3k ouch, I lived there last year on my $1250 a month income and felt I lived like a king no problem. I stayed in a nice studio Airbnb that was just over $600 a month but cut long term deal with the owner taking it down to $500. It had a 60" TV, hot water, washer nice little kitchen etc. everything I needed he even got me a computer chair after we cut the deal. I had a Smarfit membership, fixed breakfast at home but ate out for my other meals. I found a number of restaurants where I could eat a nice meal for under or around $5, $10 bucks could by be a File Mignon splurge. I lived in Bombona about 5 blocks from the Smartfit and 7 from the Exito San Antonio and walked it for exercise. I drank at home or had a beer with some expats I met at a local cafe with a nice patio area where beers were only about .60 cents depending on what you want and pastries or fried chicken were just as cheap if you wanted to eat. And I have been cutting my own hair since 2002. You two pampered little bit*hes are way to high maintenance lol.. I will be eligible for SS in about 10 months which puts me at about the 3k a month income level but I plan on saving at least about 1200 or so of that a month. Heading back to Medellin next month after touring Southeast Asia, can't wait to be back.
my rent in Villavicencio is about 300 dollars a month and its a house with garage, 2 stories and 5 bedroom. Its in a estrato 3 neighborhood. Rent price and utilities really varies depending where you live.
First off - unless I wasn't paying enough attention, I didn't hear any mention of health insurance in the clip. Fortunately, for most of us with visas this is relatively cheap here, but it should be figured in. I also wanted to offer the contrasting experience of being a non-working retired expat living solely on a close to $2,000 per month Social Security budget. I won't itemize each expense, but they can be summarized as rent (1-bedroom furnished in Estrato 5 Estadio with all utilities included), health insurance (EPS Sura basic coverage), 2 postpago cellular accounts (for my primary and 'burner´ phones), twice a month maid service, food (I mostly buy groceries and cook for myself), and pet supplies for my two cats. I also have a gym membership at Body Tech, for which I paid about $172 for the year up front. Transportation is minimal, as 95% of the time I either bike or use the metro to get around the city. When all is said and done, that leaves about 40-50% of my check for purely discretionary spending. So it is indeed possible to live a very good life here for on a lower budget of about $2000/month, or even less with some discipline and belt-tightening on the discretionaries...
Es cierto, con $2000 dólares un colombiano vive como un estrato 5 o 6 y le sobraría dinero porque tenemos más conocimiento de donde gastar el dinero😅, de hecho a partir de ese monto son los ingresos altos del pais. Pero también entiendo la comparación del video: que un extranjero puede tener un nivel de vida alto gastando menos. Sin embargo es discrecional de cada individuo el gastar menos o incluso más.
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Costa Rica is the 2nd or 3rd MOST EXPENSIVE country to live in all ALL OF Latin America. What was ONCE upon a time the paradise to live has been destroyed by foreigner $$$ influx to the point where they also left and almost no one goes there to retire anymore nor have the time you will have in Colombia or Dominican Republic.
any breadfruit on mainland? i lived on sai for about 8 months[not in hotels/with local friends] & fell in love with coconut wtr and breadfruit, coconut wtr is 6000cop here in canada! [$1.99 canadian]
I moved to Bangkok in January, I have a similar budget on a new 2 bedroom high rise so I think it’s comparable to medellin. Love everything here but I’m so far from home (USA), so thinking on giving medellin a try next year. They have furnished apartments as well yea?
Great job with the video guys. Your delivery is excellent and your prices are spot on what it would cost most men (foreigners) to live a comfortable life in Medellin in the Poblado area. I hear other TH-camrs claiming you can live like a “King” for $1,000 USD a month. No you can’t, not even close unless you want to live like a hermit in a strata 3 or 4 neighborhood. Nothing wrong with that but that is not what most people move to Colombia for. Your video is realistic and the only thing you may have forgotten or I missed it was healthcare. I pay about $125 per month USD for my Sura policy in Colombia. I know this is one of the more expensive plans but the coverage is excellent. I don’t mind spending a little more money on healthcare. Healthcare is also a requirement in Colombia for foreigners if they have a Colombian visa or they are going to apply.
Great point - I laugh when people make videos about "living like a KING on $1K" - then it turns out they're living in some pueblo in the mountains where the next person is 100 miles away lol or when they make videos in Medellin and they're living in a no window dungeon in the hood.
Todo depende de la oferta y demanda de la ciudad o del sector donde se viva. Por ejemplo :En Cali se muda mucha gente colombiana de Bogota y Medellín de estratos altos, porque puede experimentar un nivel de vida alto a un precio un poco más bajo. Incluso la salud en Cali es de alto nivel. En Barranquilla pasa algo muy similar.
I have a 5k a month passive income and never spend over 2k a month in Medellin. I don’t like el pabloto because it’s to touristy. I go out to eat 2x a day and date many different girls a month and its almost impossible to spend 3k a month
Healthcare he forgot - that's $100 a month for the top tier premium coverage or $25 a month for standard. Clothes are in the miscellaneous section cos it's not a monthly expense and I think he's too young to need medications lol
You can probably just ask your AirBnb host, but I doubt most of them will have a dedicated line. To actually install you'd have to speak to one of the major providers in Colombia.
@@AKJoel thanks for the reply. So would you say the WiFi speed are good for digital nomads ? Let’s say if I were staying a few months would it make sense or doable for me to contact the owner of the Airbnb to get a dedicated line ?
In all the AirBnb's I stayed in the WiFi was pretty good and I'm constantly uploading videos to TH-cam. That being said, before you book a place you should ask your host to do a speedtest and report back the upload and download speeds to make sure it's sufficient for what you want to do.
