Colombia

The 12 Best Things About Being an Expat in Medellín

Life has pulled me in some interesting directions over the past few years.  In all honesty, I never could have predicted that I’d wind up living as an expat in Medellín, Colombia.  I couldn’t have predicted, when I landed in this city as a backpacker in 2013, just how quickly I would fall in love with it or that I’d still feel its magnetic pull long after I’d left.
Medellín is an excellent stop for any traveler–I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone–but it’s an even more special place to live as an expat.
I’ve just hit the three-month mark since my aquatic arrival and I’ve run up a whole list of reasons why being an expat in Medellín rocks.  Here are my favorite aspects of life as an honorary Paisa.

The locals are friendly.

I feel quite comfortable asking just about any stranger I find on the street for directions if I’m lost.  Taxi drivers welcome you with a warm greeting as soon as you climb in and send you off with a cordial ¡Que Diós le bendiga! (God bless!) when you exit.  I’m constantly referred to as parce (friend), muñeca (doll), corazón (heart), amor (love), or mija (my daughter).  If I leave my purse unzipped (as I’ve been known to do) someone will promptly remind me to close it so I don’t “give papaya” (make myself an easy target for theft).  In the three months since my arrival, I have never once felt unwelcome in this city.

The scenery is gorgeous.

I wake up to this view every morning.  *Pinch* …Yep, it’s real.

The weather is perfect all year.

The City of Eternal Spring is no misnomer.  Medellín is never too hot, never too cold.  It suits me quite nicely to be able to lay by the pool in January, thanks.

The cost of living is low.

The low rent, though not as low as what I paid in Thailand, is still quite reasonable for a newly minted freelancer like myself who’s not exactly rolling in the Benjamins.  My room costs me a mere $275 a month; and I could easily find something much cheaper if I wanted to give up my gated complex complete with pool, sauna and gym on-site…but I don’t.

The public transportation is excellent.

Buses typically take me where I need to go during daylight hours for $0.85 per ride.  I can flag it down anywhere along its route and hop off wherever I please.  Sure, people hop on to try to sell me things or perhaps entertain me with a Christmas-themed rap, but that’s pretty much par for the course in South America.  Medellín’s metro system, the only one in the country, is extensive, clean and efficient.  If I want to avoid traffic or I need to go somewhere farther from home, just one dollar gets me there.

The food is incredible.

I love the local plato típico, a plate known as Bandeja Paisa that overflows with deliciousness–rice, beans, plantain, an arepa, chorizo (sausage), chicharrón (fried pork belly), avocado and a fried egg.  Sometimes they throw on coleslaw in a poor attempt to feign nutritional value knowing full well no one’s going to eat it.  In addition to the local food, though, Medellín is teeming with mouth-watering international cuisine. I’ll never have time to try all the places that have caught my eye (or my nose), especially when there are a certain few I just keep going back to.

The shopping is divine.

Though there are a handful of Colombian fashion trends I just can’t get on board with (like neon everything, all the time), Medellín is full of creative designers and the boutiques I’ve had the pleasure of perusing would rival those of New York or Paris any day.  

The public spaces are beautiful.

I recently wrote about the revival of downtown Medellín and the innovative ways in which the city has transformed its public spaces.  But it’s not all concrete, either.  Medellín is surprisingly green; parks are plentiful and it’s evident the city planners took great care to leave trees right where they grew.  

The WiFi is reliable.

I’d have been out of here a long time ago if it wasn’t.

There’s a robust community of like-minded expats.

Medellín is named over and over again as a top choice as a home base for digital nomads and entrepreneurs. The reliable WiFi and low cost of living both contribute to its popularity in that regard, though I definitely think blogger David Lee played a big role in opening people’s eyes to how amazing Medellín was when he began gushing about his love for Paisa culture through his site Medellín Living in 2009.  It’s a great place for networking, and it’s always nice to know there are people around with whom I can indulge in silly American traditions that I miss, like eating a proper Thanksgiving dinner or watching the Seahawks dominate the Superbowl next Sunday (BEAST MODE).

The tourist visa is generous. *Updated

If you’re coming to Colombia and have no intention of obtaining a work visa (if you work online like me, for instance), there’s a way you can stay in the country for a year on a tourist visa and you’ll only have to hop the border once. Foreigners are allowed 6 months in the country per calendar year; if you time your arrival for the end of June, you can extend your initial 90-day period for another 90-days, cross the border at the end of the year and get a fresh 90-days upon return in January (which can then be extended again at immigration).  Of course if that still sounds like too much work and you’re interested obtaining other types of visas, Medellin Living’s got all the information you need.

Getting around to other cities is a breeze.

Medellín is a major transportation hub; should I feel the need to escape for a hot minute, I can do so with ease. Not only do buses leave frequently for just about every destination around the country, the city also has its own major airport.  Outside of heavy travel periods, flights within the country are very affordable and can sometimes even be cheaper than taking the bus.

The perks of being an expat in Medellín don’t end there!  But for the rest you’ll have to come and experience it for yourself.  Have I convinced you?