After having been in Colombia for two separate visits, we put together our ten reasons that we could live in Medellin – The City of Eternal Spring. It is a no brainer for us. We know we love warm weather vs cold weather & after having visited for an extended time in both Cartanega & Bogota, off we went to Medellin, which has surpassed our expectations.
As I’ve repeated a dozen times, our original plan in international travel has always been to explore & see if there is a country that we felt comfortable enough to want to possibly settle down. Up to this point in landing we have been feeling Mexico {top contender at this point] is for us but with the short time we have been in Medellin, I can’t lie, we are loving it…
Ten Reasons We Could Retire to Medellin!
In our quest for a piece of paradise to permanently land in, Medellin hits all the right spots. To be clear, these are what WE consider as OUR TOP TEN reasons that we could retire in Medellin. What would you add, if anything?
1] City of Eternal Spring Weather
With an average daily temperature of 75 year round, it is easy to see why Medellin is also called The City of Eternal Spring! It is beautiful & green with a chance of rain quite often. It may be just a drizzle for the day or a down pour during the night. We would recommend to always carry an umbrella. Most of the day showers last only a short time. A couple days last week reached mid 80s but that is not the norm. Our bones do not like cold weather so this is perfect weather for us.
2] Affordable Cost of Medellin
Food – We have found Medellin to be very affordable. We have found that eating out at the local restaurants five out of seven days of the week is more affordable than grocery shopping and cooking at home. We have found the meals are an awesome culinary delight!
This complete Sunday meal referred to as “Almuerzo” cost us about the same price as what you would spend on a Happy Meal at a McDonald’s restaurant! The meal also included two tall glasses of a natural drink of “Pina con Leche”! On a weekday a normal Almuerzo meal for the two of us which consists a large bowl of soup, pork, chicken or beef meat choice, salad, bread and a drink is less than the price of a pack of cigarettes in the States! So its a no brainer to see that by eating the local food vs shopping & cooking at your casa is worth the short walk to take full advantage of!
Groceries – We walk to grocery store at least once a week to pick up a few necessities we would need to eat at home when we stay in. Plus, the excuse to go to store gives us another reason to get out for our daily walks. There is always a neighborhood market pretty handy to pick up fresh fruit, vegetables & snacks if desired.
Housing – For the most part we have chosen to stay in AirBnBs during our travels & thats where we are presently – in an AirBnB. We did get the opportunity for a friend to show us their apartment that rented for a little over $320 USD & I have to say we were totally surprised. They had a nice sized swimming pool, a sauna and it was a gated community with 24 hour security. That would make rent here in Medellin around 3/4 less than in the U.S. Now if you have to be in a more tourist area I saw a beautiful Laureles one bedroom for $630, without the pool and all the other amenities. What I’m saying is tourist areas are for tourist & they charge tourist prices. You do you.
For now, until we have kept with using AirBnBs. That gives us one expense a month [no utilities, cable, trash pickup, etc.].
Transportation – We do not own a vehicle but that has not stopped us from getting from point A to B. Uber, taxis & InDrive (our favorite) are super affordable. We haven’t used the local day to day buses yet but that is next on our list!
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A couple weeks ago we took a two hour trip outside edellin for a total of 18.000 COP or $4.17 one way for the both of us! The bus was comfortable. I do have to say it took a minute to get use to how the bus driver manuerved the very curvy/down the mountain return trip but we did have some great sights along the way. I will say don’t plan on rushing in a bus. On our way home that Sunday evening, it must have stopped ten times to let locals on from side of the highway. Note: the bus was full when we left SV so those extras picked up stood up the balance of the trip to Medellin.
3] The Safest City in Colombia?
Is Medellin the safest city in Colombia? That has been a common question from our friends back in the U.S. Though Medellin has a history wrought with drug trafficking, etc, Medellin is considered to be one of the safest cities in Colombia. Like any big city in the U.S. or any other country, there is always safety concerns & gangs are still active in certain parts of the country. Be vigilant. If you stick to the more populated areas & use common sense in being aware of your surroundings you should be perfectly fine. Of course, as in any large city anywhere in the world, there will be theft & there is still issues in some areas of the country with cartels but it seems pickpockets, snatch & run are the most common thefts in tourist areas of Medellin. Showing a wad of cash is a beacon to any thief. Be aware.
We are out everyday & have never felt fear but let me say we rarely go out after dark. We carry waist packs. Name brand purses, fancy phones, wallets, showing of cash can make you a victim. Speaking of phones, if you are one of millions who love their latest & greatest Samsung or iPhone, you might consider investing in a less expensive throw away phone to use when out in a crowd – if it gets stolen you still have your other phone.
We carry copies of our passports & keep originals put up. We’ve been asked only once for a copy of our passport when shopping for phone service. We’ve used the passport card a few times for id & it was accepted. Bottom line, keep your cash hidden & important original docs such as your passport locked up – carry a paper copy.