That's a great idea but not really my target audience - there's a few other TH-camrs who do videos around "living in Colombia on $500" etc. that you might find useful :)
Hi . Am first time here...i like the country..where can i find Coworking spot in Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin..your assistant will be highly appreciated. Anwa
$850 US per month for rent in an UNFURNISHED and no utilities included ... Friends, I watch these videos and try to find a motive to go back to Colombia, one more try, especially Medellin. That price tag right there is a deal breaker for now. Medellin, no lie, 100% truth, is very very nice, perhaps the best place in Colombia. It has beautiful women (and so does Cartagena ). But Brazil's cost of living is soooo much cheaper in upper mid to high "estrato" neighborhoods and it makes it difficult to go back to Colombia. $250 - $350 cheaper here with EVERYTHING INCLUDED (furnished and utilities). If you folks find or know of any cheaper accommodations in mid or upper mid "estrato" let viewers like me know. That would be cool. You guys are doing good work and provide good information. I would love to find some good reasons to go back to Colombia.
@@AKJoel Greetings, AK. Yes, so Brazil , like all or most countries, has areas where the prices are higher , or around middle ground and low. In addition to all of that, "estratas" are in Brazil as well but by a different terms or nomenclature. Brazil more rich areas, more middle areas, and more poor areas than Colombia as most of us know given the sheer colossal size and a superior population that's second only to the USA in America. Brasilia Minas Gerais. (Belo Horizonte, Uberlandia) Nordeste (North Area around Fortaleza) Bahia Goiaís Southern Region These are among some of the places there it is big enough but not anything like São Paulo in terms of size. They are also much cheaper than most areas of São Paulo, and just about anywhere in the tourist area of Rio de Janeiro. Brazil is cheaper than Colombia if we compare similar areas But Brazil also has very rich areas. After the USA, of course, it is by far the richest country in all America. It's got a bit of everything as far as cost of living.
@@AKJoel I did not mention it before but another great city to go to in Brazil is Florianópolis City in Santa Catarina. It has everything you can want. Gorgeous city, well developed, and sufficient neighborhoods in the middle to upper tiers. ________ You also have Region do Sul (na area Sul ) Nordeste (Like Fortaleza and Recife ) Jardims ( São Paulo ) Aguas Claras ( Brasilia ) and there at least another 4-8 more places I could mention but adding what I said before with this here, your options are plenty already. You are welcome
Those aren't monthly expenses so they fall into miscellaneous category - with the exception of insurance. We actually forgot that one but standard insurance is about $20 a month and top tier is $100 a month.
May I ask if you encounter any issues being a vegan over there? More when you go out rather than eat at home. I've been vegan since 2017, and in some countries, it's near impossible to eat out.
It's not as dangerous as the media tells you. If you just know what to look out for and don't make yourself an easy target, then you'll be fine 👍🏾 Will have a video on this soon.
I am surprised that you need to use air conditioning in Medellin, given that the climate there is very similar to central Costa Rica. I have lived in central Costa Rica for nearly 11 1/2 years out of the last 15+ years. And I have never once used air conditioning or gas.
I lived in Costa Rica for a long time as well, years. You need an Air Conditioner , no question, if you live in San Jose area, unless you close to the high mountain part and lots of trees surrounding you. If you live in Cartago, that is a totally different story, but that is NOT San Jose, and that is not central Costa Rica.
@@AKJoel After watching this video, believe me, I'm considering it. I'm currently researching remote jobs. If I was a full time investor I wouldn't think twice about it.
Thank you so much for this info, I'm vacationing in El Poblado for 3 months starting in Dec, to checkout if I want to move. This info is so helpful, It would be nice to meet up with you , Dinner is on me "Carmen"
Great video is it possible to buy other kind of food other than Colombian food? I live in Texas and i love Mexican , bbq, and Cajun food. So wondering if they have that also and if it’s good. Thanks!
@@AKJoel hell yeah that’s awesome. Good idea on creating a course for people wanting to move to Colombia. I’ll definitely checkout the course when it comes out.
You could get the same quality of life for maybe two-thirds of the cost in Southeast Asia - Thailand and the Philippines. And you would be in a much safer environment where you don't have to constantly be on your guard, as it seems you have to be in Medellin.
I've been to Thailand and the Philippines- from what I've seen none of those cities offer what Medellin does. I also had 3 Filipino girls in a video of mine (check it out) and they confirmed that the Philippines is in fact more expensive than Medellin.
I'm in Medellin now. I think it's a stretch to call this the city of eternal spring as it is quite hot. Maybe city of eternal early summer at best. That being said, the infrastructure is worse in Thailand and the Philippines and it is much much hotter so you get what you pay for.
I'm not constantly on my guard. Furthermore, I prefer Latina booties over Asians flapjacks. haha. No. but really, Souteast Asia looks amazing. I'll be doing an Asia trip in a couple of years.
Most of the nightmare scenarios I've hard are from foreigners doing stupid things or lacking education on how to act in Colombia - overall it's pretty safe however, sometimes it can just be wrong place wrong time.
I'm in Medellin now. I think it's a stretch to call this "the city of eternal spring" as it is quite hot. Maybe city of eternal early summer at best. That being said, the infrastructure is worse in Thailand and the Philippines and it is much much hotter so you get what you pay for. I used your technique of wearing jeans yesterday to not stand out, was hot af from 1 to 6 pm 😂
I completely disagree. The infrastructure in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc. (let's not even get started about Singapore) is clearly better than Colombia's. However Colombia is definitely cheaper. Don't know in which aspect SEA would be cheaper, everything in Medellin or other cities is clearly below the prices of comparable places there.
