address. Every six weeks or so I typically send the mail received in my UPS mailbox in the US to my address in Miami that is forwarded and shows up in Medellin about two weeks later.

Our Pomeranian puppy
Our Pomeranian puppy

Pet = 101,650 pesos ($53)

In December last year, we bought a Pomeranian puppy so we have pet expenses of dog food and vet services plus the initial cost of our dog.

Cell phone services = 72,238 pesos ($38)

This is the cost cellular services from Claro for two cell phones. I have a pay-as-you-go cell phone that I recharge each month with 10,000 or 20,000 pesos. My girlfriend has a cellular plan with a bill that averages about 57,000 pesos per month.

Hair care = 47,000 pesos ($24)

It only costs me 7,000 pesos (less than $4) to get my haircut near my apartment so most of this category is for my girlfriend getting her hair done about every six weeks.

Visa and cedula = 23,197 pesos ($12)

This is the cost for a student visa and Colombian cedula, which I received in August last year. Note that my trip to Bogotá for the visa last year was also a business trip paid for by my company, so I incurred no travel expenses for my visa.

The Bottom Line

We have averaged around $3,000 per month over the past 12 months for our cost of living in Medellín for a couple. This is less than my living costs were in the US where I was living alone.

I expect our living costs in Medellín will drop a bit next year, as our apartment rent will be less plus I don’t expect to be buying another computer next year.

It is certainly possible to live in Medellín for cheaper than we do. Apartments are available in Medellín for much lower costs but these aren’t necessarily located as conveniently as my apartment nor have all the features.

The bottom line is that Medellín has a wide range of options for apartments available in a big range of prices (from less than $200 to well over $2,000 per month) that can meet the needs of a wide range of renters.

For a couple living on a shoestring budget, I believe this can easily be done in Medellín for less than $2,000 per month. Or for a couple living in a luxury level penthouse apartment in El Poblado, the most expensive neighborhood, this would likely result in a cost of living exceeding $5,000 per month.

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38 COMMENTS

    • Apartments are relatively inexpensive in Medellín compared to buying in the US. I could probably find a 3-bedroom apartment in Medellín similar to what I am currently renting with a great view for perhaps 180,000,000-200,000,000 pesos ($96,200-106,946) in an Estrato 4 or 5 neighborhood. Less expensive is also available — I am aware a 3-bedroom apartment in a building nearby, located on the fourth floor without much of a view, is currently for sale for 140,000,000 pesos ($74,845).

      However, I understand that mortgages are difficult for foreigners to get in Colombia and are at high interest rates compared to the US. So this means paying cash. Also keep in mind if you live with someone in Colombia for two years this is essentially the same as getting married — and Colombia is a community property country.

      I may be looking to buy in the future but for now I like the flexibility of renting, which is available at a fairly low cost in Medellín.

      • “Also keep in mind if you live with someone in Colombia for two years this is essentially the same as getting married” – Can you expand on this a bit please? It interests me because I have been living with my Colombian girlfriend for about a year, and I’m just starting to think about the possibility of buying a property. Is there a specific law? Thanks.

        • Hi Steve, in Colombia, a couple will be regarded as a “de facto union” after living together for two years. A union can be either registered (before a notary) or unregistered; both have the same status. According to my Colombian lawyer, “de facto unions” are legally equal to marriages in Colombia. My lawyer also has told me that Colombia is also a community property country, so any property acquired after marriage or “de facto union” is split upon “divorce”. I recommend talking to a lawyer before living with someone for two years in Colombia, especially if you are considering buying property.

    • Hi Mike, I bought the iMac at Falabella at the San Diego mall. I suspect the fluctuating exchange rate was why I was able to buy it for a bit cheaper than listed on Apple’s website at the time.

  1. Thanks Jeff for a superb article. Excellent writing and breakdown into $USD.
    I am presently living in Cuenca, EC. Have been retired for the past 3 years. I just spent 8 fantastic days in Medellin. I fell in love with your beautiful city. I was looking at Medellin as a Plan B, just in case Ecuador radically changes.

    I found Medellin to be very entrepreneurial and young. I like being around young people but wanted to know if there is a retired population in Medellin.

    Looking forward to my next trip to Colombia. Again, great article.

    • Hi Lenny,

      Thanks. Medellín has a small but growing expat retirement community with the city being ranking by several publications like BusinessWeek and Huffington Post as one of the best overseas retirement locations.

      I have met several retired Americans living in Medellín ranging from a few on fixed incomes living in inexpensive apartments with living costs much lower than me to those with significant retirement savings living very comfortably in El Poblado and spending much more than I do.

      I am fortunate to have a job in the US with location flexibility that enables me to live comfortably in Medellín. I really enjoy living in Medellín and I suspect this is where I will ultimately retire.