As a side note, I found my waist pack at the mall & I wear it everywhere. It has room for my phone, zipper compartment for cash & outside zipper compartment for passport photo copy. I no longer carry a shoulder bag & my hands are free!
For any country you are considering visiting you need to check out the State Travel Advisory, plus we are diligent about reporting our travel movements to Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
4] Water is drinkable
I am happy to be able to drink water from the faucet. This is the first south of the border place that we could do that. We’ve been told Medellin has the cleanest water in the country & that most of the larger cities in Colombia including Cartanega & Bogota to name a couple have drinkable tap water. But all cities are not the same. The towns farther out from the larger cities may not be so lucky so if in doubt buy bottles.
The first weekend we were in Medellin happened to be the weekend that all water was shut off in the city so the pipes could be cleaned! Have you ever heard of a city doing that? Well, we were quite impressed. The water was turned on periodically for a few minutes throughout the weekend for convenience. Its normal & again that’s why Medellin’s water is drinkable.
5] Flying into Medellin, Colombia
There are ten international airports in Colombia & a multitude of domestic airports. Flying into Medellin use The Jorge Maria Cordova International Airport or the smaller Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport depending where you are flying from. American, Avianca, Jet Blue, Latam, Copa, Aeromexico & Spirit all fly into Medellin & depending on which U.S. city you are flying from direct flights are available.
We have found traveling between Latin American countries to be very economical. If you travel with just a backpack, the price of a flight can be ridiculously affordable – its when you carry luggage the price might add up a bit but still pretty affordable! You do you!
6] Best Colombian Coffee
You know the first thing you think of when people say Colombia is coffee!!! Who knew that the best Colombian coffee [Tinto] [my opinion only] is available from street vendors in a little plastic cup! My favorite is Tinto with leches but black with sugar works as well. Ok Tinto is not your average coffee but it is really good & the price is ridiculous for the taste you get.
Whether it is the perfect temperate weather or the rich mountain soil, it all comes together to make some pretty great world known Colombia coffee. Along with the perfect weather, beans are harvested by hand so only the ripe beans are picked raising the quality of the coffee.
7] Healthcare in Medellin
Colombia’s healthcare is ranked among the world’s best by World Health Organization at 22nd in the world ABOVE Canada & the U.S.! Medellin happens to have one of the four top hospitals in Colombia – the Hospital Pablo Tobon Uribe. With the quality of training & star facilities it is not surprising to hear that Colombia is a huge draw for cosmetic surgery & transplant surgery!
Luckily we have not had any medical issues to have to check out the services, I feel pretty confident that if need be, we would be just fine. I do love the fact that Pharmacist at the local drugstores can give you assistance or guidance on any day to day issues we may have. We have been in other countries where this is common & it has come in very handy for us.
There are several healthcare plans Colombia offers depending on your circumstances – both public & private so that is nice to know.
8] Location of Colombia
Just look at this map & you can understand why the location of Colombia has so much to offer to retirees like us. On the west coast you have the Pacific Ocean – on the North coast you have the warm Caribbean Sea. If you like to fish, surf, swim, explore – you have your choice of waters. With the awesome climate, the interior country has rain forest, desert, mountains.
Colombia is one of the seventeen megadiverse countries in the world & the second highest biodiversity in the world! What are you waiting for? Did you know Colombia can brag that it has 1,954 species of birds or 20% of the world’s species. It also boast the largest number of butterflies at 20% of the planet. Wow!
9] Requirements for Residence
The Colombia Resident Visa is the most popular among expats. For retirees, which would be us, we are interested in the retirement or pension visa where you have to show monthly income x3 of the Colombians which would be under $1,000 US$.
For more details on the retirement Visas check this out.
10] Colombian Culture
You can’t get more Colombian than having a Bunuelo & Tinto for a morning snack. Especially if the Bunuelo is filled with queso! The ones without queso are pretty good but with gueso & fresh – it is amazing! The Tinto [translates to inky water] is so good – a little different than your regular cup of joe & is served in small plastic cups. It is very affordable & can be found with street vendors & neighborhood cafes.
Seriously, we have found the Colombians to be very warm people. We are stumbling in our quest to learn Spanish & I would say 99% of the people are happy to help us on pronounciation. We have had several tell us “I can help you learn Spanish” in exchange for them to practice their English. Win Win! As a side note I just started Spanish lessons again so fingers crossed I will be speaking better Spanish soon.
Football, music & carnivals are three things all Colombians can come together on no matter their economic differences. Who hasn’t heard of Colombian singer Shakira! Colombia is home to Botero, the famous sculpture of “fat” people & animals in Plaza Botero. The list goes on.
Religion is a strong force with Colombian families – maybe that has an affect on family values. Families are very close knitted which we find just wonderful.
So realistically could we find ourselves living in Medillin?
Absolutely! At this time, nothing has happened to make us second guess our ability to live here. Having said that, we are not done adventuring other countries yet but Medillin is definitely in the running for a final landing for us. The cost of living, safety, awesome weather & beauty – both nature & the people – have the ability to pull us back but we shall see what is in store for us this next year of travel.