You are both young and fit. But for those of us who are slightly older, could you outline health insurance and health care expenses? Perhaps in a future video.
Any recommendations for a good immobilario? I was paying 7.8M pesos for a 2bdr furnished near provenza (edificio El Vergel) and it was one of the best I could find for pricing/location.
If you have pets, please make a video of dog parks available, veterinarians, dog daycare, dog walkers, etc.. it’s the only thing holding me back from moving to another country. Thanks in advance.
Sorry mate it's not really a widely in demand topic so not worth doing a video on, but I have some friends who are dog owners that I could gather this information from. Book a consult here and I'd be happy to assist you. www.akjoel.com/consultations
Don't sweat it. I took care of an entire dog family in Laureles. Plenty of walkers with dogs around, a vet on every corner in my area and one really good one that saved a few lives potentially, several dog spas available as well, who also did day care and boarding. Laureles area for me highly recommended due to topology and availability of options. IMO very decent place, leafy streets with green patches and small parks scattered around.
and DUUUDE, bringing it up, I don't eat meat either! I would love to pick your brain about food. I'm in my mid-40's so this realy hits home for me. La mujer con que hablo dice que le gusta guisar un chicharron o algo y yo no como eso jaja.@@andrewinspires
Interesting information, but "talking heads" gets boring after a few minutes, we need VISUALS, see your $600 apartment, etc. Intersperse your talking with photos or video shots to keep us watching....
@@AKJoel Thanks bro! Would love to see you collab with "Where Wes" one day he reminds me of you, real raw unbiased content with similar quality and good personality
This obviously only pertains to those who can work remote. I am planning a 6 week trip to Colombia in December. I plan to stay in Cartagena, Cali, Medillen 2 weeks each .
Yep, December in Colombia is awesome. I'm sure you'll have a blast. Cartagena is very cool, and taking boat rides to the small islands is great. Cali is great. I've always said that if I didn't live in Medellin, I'd live in Cali.
@CalebHammer would have a shît fit to see you spend almost everything without putting anything towards investing or retirement at a age of 40 especially how cheap your living expenses are. Would have been nice to hear if you were investing or doing more with your money other than blowing it on entertainment.
I'm a 20 year whole food vegan. It can def be a issue when I travel. I'm moving to Medellin in September, and I'm hoping I can find my staple ingredients without too much struggle. I cook all my meals and buy a lot of fruits and veggies and and starches like beans, potatoes, and lentils. I also like to hit smoothie bars that use whole plant ingredients without processed junk. A run down on vegan grocery items, outdoor markets, cafe's, and restaurants would be awesome!
@@andrewinspires thank you sir! I work a remote tech job making great money. This was an incredibly informative video for me. Can’t thank you enough gents.
😅 everything, you work from home so literally you can work from wherever you want, there are many places in Medellin or around Colombia where the landscape, facilities etc are super nice to live and better prices, besides places that offer you another services like gym, you're paying a expensive one, even if you want to pay, there are still some gyms not from a chain but still good, new and a lot cheaper. Internet connection, that's a lot what you pay, there are services with good speed and enough for what you need a lot cheaper. Food!! You may save a lot of money here in food, cooking for example, for three days in advance so that you don't spend time everyday and more importantly you cook healthy without certain chemicals and additives used in restaurants, but you spend 2-3 times more buying food outside besides that vegan dishes are usually very expensive because is kind of "fancy" , mainly expats are vegans, so the prices. Most of us enjoy delicious Colombian dishes that of course aren't vegan. Alcohol, well I don't spend money in something that literally affects my body and besides that , taste horrible 😅, not needed, hence not expenses. Miscellaneous, I'm not a consumerist, so I don't buy things every single month like clothes, shoes, beauty products, I'm not the one who buy things to accumulate or to throw away in a couple of months or even a couple of years, but things that last a lot so not to contaminate soon. There are many ways to save money and still living happy and comfy
I think you just have different requirements from your life and that's completely fine! The target audience for this video are expats who already make good money in the US but wans to improve their quality of life by spending less and freeing up their time. We catered this towards people who don't want to cook everyday to save money, they'd rather just spend to free up their time. That being said, it's quite possible to live much cheaper and all your tips above are quite useful for people who are looking to live that way, so thanks!
@@AKJoel yes , of course, that's why I said I would save a lot more with that money, but I didn't say doing the same, that's the difference. Any way, my budget per month is higher than 3thousands dollars, and still spend less than this, so you may imagine. And even though the audience is different (expats) it doesn't mean that a expat may not be interested in living still good but saving a lot more by doing some different things. Not everyone who comes here even expats, buy every single meal or spend in same things, so the target audience may be whoever who is just in Colombia/watch this. The video is just one in a million experience. And my opinion/experience the same.
Finding a Colombian Fiador can be very, very hard. I would like to know if anyone knows a better way. Maybe Medellin is better suited, because they get more expats. But any other city it gets complicated and I can't find much help... unless you can just pay the first full 6 months all at once.
We offered to pay an entire year in advance - the whole duration of a years contract and the inmobilaria wouldn’t accept it - so that didn’t work for me
@@AKJoel Ya its probably more than what I need to live here but it doesn't hurt. I'm actually here now and thanks to you I'm saving money at the atm I use to accept the conversion rate all the time over the last 10 years. don't even want to calculate how much money I wasted over the years for no reason.