    • I retired almost two months ago. My Colombian wife and I are currently living in El Poblado, near Santa Fe mall. I haven’t met any retired ex-pats, but I have seen a few older gringos out and about. Ecuador was at the top of our list of places to retire. We took an 11-day scouting trip last year to Quito and Manta. I’ve known about Cuenca for several years. One of my impressions of Cuenca is that it’s overrun with gringos. Medellin is not overrun with gringos, but that may change over the next few years if Medellin becomes the #1 retirement destination, as predicted by Kathleen Peddicord.

      • I think Medellín has much more bandwith to handle the influx of foreigners versus Cuenca which is three to four times smaller in terms of population in the metro area. In Medellín, you can live a life without interacting with other foreigners if you choose.

  2. Definitely a lot of money for Colombian standards but definitely a very comfortable lifestyle. Although I don’t find this amount realistic for most expats in Colombia (unless they are making a steady income of hard currency) I do think it is a good amount to shoot for in order to get the most out of what Medellín has to offer. Thanks for taking the time Jeff.

    • Very good article and comments. I am planning on moving to Medellin soon and would like to live in the Poblado. Many people have suggested other areas but my Paisa girlfriend wants to live in Poblado. I am planning on a budget of around $3000 per month and am hoping that we can live comfortably on that amount. Is that realistic?

      • Hi Steve, you should be able to live comfortably with a budget of $3,000 in El Poblado as long as you don’t expect to live in a penthouse apartment or get carried away with lots of entertainment, dining and shopping in the area.

        In El Poblado apartments are generally more expensive but you should be able to find a smaller apartment than I rent for perhaps 1,200,000 pesos per month – I see some 2-bedroom apartments available on the EspacioUrbano website in some neighborhoods in El Poblado for 1,200,000 to 1,300,000 pesos per month.

        Your utilities and triple-play Internet/tv/phone services will be somewhat higher in an Estrato 6 neighborhood (74% of El Poblado is Estrato 6). Plus grocery prices will be higher in the grocery stores in El Poblado and probably ground transportation will be higher (I used more taxis than I do now when I lived in El Poblado for a month). But you could cut some other areas like travel, gifts, school, pet and computers/electronics that I incurred over the past year.

  3. It’s look like it’s really cost a lot of money to live today at medellin,when you pay all most 630 $ for reant.its more then Europe.really strange for me.are their is a luck of place to live in the city ?

    • For the next year I prepaid for a year of rent for my three-bedroom apartment in Medellín for $526 per month as I exchanged sufficient funds in late February when the exchange rate was 2,054 Colombian pesos to the USD.

      I challenge you to find a big city in Europe where a three-bedroom apartment in a good neighborhood rents for that price. I have coworkers in the UK and the US that are jealous when I tell them what I pay for rent in Medellín.

      I am not aware of rent that low for a three-bedroom apartment in the big cities in the US where I am from. I recently saw a report that the city with the lowest rents in the US is Indianapolis where a three-bedroom apartment rents at the low end for $700 per month. In Dallas, where I am from, it would be a challenge to find a nice one-bedroom apartment in a good neighborhood that rents for $700 per month.

      I chose to live in Medellín in a three-bedroom apartment as I live with my Colombian girlfriend and I have an office set up in one bedroom where I work and we frequently have guests, which is the reason for three bedrooms.

      Certainly I could pay less for a smaller apartment in another neighborhood if I wanted to. But I chose to live in a nice apartment where I feel safe and comfortable and have sufficient space for our lifestyle.

      There are many other apartment options available in Medellín that are smaller and not so well-located that would be much cheaper. You can find apartments that rent for less than $200 per month in Medellín but not in areas I would want to live.

      For example, my girlfriend’s aunt and uncle live in an apartment in an Estrato 3 neighborhood and they pay only 400,000 pesos rent monthly for a three-bedroom apartment. But this is located an area I wouldn’t feel comfortable living and they don’t have building security like I do.

      The purpose of this post wasn’t to demonstrate the cheapest way to live in Medellín. The intention was to share the experience of a couple living in Medellín comfortably. There is no perfect answer to what is the cost of living in Medellín as this really depends on a person’s income, standard of living and priorities.

      • Jeff, it’s inevitable on any travel blog to receive the “You paid HOW much for…?” question.

        I think it’s better to have higher expectations of how much a city costs and then adjust to one’s lifestyle accordingly.

        My wife and I lived exponentially cheaper than you do but we also lived in a one bedroom in estrato 2; we would have enjoyed the upgrade 😀

  4. I just returned from a week in Medellin. My son is in school there and it was a great experience. Clean, friendly and efficient. I read your blog before the trip and it turned out to be very useful Thanks

  5. Hello Jeff! Excellent article. Is there a reason why you would not just use your Mailboxes service instead of having it in addition to the UPS mailbox? Why would your Mailboxes address not be your primary mailing address in the U.S.?

