A nation built from the ashes of a modern-day urban war, this South American nation located at the northwest tip of the continent has seen more than its fare share of violence, carnage, and suffering over its short but storied past, which might give some people pause when considering the pros and cons of moving to Colombia, especially as an expat or foreigner.
However, what you thought you knew about Colombia is definitely not the reality on the ground anymore – long gone are the days of Pablo Escobar, the Cali cartel, and the incessant drug wars that affected every aspect of life in this painfully beautiful country, that has more than survived having its heart trod upon, to now be one of the fastest economically-growing nation success stories on the planet.
When I first came here at the beginning of this year, considering moving here as an expat myself, I had really no idea what to expect. Stories of Colombia’s dark past were intermingled with tales from friends of a near enchanting land, and not one of them had ever had a bad time there. Intrigued, I took the plunge, and what I soon found was my entry into a world of wonder – and easily my favorite country in Latin America to date.
So rip up what you thought you knew about this amazingly lovely land – there ain’t no room for Narcos and Netflix here! Modern-day Colombia may still have some growing pains it is growing through, on its way to becoming one of Latin America’s brightest burning stars, but the positives cannot be overstated either – with all that said, here are my top 5 pros and cons of moving to Colombia!
PROS: Beautiful, Modern Cities
I’ve been all over the world, but nothing has prepared me for the jaw-dropping spectacle that Colombia’s gorgeous cities exhibited. Driving into Medellin from the international airport, you are suddenly transported through a mountain tunnel, until you are high up, overlooking a lovely valley surrounded by lush, green hills, and the city right below you. There are few more majestic ways to enter a city on Earth, than Medellin, but the magic doesn’t stop there.
Unbelievable urban beauty in places like Bogota, Cartagena, Salento, and Pereira stun your senses with every fulfillment you could have ever dreamed of having in a Latin American paradise – and what more, the most stunning feature is how modern things are becoming in many areas of Colombia.
From the incredible modern metro of Medellin, which even included cable cars as part of the line, bringing people up into the mountainside districts of the city, to massive, hyper-modern grocery stores that would fit in more in advanced Southeast Asian nations like Singapore and Malaysia, Colombia has you covered in every way imaginable when it comes to great infrastructure. In fact, I talk even more about all the great things Medellin offers in my in-depth city guide that you can read right here!
PROS: Gorgeous, Diverse Natural Scenery
The beauty doesn’t just stop at the man made city structures either, as the unbelievable beauty of Colombia’s natural landscape just keeps on coming, and never goes away. It’s rare that a developing nation can also display how well that same development works in tandem with the surrounding environment, but Colombia is a beautiful exception that that unfortunate rule.
Seemingly how seamlessly cities like Medellin blend in with the mountainous, Andean terrain is always awe inspiring, as well as the incredible beauty of the countries national parks, maintained in pristine fashion, like that of the Cocora Valley, where some of the tallest palm trees in the world lie amongst the clouds and evergreen hills.
Add in the lovely beachfront setting of Colombia’s northern and western coasts, well-served by oceanfront towns like Santa Marta and Cali respectively, and you got all the makings of a land that can meet any prospective expats environmental needs and wants – if you can desire it, chances are you can find it here in the diverse landscape of Colombia!
PROS: Latin America’s Friendliest People
Of course, the beauty of the land has also made its way into the hearts of the people, for there are few places on Earth where you are sure to meet some of the happiest, friendliest, and warmest people on the planet, than here in Colombia!
I can’t count how many times I had amazing conversations with the locals, filled with laughter, joy, and kindness – and that’s without mentioning how helpful the people have been on the whole as well, with everything from a whole bunch of locals trying to help me find my hotel after a midnight arrival, to even having the smiling owner of another hotel stay with me on the street until my taxi arrived, to make sure I was going where I need to safely!
And of course, I could not mention the people of Colombia without also mentioning their lovely beauty – both men and women singles looking to mingle will be pleased to know that the Colombian fire will soon consume your soul, as the people of this hot-blooded country will get you salsa-ing to the Latin beats of passion, romance, and love in no time.
PROS: Business Friendly, Free Markets
In fact, the loveliness of the people has seemingly etched its way even into Colombia’s economic institutions, which has now made the formerly devastated country into one of Latin America’s freest and most open economies to do business in.
Everything related to doing business in Colombia is streamlined towards maximizing foreign investment in a rapidly developing economy – this is partially which has led to the country becoming an increasingly popular destination for expats running their own digital businesses, or for investors looking to make great returns on their money in many industries, real estate included.
It is truly a remarkable turn around for a nation once known for its main export – cocaine, now being the shining light of commerce, trade, and business opportunity in all of Latin America, and the potential for growth continues to be an exponential one, as Colombia well and truly turns the page on its dark chapter of history, to embrace its new, forward-thinking future.
PROS: Easy to Immigrate To
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better – Colombia also makes it super streamlined and easy for foreigners to move to the country, making immigration to the country less of a hassle than in many other nations around the globe, or even in the Latin American region.
Although lots of paperwork is a given (considering this is still South America after all!), the procedures are easy to understand and complete, and the programs to qualify for temporary/permanent residency, and eventually citizenship are wide and varied.
Though most the options available are growing to be more exclusive for wealthier expats (more on that below), there are still plenty of ways for the prospective expat, looking for a long-term move to this country, to immigrate, from obtaining work-permits and a job placement, to enrolling in a Spanish-speaking school (one of my friends went this route themselves!), to many more.