You are paying way too much for that property. I suggest you meet actual colombians to get a much much better deal. I am living in a high rise, brand new building, with an indoor parking garage, dorrman, security, utilities all included in a great non-touristy barrio and am a paying 300 per month. I've got incredible views of the entire city and best of all there are no tourists walking arond being loud and obnoxios. The barrio is one of the safest and has less crime than el poblado which is where all my criminal friends go to rob tourists.
I don't think your comparison makes any sense mate. Andrew pays $600 a month and lives in the most happening area of the city. You live in an extremely local (most likely lower estrato) area and pay $300. It's like saying you're paying too much to live in the Hollywood Hills, you need to get a place in Compton 😅😅😅
When I got here in 2010 I was broke, and had to live barrios. I'm not looking to go back, lol. That being said, apart, from Manila my favorite was el centro, lived there for a bout a year and a half.
3k ouch, I lived there last year on my $1250 a month income and felt I lived like a king no problem. I stayed in a nice studio Airbnb that was just over $600 a month but cut long term deal with the owner taking it down to $500. It had a 60" TV, hot water, washer nice little kitchen etc. everything I needed he even got me a computer chair after we cut the deal. I had a Smarfit membership, fixed breakfast at home but ate out for my other meals. I found a number of restaurants where I could eat a nice meal for under or around $5, $10 bucks could by be a File Mignon splurge. I lived in Bombona about 5 blocks from the Smartfit and 7 from the Exito San Antonio and walked it for exercise. I drank at home or had a beer with some expats I met at a local cafe with a nice patio area where beers were only about .60 cents depending on what you want and pastries or fried chicken were just as cheap if you wanted to eat. And I have been cutting my own hair since 2002. You two pampered little bit*hes are way to high maintenance lol.. I will be eligible for SS in about 10 months which puts me at about the 3k a month income level but I plan on saving at least about 1200 or so of that a month. Heading back to Medellin next month after touring Southeast Asia, can't wait to be back.
The difference is that Andrew lives in Poblado - there's no chance you're living there comfortably for $1250 a month lol
my rent in Villavicencio is about 300 dollars a month and its a house with garage, 2 stories and 5 bedroom. Its in a estrato 3 neighborhood. Rent price and utilities really varies depending where you live.
Yeah there's cheaper places to live for sure, all depends what you want. For us though, Medellin is by far the best city in Colombia.
How was the earthquake
?
First off - unless I wasn't paying enough attention, I didn't hear any mention of health insurance in the clip. Fortunately, for most of us with visas this is relatively cheap here, but it should be figured in. I also wanted to offer the contrasting experience of being a non-working retired expat living solely on a close to $2,000 per month Social Security budget. I won't itemize each expense, but they can be summarized as rent (1-bedroom furnished in Estrato 5 Estadio with all utilities included), health insurance (EPS Sura basic coverage), 2 postpago cellular accounts (for my primary and 'burner´ phones), twice a month maid service, food (I mostly buy groceries and cook for myself), and pet supplies for my two cats. I also have a gym membership at Body Tech, for which I paid about $172 for the year up front. Transportation is minimal, as 95% of the time I either bike or use the metro to get around the city.
When all is said and done, that leaves about 40-50% of my check for purely discretionary spending. So it is indeed possible to live a very good life here for on a lower budget of about $2000/month, or even less with some discipline and belt-tightening on the discretionaries...
Absolutely it can be done, thanks for sharing your experience!!
Es cierto, con $2000 dólares un colombiano vive como un estrato 5 o 6 y le sobraría dinero porque tenemos más conocimiento de donde gastar el dinero😅, de hecho a partir de ese monto son los ingresos altos del pais. Pero también entiendo la comparación del video: que un extranjero puede tener un nivel de vida alto gastando menos. Sin embargo es discrecional de cada individuo el gastar menos o incluso más.
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He only pays $22/month for gym membership where as I pay $46/month for my gym membership in San Pedro, Costa Rica. And it is a small gym.
Wow $45 a month in Costa Rica is an absolute rip off - no wonder they call it the Switzerland of Central America lol
Costa Rica is the 2nd or 3rd MOST EXPENSIVE country to live in all ALL OF Latin America. What was ONCE upon a time the paradise to live has been destroyed by foreigner $$$ influx to the point where they also left and almost no one goes there to retire anymore nor have the time you will have in Colombia or Dominican Republic.
I'd like to know what restaurants you order from on rappi for that price? Thanks!
You can find options for as low as $5 even
any breadfruit on mainland? i lived on sai for about 8 months[not in hotels/with local friends] & fell in love with coconut wtr and breadfruit, coconut wtr is 6000cop here in canada! [$1.99 canadian]
I moved to Bangkok in January, I have a similar budget on a new 2 bedroom high rise so I think it’s comparable to medellin. Love everything here but I’m so far from home (USA), so thinking on giving medellin a try next year. They have furnished apartments as well yea?
Yeah plenty of furnished apartments around, we just filmed a video on that last night and should have it up in a couple of weeks.
Great job with the video guys. Your delivery is excellent and your prices are spot on what it would cost most men (foreigners) to live a comfortable life in Medellin in the Poblado area. I hear other TH-camrs claiming you can live like a “King” for $1,000 USD a month. No you can’t, not even close unless you want to live like a hermit in a strata 3 or 4 neighborhood. Nothing wrong with that but that is not what most people move to Colombia for. Your video is realistic and the only thing you may have forgotten or I missed it was healthcare. I pay about $125 per month USD for my Sura policy in Colombia. I know this is one of the more expensive plans but the coverage is excellent. I don’t mind spending a little more money on healthcare. Healthcare is also a requirement in Colombia for foreigners if they have a Colombian visa or they are going to apply.