    • Hi Filipe, thanks. The Mail Boxes Etc. mail forwarding service is not very flexible – my experience is the mail forwarding service it uses in Miami forwards mail to Medellín as it receives mail so it would get somewhat expensive. This works fine for packages, but not as well for individual letters.

      With UPS I can have letters queue up in the mailbox so I only need to forward mail in a package once every six weeks or so. Plus I can call UPS and ask what mail I have received and tell them what I want to forward plus have them trash any junk mail. Plus I want a mailing address in Texas.

  6. Hi Dave and Jeff! Your blogs were awesome! I plan to visit Medellin in a year perhaps relocated in two years. I have a few lose ends to tie (college followed by certification in Information Security Specialists, getting out of debt, building up my Spanish speaking skills (grew up with Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in NYC), brushing up on my Mergengue dance skills (scheduling to take Salsa lessons In October 2014). I am a disable veteran that has a monthly compensation of $3000 (hopefully I will acquire my full compensation estimated about $5500 monthly). Is it difficult for an asthmatic to live in Medellin? In Florida and North Carolina near the ocean I can walk great distances but in Atlanta I can bearly walk to the mailbox. Also would it be feasible to use http://www.latin-wife.com services to at least adhere to the process of finding a wife. I am a good looking guy but humble and I don’t have problems attracting women. Its just the matrix in American isn’t working with over 60% of all marriages ending in divorce where as marrying a foreign wife the success rate is striking higher and documented 60+ marriages being successful. Secondly will I be able to use my computer skills in Medellin? What will it take to acquire a visa being that its not require for me to work to sustain myself if I cannot find work in my field. Also Marcello Arrambide of the wandering traveler has a day trader training academy in Medellin (Tampa as well) that seem an intriguing method to make money. I apologize for the long reply, I just feel alive again concerning your city. By the way I am not disillusioned about living outside the country. I did it as a U.S. Marine living in the worst terrain with no food for 3 days. Its very humbling experience which leaves me appreciate the little things in life. Thank you Al B.

    • Hi Al,

      I don’t know what your experience would be like as an asthmatic here. The air quality and pollution is the worst in downtown Medellin due to all the buses and congestion, plus it being at the bottom of the valley.

      The higher up you go on the mountainsides, the better the air. Poblado is a good bet, especially as you get higher up to the areas around Las Palmas highway (that leads to the airport).

      I’m not familiar with the website you mentioned, but I can vouch for Colombian Cupid, which I reviewed here.

      I can’t answer whether your computer skills would be of use in Medellin, it’d depend on the specifics. I’m not familiar with the local job market, and which skills are in demand. One thing I do know is that it’s not ideal to be paid in the local currency (pesos) as it won’t take you nearly as far as earning in US dollars. For that reason, many who move here have ways they earn money from abroad.

      There are over a dozen visa options, including student visas which can allow for a year at a time (you need to pay for classes at an accredited university).

      See all the options here (it’s in English) – http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/en/procedures_services/visas/types

      Marcello Arrambide is a friend of mine. He’s a professional day trader, and you’re speaking of his Day Trading Academy. He told me most traders lose money in their first year.

      It’s a high risk (and I gather high stress) line of work. I’ve talked to many who’ve done it, and realized it’s not something you get into lightly. You have to really commit to learning, and be willing to lose money in the beginning.

      • Hi Dave thanks for the update. Just to reintegrate I am making $3000 USD monthly from social security and Veterans Administration with the hopes of doubling that with full VA disability. Funny I lived in NYC after returning from serving in the USMC and feel better there then in Atlanta with it overpopulation of pine trees and hours, away from ocean water. In Florida & Eastern Coastal NC I can walk up to 8 miles, do yoga, & Tao Chi. Crazy… Thank you for your time!!

        • For the best air quality, you could live outside of the city and valley entirely. There’s a lot of beautiful countryside and many great pueblos within 30-60 minutes of Medellín.

        • Hi Al, I agree with Dave that the higher up the mountainsides, the better the air. Besides El Poblado you should also look at Loma de Los Bernal in Belén. I lived there for a year in a high-rise up a hill and the air quality was good – it’s also a safe area that is cheaper than El Poblado.

          Regarding Latin-wife website, I am familiar with the site – it’s an agency based in Barranquilla. I have met the owner of this agency, he’s an expat living in Barranquilla. But Barranquilla is not the best place to go in Colombia IMHO – very hot and not much to do. I believe you would have better luck in Medellín learning some Spanish and using Colombian Cupid as Dave recommended.

          With an income of $3,000 per month you should be able to live well in Medellín. That has been about my average spending over the past year living with my Colombian girlfriend.