CONS: Crime Is Still A (Little) Issue At Times
Of course, no country or land is perfect, and Colombia certainly has its quirks that you need to be aware of. One of them is unfortunately the crime-levels, which although have come down drastically since the 90’s, when cities like Medellin once held the titles of ‘murder capital of the world’, still remain high enough to exercise caution when roaming the streets of the country,
Petty crimes like theft and pick-pocketing are more common here than in many global destinations, and the police are more likely to take bribes from unsuspecting foreigners here on average, than what I’ve seen in many places around the world. Additionally, muggings and violent crimes do still happen from time to time – although this can be somewhat mitigated by choosing to follow common sense procedures like avoiding walking alone at night, and avoiding rough neighborhoods of cities and towns.
Colombia is still cleaning up its act, and for a nation where many do still live in poverty, this has to be expected. However, while crime is something to be aware of in this country, it is not something that should scare you away from thoughts of moving here – I personally never had any issues with criminal activity while in the country, nor did the vast, vast majority of my friends, and with a little bit of street-smarts, you will do just fine here in Colombia.
CONS: English is Not Widely Spoken
However, I would say that without at least a basic knowledge of Spanish, Colombia may not be the best suited option for a prospective expat looking for a new home. English is not widely spoken, even in the most major cities, and as such Spanish knowledge is required to navigate almost every interaction with locals who don’t already work in the tourism sectors.
You don’t need to speak fluent Espanol in order to get by, however knowing choice phrases and words will not only go a long way towards endearing yourself to the local community, but also make life far less stressful once moving to Colombia. That said, although I personally speak intermediate level Spanish, so life was relatively easy for me, most of my friends spoke no Spanish at all – yet despite that handicap were able to get around just fine with hand gestures and basic word play with the friendly, understanding, ever helpful locals.
If you can get past the hurdles of the language barrier, you’ll soon see why Colombia is calling the names of so many of us expats, who find the beauty of this country and its people endlessly charming, and beautifully endearing.
CONS: Touristy Scams Are Growing
That said, not all people are made the same, and though that goes for every country, Colombia definitely has its mixture of the bad intentioned citizens, intermingled within all the good. Unfortunately, Colombia is no longer the secret paradise it once was, and although it certainly hasn’t reached the tourist levels of countries like Mexico and Brazil, the country unfortunately has begun to suffer the not-so-great things that go along with becoming a tourism hub.
I am talking of course of scams, usually aimed at foreigners, expats and tourists alike, which have begun to circulate in the country, especially in the more popular attractions and destinations. Opportunistic price hikes for being a foreigner are often quite common, and outside of places with set prices like grocery stores, shopping malls, restaurants, and the like, this kind of hustle can often be unfortunately expected.
Unfortunately the local taxi drivers, tour operators, and local fruit-sellers are all willingly raising their prices exorbitantly when faced with a foreigner who doesn’t know the actual local asking price of things – so it’s always a good idea to learn the actual cost of items you wish to purchase, before going out into the unknown. That way, you can better keep your well-earned dollars in your wallet, and pay a fairer price (even if it will never get down to local rates).
CONS: Government is getting More Heavy-Handed
Additionally, the top brass of the country also have shown to be becoming more of a problem than part of the solution, as recent governmental measures and procedures have shown to be more controlling than in the past, placing Colombia’s reputation as a rapidly growing land of freedom into jeopardy.
This is partially to do with the heavy-handed governmental crackdowns during COVID, where total lock-downs have been repeated and common, as well as with the growing perception that the polices measures dealing with offenders as overly calloused and brutal.
Add in the economic corruption from both the police and government at every level, and you realize that Colombia has a long way to go until its a true world-beater for freedom and prosperity, despite the main inroads it has made in recent decades to rise above its formally low station. Only time will tell if this beautiful nation can fully clean up its act, or if the current government will keep Colombia slowly moving backwards into a time it thought it had finally let go of.
CONS: Not the Cheapest Immigration Requirements
And of course, perhaps the greatest barrier and con to moving to Colombia may in fact be the overall price needed to realistically make such a move a reality. Colombia as a country does not have the cheapest overall living costs in Latin America already, but to make matters more expensive, immigrating to the country will cost you a bit more than most as well.
Of course, for wealthier investors who are able to afford purchasing a $175,000 USD or more real estate investment, permanent residency, not even temporary, can be had very easily. However, for many other expats wanting to immigrate to Colombia, the easy routes to obtaining residency through investment are not truly accessible to the masses, due to their far higher costs than in neighboring Ecuador, or even Mexico for example.
Ultimately, the bar has been raised for prospective expats looking to move here, and though some may feel priced out completely, it is not a cause for total defeat or loss – as aforementioned there are still options to immigrate to Colombia with less money, albeit they are a bit more convoluted, and will take a good amount of your effort and work, to make your Colombian dreams a reality.
Destination: Colombia, An Passionate Land of Beauty & Opportunity
I’ve rarely been to a place that had me at ‘hola’, but Colombia is one of those rare, gorgeous places that tugs at the heartstrings the moment you arrive, and never really lets go. From the outpouring of help and support I received from the amazingly friendly locals, to letting my senses run riot every time I overlooked the truly mind-blowing views, Colombia in a nut-shell is a truly magical place, and remains my favorite nation for expats and tourists alike in all of Latin America.
Truly majestic, always endearing, this South American nation on the brink of a new hopeful future, is guaranteed to take your breath away, once you weigh the pros and cons of moving to Colombia, and decide to take that leap of faith into a world of wonder, right here in the heart of the Andean jungle. If you would like to read more about what I believe makes Colombia one of the best destinations for a prospective expat to move to in Latin America, feel free to read my article here!
Have you ever been to or lived in Colombia? What were your experiences with life there? How did you immigrate, and how did you find the process of doing so? Let us know in the comments section below – we’d love to hear your experiences and opinions!