Nice Greg. Yeah, my SURA Plan Global Familiar is about $1,300 for the year, I forgot to add that in the video. Cheer!
Great point - I laugh when people make videos about "living like a KING on $1K" - then it turns out they're living in some pueblo in the mountains where the next person is 100 miles away lol or when they make videos in Medellin and they're living in a no window dungeon in the hood.
Todo depende de la oferta y demanda de la ciudad o del sector donde se viva. Por ejemplo :En Cali se muda mucha gente colombiana de Bogota y Medellín de estratos altos, porque puede experimentar un nivel de vida alto a un precio un poco más bajo. Incluso la salud en Cali es de alto nivel. En Barranquilla pasa algo muy similar.
I have a 5k a month passive income and never spend over 2k a month in Medellin. I don’t like el pabloto because it’s to touristy. I go out to eat 2x a day and date many different girls a month and its almost impossible to spend 3k a month
Yeah you can live an amazing life in Medellin for $2k a month!
@@AKJoel🤩
Another top video boys! keep the 🔥🔥coming 🤙🤙
Cheers Chris, glad you're enjoying em!
What about your expenses for clothes, healthcare services, and medications? He didn't mention anything for any of those things.
Healthcare he forgot - that's $100 a month for the top tier premium coverage or $25 a month for standard. Clothes are in the miscellaneous section cos it's not a monthly expense and I think he's too young to need medications lol
Very informative video! Peace!
Thanks mate glad you enjoyed it!
How does one get a dedicated fiber optic line and how to know if my airbnb has one ?
You can probably just ask your AirBnb host, but I doubt most of them will have a dedicated line. To actually install you'd have to speak to one of the major providers in Colombia.
@@AKJoel thanks for the reply. So would you say the WiFi speed are good for digital nomads ?
Let’s say if I were staying a few months would it make sense or doable for me to contact the owner of the Airbnb to get a dedicated line ?
In all the AirBnb's I stayed in the WiFi was pretty good and I'm constantly uploading videos to TH-cam. That being said, before you book a place you should ask your host to do a speedtest and report back the upload and download speeds to make sure it's sufficient for what you want to do.
I see the $750 income for retirement visa... What about on a $1000 or $1200. Maybe interview some less affluent expats ??
That's a great idea but not really my target audience - there's a few other TH-camrs who do videos around "living in Colombia on $500" etc. that you might find useful :)
@@AKJoel Because of an assumption someone on that income wouldn't use adviseral services? As they say on SouthPark... Ennkaay
Hi . Am first time here...i like the country..where can i find Coworking spot in Cartagena, Bogota and Medellin..your assistant will be highly appreciated. Anwa
No idea about Cartagena and Bogota but OpenSpace and Semilla in Medellin are great 👍🏾
Great breakdown video!
Thank you!
Cheers mate, I know you wanted this cost of living video for a while but I wanted to do it properly!
@@AKJoel haha yeah bro I was waiting for this one haha
What agency did he use to rent so we are not reliant on AIRBNBs?
We have all the agencies in our "rent like a local guide" & in our Masterclass.
$850 US per month for rent in an UNFURNISHED and no utilities included ... Friends, I watch these videos and try to find a motive to go back to Colombia, one more try, especially Medellin. That price tag right there is a deal breaker for now.
Medellin, no lie, 100% truth, is very very nice, perhaps the best place in Colombia. It has beautiful women (and so does Cartagena ).
But Brazil's cost of living is soooo much cheaper in upper mid to high "estrato" neighborhoods and it makes it difficult to go back to Colombia. $250 - $350 cheaper here with EVERYTHING INCLUDED (furnished and utilities).
If you folks find or know of any cheaper accommodations in mid or upper mid "estrato" let viewers like me know. That would be cool. You guys are doing good work and provide good information. I would love to find some good reasons to go back to Colombia.
Where can you live in Brazil for that cheap?? I went there last December for 3 months and it was on average 20-30% more expensive than Colombia.
@@AKJoel Greetings, AK. Yes, so Brazil , like all or most countries, has areas where the prices are higher , or around middle ground and low.
In addition to all of that, "estratas" are in Brazil as well but by a different terms or nomenclature.
Brazil more rich areas, more middle areas, and more poor areas than Colombia as most of us know given the sheer colossal size and a superior population that's second only to the USA in America.
Brasilia
Minas Gerais. (Belo Horizonte, Uberlandia)
Nordeste (North Area around Fortaleza)
Bahia
Goiaís
Southern Region
These are among some of the places there it is big enough but not anything like São Paulo in terms of size. They are also much cheaper than most areas of São Paulo, and just about anywhere in the tourist area of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil is cheaper than Colombia if we compare similar areas
But Brazil also has very rich areas. After the USA, of course, it is by far the richest country in all America.
It's got a bit of everything as far as cost of living.
I'm going back next year so definitely gonna check out some of these areas, thanks for the suggestions mate!
@@AKJoel
I did not mention it before but another great city to go to in Brazil is Florianópolis
City in Santa Catarina.
It has everything you can want.
Gorgeous city, well developed, and sufficient neighborhoods in the middle to upper tiers.
________
You also have Region do Sul (na area Sul )
Nordeste (Like Fortaleza and Recife )
Jardims ( São Paulo )
Aguas Claras ( Brasilia )
and there at least another 4-8 more places I could mention but adding what I said before with this here, your options are plenty already.
You are welcome
What about important insurance and reserves (new purchases, emergencies, domestic flights ...)
Those aren't monthly expenses so they fall into miscellaneous category - with the exception of insurance. We actually forgot that one but standard insurance is about $20 a month and top tier is $100 a month.
