Moving to Colombia from Peru
What to Expect
Considering a move from Peru to Colombia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Peru to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 60.4% more expensive than Peru overall. A PEN260,000 salary in Peru would need to be roughly COP384,000,000 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bogota averages 61°F vs 72°F in Lima, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Peru and Colombia.
What does your salary buy?
PEN260,000 → COP384,000,000
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 82.5% more
Groceries
pay 38.3% more
Transportation
pay 28.5% more
Housing
pay 85.2% more
Childcare
pay 2.2 times more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 11.1% more
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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
What the data shows about people moving from Peru to Colombia.
Key Indicator Comparison
The numbers behind daily life in Colombia compared to Peru.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
Peru generally does better on safety, though Colombia leads in feel safe walking at night.
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 Peru 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
Colombia performs significantly better than Peru across all environment metrics.
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
Peru generally does better on infrastructure, though Colombia leads in broadband per 100 people.
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
Peru performs better than Colombia across all employment & economy metrics.
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 generally does better on family life, though Peru leads in life expectancy.
Sources: World Bank (2020–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), Superintendencia Nacional de Aduanas y de Administración Tributaria (2016), Directorate of National Taxes and Customs (DIAN) (2016). How we calculate this
What's the Climate Like?
Monthly averages — select a city to compare.
Avg. annual high / low
Avg. annual high / low
| Months | Lima | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 79°/67°F (26°/19°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 66°/58°F (19°/15°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 71°/62°F (22°/16°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Lima | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78°/66°F (25.8°/19.1°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 80°/67°F (26.5°/19.4°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 79°/67°F (26.0°/19.2°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 76°/64°F (24.3°/17.6°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 71°/61°F (21.7°/16.1°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 67°/60°F (19.7°/15.3°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 66°/59°F (18.7°/15.0°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 65°/58°F (18.4°/14.6°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 66°/58°F (18.7°/14.6°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/59°F (19.9°/15.2°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 71°/62°F (21.9°/16.4°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 75°/64°F (23.9°/17.7°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
Servicio Nacional de Meteorología e Hidrología del Perú,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Peru 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.
Peru passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Free
Colombia passport holder visiting Peru
Visa FreeData: 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 Peru?
On average Colombia is around 60% pricier than Peru, with notable variation by city.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
Budget about COP96,000,000 for 3 months in Colombia (based on a PEN260,000 comparable annual salary), then add the one-off costs: flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Colombia?
Connectivity is usually fine (Colombia: 17.2 fixed broadband per 100). What actually decides it is legal: does Colombia offer a digital nomad visa, will your employer permit overseas work, and where are you tax-resident?
Is Colombia safe for expats?
Peru generally does better on safety, though Colombia leads in feel safe walking at night. The homicide rate in Colombia is 24.9 per 100,000 people, compared to 8.6 in Peru. About 51% of people in Colombia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to Peru?
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Peru leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 25.4 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 16.9 in Peru. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Peru: 71).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to Peru?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 72°F in Lima. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Lima gets 0.5 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In Peru, the official languages are Aymara, Quechua and Spanish.
