Moving to Colombia from Philippines
What to Expect
Considering a move from Philippines to Colombia? Here's how the two compare on cost, climate, safety, and more.
If you moved from Philippines to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 39.4% more expensive than Philippines overall. A ₱4,607,663 salary in Philippines would need to be roughly COP242,829,882 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Bogota averages 61°F vs 88°F in Manila, making it significantly cooler.
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A breakdown of how everyday costs differ between Philippines and Colombia.
What does your salary buy?
₱4,607,663 → COP242,829,882
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
Calculate with your salary →How key spending categories compare
Restaurants
pay 60.2% more
Groceries
pay 21.4% less
Transportation
pay 2.6 times more
Housing
pay 13.6% more
Childcare
pay 41.1% more
Entertainment and Sports
pay 15.5% 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
The numbers behind daily life in Colombia compared to Philippines.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Philippines performs better than Colombia across all safety metrics.
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
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colombia leads in doctors per 10,000 people.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Philippines 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 Philippines 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
Philippines 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 generally does better on family life, though Philippines leads in literacy rate.
Data: Bureau of Internal Revenue, 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 | Manila | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 87°/75°F (31°/24°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 91°/79°F (33°/26°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 88°/78°F (31°/26°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 87°/77°F (30°/25°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Manila | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85°/74°F (29.5°/23.5°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 87°/75°F (30.5°/23.8°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 90°/77°F (32.1°/24.9°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 92°/79°F (33.5°/26.2°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 92°/80°F (33.2°/26.7°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 90°/79°F (32.2°/26.2°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 88°/78°F (31.1°/25.8°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 87°/78°F (30.6°/25.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 88°/78°F (30.9°/25.5°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 87°/77°F (30.7°/24.9°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 85°/75°F (29.7°/23.9°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Philippines 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.
Philippines passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Free
Colombia passport holder visiting Philippines
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 Philippines?
Colombia and Philippines are within a few percent on overall cost, though specific items in specific cities can swing either way.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
Budget about COP60,707,470 for 3 months in Colombia (based on a ₱4,607,663 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: 17.0 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?
Philippines performs better than Colombia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Colombia is 25.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.3 in Philippines.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to Philippines?
Philippines generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Colombia leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 24.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 7.9 in Philippines. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Philippines: 58).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to Philippines?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 88°F in Manila. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Manila gets 86.7 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In Philippines, the official languages are English and Filipino.