Can you talk about health insurance for expats. Dr visits, dentist etc
Hey mate we covered it in this video. Check out Point 2, cost of living.
th-cam.com/video/YDbIk9U-uEc/w-d-xo.html
May I ask if you encounter any issues being a vegan over there?
More when you go out rather than eat at home.
I've been vegan since 2017, and in some countries, it's near impossible to eat out.
There's at least 5 or 6 good vegan restaurants in the area and plenty of other restaurants with vegan options - so not really that much of an issue!
@AKJoel Cool, thanks for taking the time. I shall put Colombia down on my list to visit.
How about safety guys??I don’t wanna die far from home (honest question )
It's not as dangerous as the media tells you. If you just know what to look out for and don't make yourself an easy target, then you'll be fine 👍🏾 Will have a video on this soon.
I am surprised that you need to use air conditioning in Medellin, given that the climate there is very similar to central Costa Rica. I have lived in central Costa Rica for nearly 11 1/2 years out of the last 15+ years. And I have never once used air conditioning or gas.
Depends on which part of the city you live in, but where I live its impossible to sleep without air con some nights.
Used to be like that, not anymore mate.
El Niño is a thing.
I lived in Costa Rica for a long time as well, years. You need an Air Conditioner , no question, if you live in San Jose area, unless you close to the high mountain part and lots of trees surrounding you.
If you live in Cartago, that is a totally different story, but that is NOT San Jose, and that is not central Costa Rica.
Very insightful video gentlemen. I'm the same age as Andrew except that I'm living like a peasant in NYC 😩
Why don't you move to Medellin?! Haha
@@AKJoel After watching this video, believe me, I'm considering it. I'm currently researching remote jobs. If I was a full time investor I wouldn't think twice about it.
Come live like a king in Medellin.
@@andrewinspires I'm working on it! 👑
Uber is legal there? I heard otherwise
It's a grey area... everybody uses it though
@AKJoel oh OK I thought so
“Pure chocolate muscle” 🤣🤣
More great content as usual, gents
I'm still not sure what that even means. Is it a good thing or bad thing?? 😂
I suspect it’s a good thing, but you’d have to confirm with the Paisas 😅
What is the difference between expad and emigrant?
There's no real difference, same thing more or less
An expad is a pad you used to use. An emigrant is a person who leaves their own country in order to settle permanently in another. 😂
Thank you so much for this info, I'm vacationing in El Poblado for 3 months starting in Dec, to checkout if I want to move. This info is so helpful, It would be nice to meet up with you , Dinner is on me "Carmen"
Glad the info is providing some value! Enjoy your time in Medellin!
you guys forgot to mention, premium health insurance which it's about $100/month
You're right, or standard insurance for $25 a month!
9:20 “I live here in Manila”….?
Manila is a part of Poblado
I’m spending $3K in Florida and barely making ends meet… 🤯
$3k is way more than you'll ever need in Medellin
Great video is it possible to buy other kind of food other than Colombian food? I live in Texas and i love Mexican , bbq, and Cajun food. So wondering if they have that also and if it’s good. Thanks!
Yeah they have a big selection in the El Poblado area of Medellin - Mexican, Korean BBQ, Indian, Thai, Brazilian BBQ, US Style burgers etc.
@@AKJoel hell yeah that’s awesome. Good idea on creating a course for people wanting to move to Colombia. I’ll definitely checkout the course when it comes out.
so Laureles, Poblado, Envigado o Sabaneta?
Andrew prefers Poblado, I prefer Laureles
You could get the same quality of life for maybe two-thirds of the cost in Southeast Asia - Thailand and the Philippines. And you would be in a much safer environment where you don't have to constantly be on your guard, as it seems you have to be in Medellin.
I've been to Thailand and the Philippines- from what I've seen none of those cities offer what Medellin does. I also had 3 Filipino girls in a video of mine (check it out) and they confirmed that the Philippines is in fact more expensive than Medellin.
I'm in Medellin now. I think it's a stretch to call this the city of eternal spring as it is quite hot. Maybe city of eternal early summer at best. That being said, the infrastructure is worse in Thailand and the Philippines and it is much much hotter so you get what you pay for.
I'm not constantly on my guard. Furthermore, I prefer Latina booties over Asians flapjacks. haha. No. but really, Souteast Asia looks amazing. I'll be doing an Asia trip in a couple of years.
hhahahahahahaha
@@andrewinspires Literally every trip I've made to Asia I end up sussing skyscanner for trips to South America 🍑
3k a month, that incredibly expensive
It depends on what kind of life an comforts you're after I suppose - it's all relative!
You forgot an important one: health insurance.
I have a full 32 minute video on that coming soon 👍🏾
Nice video bro
Cheers boss 👍🏾👊🏾
How dangerous is the place for foreigners? Ive heard of some absolute nightmare scenarios.
Most of the nightmare scenarios I've hard are from foreigners doing stupid things or lacking education on how to act in Colombia - overall it's pretty safe however, sometimes it can just be wrong place wrong time.
I'm in Medellin now. I think it's a stretch to call this "the city of eternal spring" as it is quite hot. Maybe city of eternal early summer at best. That being said, the infrastructure is worse in Thailand and the Philippines and it is much much hotter so you get what you pay for.
I used your technique of wearing jeans yesterday to not stand out, was hot af from 1 to 6 pm 😂
Yeah that's one big thing I noticed, Asia can be cheap but the infrastructure is much worse than in Medellin
I don’t understand how everyone wear jeans there. It gets to hot for jeans for me
I completely disagree. The infrastructure in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, etc. (let's not even get started about Singapore) is clearly better than Colombia's. However Colombia is definitely cheaper. Don't know in which aspect SEA would be cheaper, everything in Medellin or other cities is clearly below the prices of comparable places there.