          • Thanks for the update Jeff and Dave. I will try the http://www.latin-wife.com once I make my goals. I don’t want to live in Barranquilla just do my courting there.. I will travel to Medellin next summer. Hope I can meet you both if time will allow. As far as Spanish I not bad but I want to be fluent. This is why I will take the appropriate steps to do do. Also Medellín with it very low English speaking region is great because I will be forced to ascertain the beautiful language of Spanish. I will test the waters in both the city and your suggested area. It’s just after living in the suburbs, of Atlanta; after living most my life in NYC, I miss the heartbeat of the city. City dwellers, are, do interesting ang quick on their feet. I have a heart for rural areas but I know what habitat I thrive that is the city. Thank you for your most valuable time. Al

  7. So I’m also considering moving to Colombia. The women are gorgeous, they are unique and intriguing to me, and I’m also to them. I have never seen so many beautiful girls in my city as I see daily in the Medellin. Every minute there one girl passing by more gorgeous than another. With that said, I really see the only major difference in cost of living being the apartment.
    You seem to pay a lot for groceries, and I maybe I do spend something similar in US, I do live alone, but I don’t think I spend anywhere close to 200-300, perhaps I don’t count it up. Everything else seems very much in line with US prices which seems a bit odd, since I read how average colombian makes about 2-10 bucks a day. How can they afford all the things you’ve mentioned.
    I do understand that its the cost of living for you and your girl, but is she paying any of it? Is it shared? What actual out of pocket cost is there for you each month?

    • Hi Eugene,

      Yes groceries is our biggest expense but it could be less. I buy a number of imported items that I am used to buying in the U.S. that are more expensive here. Rent is lower here with my three bedroom apartment now costing only $487 per month with the strong dollar. Many line items in our budget are cheaper here than in the U.S. besides rent including ground transportation (you don’t need a car), utilities (low because you don’t need heating or cooling with the great weather), triple-play Internet/phone/TV (lower than $60 per month which is cheaper than the U.S.) plus medical costs are much cheaper. Medical insurance can be cheap here if you use Colombian medical insurance (I don’t yet).

      I live a comfortable life like I was in the U.S. that is definitely cheaper for me here. I have a job in the US with location flexibility, which means I can do my job from anywhere in the world with a fast internet connection and telephone. But I could chose to spend less than I currently do, if I wanted to or needed to.

      Colombia’s minimum wage works out to about $10 per day. Colombians with lower incomes typically live in lower estrato neighborhoods, 80% of Medellín is estrato 1, 2 or 3. My girlfriend’s aunt and uncle live in a 3-bedroom apartment in an estrato 3 neighborhood that only costs $180 per month plus their utilities are less. Lower estratos would cost even less. Colombian families also typically have several working in a household with incomes.

      I would say the standard of living, more than anything, is what will affect a person’s cost of living in Medellín. The majority of Colombians can’t really afford the standard of living lifestyle we are living as a couple. My girlfriend works but with a pretty low income so the majority of this budget comes from my salary (about 90%).

      • Hello Jeff
        Is there a reason that you don’t use the local health insurance (SURA)?
        Do you find it to be inadequate or do you just prefer IMG?

        • Hi Marc,

          When I first started living in Medellín part-time (6 months a year) I didn’t have a cedula (Colombian ID), which I understand is required to sign up for local health insurance like Sura. I now have a cedula and live here full-time but I haven’t gotten around to looking into the local health insurance but I plan to this year. I have heard that Sura is the best. I also have heard the insurance rate you pay is based on income. If so, that may make it expensive with my US-based job.

          I haven’t had to use medical insurance since I have lived here. I dropped my dental insurance in the US as the dentists here in Medellín are cheap.

  8. Jeff:

    My wife and I will retire with a pension in about two years. We have visited Cuenca numerous times, but imagined Colombia as a viable retirement location. We have interest in Cuenca due to the spanish language schools. I see that you are taking spanish at a university. What are the prerequisites to enroll in the universty for spanish language?

    • Hi Reed, there aren’t really any prerequisites for the Spanish language program at University EAFIT. They offer a free placement test when you enroll to place you in a level if already know some Spanish. Otherwise you start in level 1.

  9. Very cool article! I visit your site very often and I always feel brainer afterwards.
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  10. Wow $3000? This seems really expensive for average. I live right in Downtown Dallas with my wife and daughter (2 yo) and a cat, on the 14th floor. 1100 sq ft w Pool/Hot Tub on the 8th floor. At the most I might spend $3000 a month 6 times a year, but mostly around $2500 tops. That’s for groceries, rent, utilities, car insurance, gas, phone/internet, dining out, and few other things. I would like to possibly move to medellin, or buy and run an airbnb there but I don’t expect near these high monthly prices unless I have a really great Cook/Nanny/Housekeeper. Maybe you just listed too many one off things. Luckily I’m a vet so family is all covered for medical stuff.