Moving to Colombia from United States
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from United States to Colombia — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from United States to Colombia, you would find that Colombia is 50.3% cheaper than United States overall. A $75,000 salary in United States would need to be roughly COP94,767,123 in Colombia to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Spanish.
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How your spending power changes when you relocate from United States to Colombia.
What does your salary buy?
$75,000 → COP94,767,123
To maintain the same standard of living in Colombia
Calculate with your salary →The biggest cost differences at a glance
Restaurants
pay 60.6% less
Groceries
pay 51.8% less
Transportation
pay 21.0% less
Housing
pay 70.2% less
Childcare
pay 79.2% less
Entertainment and Sports
pay 68.8% 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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Who Else Is Making This Move?
Real numbers on people moving from United States to Colombia, and how the trend has changed.
people moved from United States to Colombia · OECD (latest data available)
Key Indicator Comparison
How United States and Colombia stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
of residents who feel safe walking alone at night
per 100,000 people per year
United States 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
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States 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
United States generally does better on environment, though Colombia leads in co₂ emissions per capita.
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
United States generally does better on infrastructure, though Colombia leads in water stress level.
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
United States generally does better on employment & economy, though Colombia leads in top income tax rate.
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
United States performs better than Colombia across all family life metrics.
Data: Internal Revenue Service, 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 | Washington | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan–Mar | 48°/28°F (9°/-2°C) | 62°/44°F (17°/7°C) |
| Apr–Jun | 75°/51°F (24°/11°C) | 61°/47°F (16°/9°C) |
| Jul–Sep | 85°/62°F (29°/17°C) | 60°/45°F (15°/7°C) |
| Oct–Dec | 57°/35°F (14°/2°C) | 61°/45°F (16°/7°C) |
View all months
| Month | Washington | Bogota |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42°/24°F (5.8°/-4.5°C) | 62°/42°F (16.4°/5.6°C) |
| Feb | 46°/26°F (8.0°/-3.3°C) | 62°/44°F (16.7°/6.5°C) |
| Mar | 56°/33°F (13.1°/0.5°C) | 62°/46°F (16.7°/7.6°C) |
| Apr | 67°/42°F (19.3°/5.6°C) | 61°/47°F (16.0°/8.6°C) |
| May | 75°/51°F (23.9°/10.7°C) | 61°/48°F (16.2°/8.7°C) |
| Jun | 84°/61°F (28.8°/16.1°C) | 60°/47°F (15.7°/8.3°C) |
| Jul | 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.6°C) | 59°/46°F (14.9°/7.7°C) |
| Aug | 87°/64°F (30.3°/17.9°C) | 60°/45°F (15.4°/7.3°C) |
| Sep | 79°/56°F (26.3°/13.5°C) | 60°/45°F (15.8°/7.1°C) |
| Oct | 68°/44°F (20.1°/6.6°C) | 61°/46°F (15.9°/7.7°C) |
| Nov | 58°/35°F (14.2°/1.8°C) | 61°/46°F (16.0°/7.9°C) |
| Dec | 46°/27°F (7.8°/-2.7°C) | 61°/43°F (16.1°/6.3°C) |
Data:
National Weather Service,
Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environment Studies
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between United States 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.
United States passport holder visiting Colombia
Visa Free
Colombia passport holder visiting United States
Visa RequiredData: 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 United States?
Generally yes: Colombia runs about 61% cheaper than United States on average, though it depends heavily on the city.
How much money do I need to move to Colombia?
A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a $75,000 comparable salary, that's around COP23,691,781 in Colombia for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.
Can I work remotely from Colombia?
With 17.0 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Colombia can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in United States and Colombia.
Is Colombia safe for expats?
United States performs better than Colombia across all safety metrics. The homicide rate in Colombia is 25.4 per 100,000 people, compared to 6.4 in United States. About 51% of people in Colombia feel safe walking alone at night.
How is healthcare in Colombia compared to United States?
Colombia generally does better on health & wellbeing, though United States leads in doctors per 10,000 people. There are 24.5 doctors per 10,000 people in Colombia, compared to 36.1 in United States. Colombia scores 80 on the WHO universal health coverage index (United States: 86).
What's the weather like in Colombia compared to United States?
The average high temperature in Bogota is 61°F, compared to 66°F in Washington. Bogota receives around 31.5 in of rainfall per year, while Washington gets 41.5 in.
What language do they speak in Colombia?
The official language in Colombia is Spanish. In United States, the official language is English.