You are both young and fit. But for those of us who are slightly older, could you outline health insurance and health care expenses? Perhaps in a future video.
Hey mate, we covered that in depth on this video:
th-cam.com/video/YDbIk9U-uEc/w-d-xo.html
It's point #2
@@AKJoel Gracias, mate!
But it seems reasonable to include those costs in all cost-of-living videos. Just my 2 cents' worth.
Any recommendations for a good immobilario? I was paying 7.8M pesos for a 2bdr furnished near provenza (edificio El Vergel) and it was one of the best I could find for pricing/location.
That's a pretty good deal for that area!! Try Finca Raiz or Metro Cuadrado
Solid conent gents!
Cheers brother glad you found it useful!!
If you have pets, please make a video of dog parks available, veterinarians, dog daycare, dog walkers, etc.. it’s the only thing holding me back from moving to another country. Thanks in advance.
Sorry mate it's not really a widely in demand topic so not worth doing a video on, but I have some friends who are dog owners that I could gather this information from.
Book a consult here and I'd be happy to assist you.
www.akjoel.com/consultations
Don't sweat it. I took care of an entire dog family in Laureles. Plenty of walkers with dogs around, a vet on every corner in my area and one really good one that saved a few lives potentially, several dog spas available as well, who also did day care and boarding. Laureles area for me highly recommended due to topology and availability of options. IMO very decent place, leafy streets with green patches and small parks scattered around.
Excellent videos! I recommend Andrew to pronounce Medellín correctly if you want to sell more courses 🤪
haha I didn't even notice, what did he say?
I didn't know I was pronouncing it wrong my whole life as a native Spanish speaker. It's too late to adjust now, I'll just take fewer signups. 🤣
Its the information that's he's providing not the pronunciation that counts
I am going to Medellin for the month of October. Would love to meet y’all and say what’s up and be social. Working on setting everything up now
Not sure if I'll be in the country (might be traveling) but Andrew might! Hope you have an awesome time mate!
Yeah I'll probably be here in October.
Thank you very much. I will be there soon and am so looking forward to it@@AKJoel
and DUUUDE, bringing it up, I don't eat meat either! I would love to pick your brain about food. I'm in my mid-40's so this realy hits home for me. La mujer con que hablo dice que le gusta guisar un chicharron o algo y yo no como eso jaja.@@andrewinspires
Interesting information, but "talking heads" gets boring after a few minutes, we need VISUALS, see your $600 apartment, etc. Intersperse your talking with photos or video shots to keep us watching....
Thanks for the suggestion 👍🏾
Does andrew also have a channel?
Yup - Medellin Buzz
@@AKJoel Thanks bro! Would love to see you collab with "Where Wes" one day he reminds me of you, real raw unbiased content with similar quality and good personality
Check out his channel - he interviewed me about making money in Medellin about 2 months ago!
Please do videos on Bogota or suggest similar channels
Medellin is far superior to Bogota, why would anyone do videos there? 😂 joking!
This obviously only pertains to those who can work remote.
I am planning a 6 week trip to Colombia in December.
I plan to stay in Cartagena, Cali, Medillen 2 weeks each .
Yeah it's gonna be hard to make US$3k a month working for a Colombian company and earning a local wage - remote work is the only way
Yep, December in Colombia is awesome. I'm sure you'll have a blast. Cartagena is very cool, and taking boat rides to the small islands is great. Cali is great. I've always said that if I didn't live in Medellin, I'd live in Cali.
@CalebHammer would have a shît fit to see you spend almost everything without putting anything towards investing or retirement at a age of 40 especially how cheap your living expenses are. Would have been nice to hear if you were investing or doing more with your money other than blowing it on entertainment.
Yeh Andrew's got that covered don't worry mate haha he owns a handful of properties in the city and rents them out as AirBnBs
Claro provides fiber internet?
Yes, it depends on your location. All you gotta do is call and ask if there's a dedicated fiber optic option in your area.
@@andrewinspires ok thanks
I've had Movistar Fiber, it was absolutely perfect, great speeds to Europe, USA no clue.
Guys, do a dedicated piece on being vegan in Medellin!
Good idea. Yeah, we are both vegan. I've been vegan for about 4 years now. It's really easy nowadays, as tourism has broadened the culinary landscape.
I'm a 20 year whole food vegan. It can def be a issue when I travel. I'm moving to Medellin in September, and I'm hoping I can find my staple ingredients without too much struggle. I cook all my meals and buy a lot of fruits and veggies and and starches like beans, potatoes, and lentils. I also like to hit smoothie bars that use whole plant ingredients without processed junk. A run down on vegan grocery items, outdoor markets, cafe's, and restaurants would be awesome!
That would be a boring video haha I just cook everything at home 😂 but good suggestion!
I would need one on being Carnivore in Medellin
Its called walk outside your door and eat anything LOL
Is the personal assistant and personal driver under the miscellaneous Category?
Yup, Andrew doesn't use a private driver and the personal assistant isn't a salary employee - only on an as required basis
What agency did you use to find your apartment?
Giraldo Duque. They have an office on Calle 10.
@@andrewinspires thank you sir! I work a remote tech job making great money. This was an incredibly informative video for me. Can’t thank you enough gents.
My God, you just spend so much money, ,... I would save sooo much money if i had that budget per month
What would you do differently?
