Moving to Colombia from Kenya
What to Expect
Everything you need to know before relocating from Kenya to Colombia — costs, safety, healthcare, and practical first steps.
If you moved from Kenya to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 49.1% more expensive than Kenya overall. A KES9,693,750 salary in Kenya would need to be roughly COP295,787,805 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bogota averages 61°F vs 74°F in Nairobi, making it significantly cooler.
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What to expect for your wallet after moving from Kenya to Colombia.
What does your salary buy?
KES9,693,750 → COP295,787,805
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
Calculate with your salary →Where you'll feel the difference day-to-day
Restaurants
pay 36.5% more
Groceries
pay 38.7% more
Transportation
pay 3.9% more
Housing
pay 79.2% more
Childcare
pay 6.6% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 25.2% less
Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.
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Key Indicator Comparison
Key indicators for anyone considering a move from Kenya to Colombia.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Kenya generally does better on safety, though Colombia leads in road traffic deaths.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Kenya generally does better on environment, though Colombia leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
higher means greater strain on freshwater supply
annual consumption — reflects grid capacity
share of households with internet
Colombia performs significantly better than Kenya across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
the highest marginal rate on personal income
share of people below the poverty line
Kenya generally does better on employment & economy, though Colombia leads in gdp per capita.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Colombia performs significantly better than Kenya across all family life metrics.
Data: Revenue Authority, The World Factbook, United Nations SDG Indicators, World Bank
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Nairobi | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 77°/54°F (25°/12°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 73°/55°F (23°/13°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 72°/50°F (22°/10°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 75°/55°F (24°/13°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Nairobi | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76°/53°F (24.5°/11.5°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 78°/53°F (25.6°/11.6°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 78°/56°F (25.6°/13.1°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 75°/57°F (24.1°/14.0°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 73°/56°F (22.6°/13.2°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 71°/52°F (21.5°/11.0°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 69°/50°F (20.6°/10.1°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 71°/50°F (21.4°/10.2°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 75°/51°F (23.7°/10.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 76°/54°F (24.7°/12.5°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 74°/56°F (23.1°/13.1°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 74°/55°F (23.4°/12.6°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
Kenya Meteorological Department,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Kenya and Colombia. To live, work, or study long-term in Colombia, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Colombia's immigration authority.
Kenya passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Online (e-Visa)
Colombia passport holder visiting Kenya
Electronic Travel AuthorisationData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it cheaper to live in Colombia than Kenya?
No — Colombia is on average about 22% more expensive than Kenya. City-level variation matters.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
Plan for at least 3 months of living expenses — roughly COP73,946,951 in Colombia on a KES9,693,750 comparable salary — plus one-off moving costs (flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees).
Can I work remotely from Colombia?
Internet is rarely the blocker — Colombia has 17.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people. The real questions are legal: digital nomad visa eligibility, your employer's overseas-work policy, and tax residency in both countries.
Is Colombia safe for expats?
Kenya generally does better on safety, though Colombia leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Colombia is 25.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.9 in Kenya.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to Kenya?
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Kenya leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 24.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 1.0 in Kenya. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Kenya: 53).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to Kenya?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 74°F in Nairobi. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Nairobi gets 40.3 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In Kenya, the official languages are English and Swahili.