😅 everything, you work from home so literally you can work from wherever you want, there are many places in Medellin or around Colombia where the landscape, facilities etc are super nice to live and better prices, besides places that offer you another services like gym, you're paying a expensive one, even if you want to pay, there are still some gyms not from a chain but still good, new and a lot cheaper. Internet connection, that's a lot what you pay, there are services with good speed and enough for what you need a lot cheaper. Food!! You may save a lot of money here in food, cooking for example, for three days in advance so that you don't spend time everyday and more importantly you cook healthy without certain chemicals and additives used in restaurants, but you spend 2-3 times more buying food outside besides that vegan dishes are usually very expensive because is kind of "fancy" , mainly expats are vegans, so the prices. Most of us enjoy delicious Colombian dishes that of course aren't vegan. Alcohol, well I don't spend money in something that literally affects my body and besides that , taste horrible 😅, not needed, hence not expenses. Miscellaneous, I'm not a consumerist, so I don't buy things every single month like clothes, shoes, beauty products, I'm not the one who buy things to accumulate or to throw away in a couple of months or even a couple of years, but things that last a lot so not to contaminate soon. There are many ways to save money and still living happy and comfy
I think you just have different requirements from your life and that's completely fine!
The target audience for this video are expats who already make good money in the US but wans to improve their quality of life by spending less and freeing up their time. We catered this towards people who don't want to cook everyday to save money, they'd rather just spend to free up their time.
That being said, it's quite possible to live much cheaper and all your tips above are quite useful for people who are looking to live that way, so thanks!
I'd love to hear back from you when you start making that much money. You'll get there one day, keep grinding! 💪
@@AKJoel yes , of course, that's why I said I would save a lot more with that money, but I didn't say doing the same, that's the difference. Any way, my budget per month is higher than 3thousands dollars, and still spend less than this, so you may imagine.
And even though the audience is different (expats) it doesn't mean that a expat may not be interested in living still good but saving a lot more by doing some different things. Not everyone who comes here even expats, buy every single meal or spend in same things, so the target audience may be whoever who is just in Colombia/watch this. The video is just one in a million experience. And my opinion/experience the same.
Ya say 3000$ a month
1. like it’s nothing lol
2. Like the average person in Medellin can afford that lol
Yes you're right, I agree. But our target audience is foreigners moving to Medellin, not locals.
Did you have to get a Colombian fiador who owned property to go through a Colombian Inmobiliaria ? Loved the video 👍
I did when I first started renting here. I had a friend who co-signed for me. Now I see that there are companies that have people you can pay.
That’s true - so if you pay for a fiador after that I think you just need a passport and bank statement history 👍
Finding a Colombian Fiador can be very, very hard. I would like to know if anyone knows a better way. Maybe Medellin is better suited, because they get more expats. But any other city it gets complicated and I can't find much help... unless you can just pay the first full 6 months all at once.
Yah that's the other option, pay 6 months in advance and you can avoid the fiador. Just watch out for scammers! lol
We offered to pay an entire year in advance - the whole duration of a years contract and the inmobilaria wouldn’t accept it - so that didn’t work for me
You can get a nice 2 bed 2 in Mexico for $700
Which part of Mexico?
You forgot about health insurance Mr Andrew 😅 -$100
Haha good catch!! Yup he forgot about that one lol
I also forgot my monthly condom order.
You use condoms? 😆
Is it safe to live in Cali or Colombia with the ELN around?
Yeah I have a few friends living in Cali right now and plenty others living around Colombia - nobody has ever had an issue with the ELN lol
@@AKJoel Thanks, so it's actually safe for white people in Cali? I heard a Catholic Bishop was kidnapped in Cali last month.
I wouldn't recommend living in Cali to be fair - it's become one of Colombia's most dangerous cities in recent years.
@@AKJoel Thanks again
Yes. The ELN should be the least of your safety worries in Colombia.
$4k
Huge budget!!
@@AKJoel Ya its probably more than what I need to live here but it doesn't hurt. I'm actually here now and thanks to you I'm saving money at the atm I use to accept the conversion rate all the time over the last 10 years. don't even want to calculate how much money I wasted over the years for no reason.
You are paying way too much for that property. I suggest you meet actual colombians to get a much much better deal. I am living in a high rise, brand new building, with an indoor parking garage, dorrman, security, utilities all included in a great non-touristy barrio and am a paying 300 per month. I've got incredible views of the entire city and best of all there are no tourists walking arond being loud and obnoxios. The barrio is one of the safest and has less crime than el poblado which is where all my criminal friends go to rob tourists.
I don't think your comparison makes any sense mate. Andrew pays $600 a month and lives in the most happening area of the city. You live in an extremely local (most likely lower estrato) area and pay $300. It's like saying you're paying too much to live in the Hollywood Hills, you need to get a place in Compton 😅😅😅
What barrio do you live in?
@@AKJoellmao 😂
When I got here in 2010 I was broke, and had to live barrios. I'm not looking to go back, lol. That being said, apart, from Manila my favorite was el centro, lived there for a bout a year and a half.
You didn’t mention where you are living ?
The specific area ?
Here's a suggestion why not get a place for 1k but maybe you guys like running up the price lol
What do you mean? Andrew only pays $600 in rent
I don't think you watched the video.
Why don’t you mention Colombia migration only let’s United States citizens only permission to stay 180 days
That has nothing to do with the topic of this video...
Glad to hear that one can survive down there if they don't eat meat. And he didn't even mention tofu 🤣🤣🤣🤮
Haha more than survive! Did you hear the part where Andrew is 230 pounds of pure chocolate muscle? 🍫 😂
@@AKJoel Sure did 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Can't wait to get down there with you guys 🤗 Bringing 195 more lbs of chocolate 💪🏿💪🏿💪🏿