CITY / CITYVerified city comparison
BogotávsMedellín.
Bogotá is stronger on 2 of 8 headline facts; Medellín on 1. Cost of living (single, excl. rent): Bogotá $705/mo, Medellín $705/mo. Freelancer tax burden: Bogotá 17.3%, Medellín 17.3%. Climate comfort: Bogotá 12/12 mo, Medellín 2/12 mo.
VerifiedUpdated
14 compared criteria · 20 sources · country-level facts are clearly inherited
co / co · SettleMetric
01
The key differences
The key numbers head-to-head — the stronger side is marked. The overall score stays decoration; what matters is which facts fit you.
Headline result
Bogotá leads on 2 of 8
Bogotá
2
Medellín
1
01Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bogotá
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Medellín
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
02Freelancer tax burden
Bogotá
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Medellín
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
03Homicide rate
Bogotá
15/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈1,200 homicides in Bogotá in 2024 (SDSCJ/SIEDCO; the annual security report cites 1,204) over ≈7.9M residents = ≈15 per 100,000 — the highest in 8 years, ~11% up on 2023. Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k): big-city Bogotá is safer than conflict-affected regions, though far above rich-world capitals.
- Notes
- District security-secretariat count (SIEDCO) reported via Bogotá Cómo Vamos; the underlying figure is official municipal data. The city administration's target for 2024–2027 is 8/100k. 2022 was a decade low at 12.9/100k.
Medellínstronger
11.3/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- 319 homicides in Medellín in 2024 (SISC), 59 fewer than 2023 (−16%); the city's SISC/security-secretariat reported an official rate of 11.3 per 100,000, the lowest among Colombia's main cities and the lowest local rate since the mid-20th century. Victims: 290 men (91%), 28 women (9%).
- Notes
- Municipal SISC figure (city proper). Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k) and below Bogotá (~15/100k) in 2024 — a historic low after decades of cartel-era violence — but still several times rich-world capital levels. 2025 figures were trending slightly upward at time of writing; to be re-verified against the SISC year-end 2025 balance.
04Climate comfort
Bogotástronger
12/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: all 12 months qualify (max 18.5–20.2°C year-round, no month above 117mm). Bogotá's high-altitude equatorial climate is spring-like all year; the trade-off is coolness/rain, not seasonality.
Medellín
2/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: only Jan (27.9°C, 72mm) and Dec (27.3°C, 115mm) qualify = 2. Ten months miss the strict test — seven exceed the 28°C max ceiling by a fraction (28.1–28.7°C) and the rest carry >150mm rain (Mar–May, Sep–Nov are the two wet seasons). This understates real comfort: Medellín's temperature is famously stable and spring-like all year (its 'Eternal Spring' reputation); the criterion penalises it for a whisker over 28°C at the warm valley-floor station and for heavy tropical rainfall, not for genuine seasonality. Users should read the raw normals alongside this score.
05Internet speed
Bogotá
17 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
Medellín
17 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
06English proficiency
Bogotá
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Medellín
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
07Private healthcare cost
Bogotá
$1,250/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
Medellín
$1,250/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
08Air quality (PM2.5)
Bogotástronger
13.4 µg/m³
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 from Bogotá's district RMCAB monitoring network: 13.4 µg/m³ (2023), down from 15.1 µg/m³ (2022). City-wide average across background stations; southern/industrial localities read higher than northern residential zones.
- Notes
- ≈2.7× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Bogotá is outside the EEA city-viewer coverage, so this uses the national monitoring network (RMCAB), the per-methodology fallback. To be re-verified against the RMCAB 2024 annual report.
Medellín
15.5 µg/m³
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) — SIATA, Informe Anual de Calidad del Aire 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 for Medellín ≈ 15.5 µg/m³ (2023) from the official AMVA/SIATA Valle de Aburrá monitoring network annual report; the network reports a further fall to ≈14.8 µg/m³ in 2024. Figure attributed to the AMVA 2023 annual report; the exact per-station table should be reconciled against the report PDF.
- Notes
- ≈3× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) and above the 2030 EU limit (10), within the current EU limit (25). The Aburrá valley traps pollution and suffers seasonal contingency episodes (Feb–Mar, Oct) when levels spike several-fold; neighbouring Bello and Envigado read higher than Medellín proper. Air quality is a genuine drawback of the location. To be re-verified against the AMVA 2024 annual report.
02
Which city fits your plan?
Each lens weighs only the facts that matter to that plan, and names the side it favours.
Remote IT / freelancer
Contract or freelance in tech, billing clients abroad.
A close call for this plan
01Freelancer tax burden
Bogotá
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Medellín
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
02Internet speed
Bogotá
17 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
Medellín
17 Mbps
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
03English proficiency
Bogotá
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Medellín
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
04Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bogotá
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Medellín
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
05Domestic delivery quality
Bogotá
Good
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).
Medellín
Good
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).
Family
Relocating with a partner and school-age children.
Bogotá fits better — 2 of 5
01International schools
Bogotástronger
20
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈18 IB World Schools in Bogotá (IB finder, country=Colombia filtered to Bogotá), within Colombia's 77–78 IB World Schools total (official IB by-country page, 2026). Plus two internationally accredited non-IB schools individually verified against their accreditor: Lycée Français Louis-Pasteur (AEFE member, French Ministry-approved) and Colegio Andino / Deutsche Schule Bogotá (recognised 'Exzellente Deutsche Auslandsschule' under the German Auslandsschulwesen, German Federal Foreign Office / KMK). Total ≈20.
- Notes
- Counts IB-accredited schools (~18) plus the AEFE French school and the German Auslandsschulwesen school, each verified against that accreditor per methodology. Cambridge International schools also operate in Bogotá (e.g. Colegio Cambridge, Colegio Gran Bretaña) but several also hold IB authorisation, so they are not separately added here to avoid double-counting; the true accredited-international total may be a few higher. ±3 uncertainty — to be reconciled against each accreditor's full public registry (Cambridge school directory, CIS/COBIS).
Medellín
8
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of internationally-accredited schools in the Medellín metro (city + Envigado/Itagüí/El Retiro). Two verified directly against their accreditor's own registry: Lycée Français de Medellín (AEFE réseau, homologué — aefe.gouv.fr) and Deutsche Schule Medellín (German ZfA network / Itagüí — pasch-net.de). Six further internationally-accredited schools are well attested across sources as IB / Cambridge / CIS members: The Columbus School (Envigado, IB/US), Vermont School (IB), Colegio Colombo Británico (Envigado, IB), Colegio Montessori (IB PYP), The New School (Envigado, IB), and Marymount School (Cambridge curriculum + CIS/NEASC accreditation).
- Notes
- Only the AEFE and ZfA schools were confirmed one-by-one against the accreditor's public registry; the IB and Cambridge/CIS members' official directories (ibo.org, cambridgeinternational.org, cis.org) blocked automated access, so those six rest on strongly consistent secondary reporting pending direct registry reconciliation. The true accredited-international total for the Aburrá valley may be a little higher (several additional bilingual schools hold IB or Cambridge status). Count excludes purely bilingual schools with no external accreditation.
02Homicide rate
Bogotá
15/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈1,200 homicides in Bogotá in 2024 (SDSCJ/SIEDCO; the annual security report cites 1,204) over ≈7.9M residents = ≈15 per 100,000 — the highest in 8 years, ~11% up on 2023. Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k): big-city Bogotá is safer than conflict-affected regions, though far above rich-world capitals.
- Notes
- District security-secretariat count (SIEDCO) reported via Bogotá Cómo Vamos; the underlying figure is official municipal data. The city administration's target for 2024–2027 is 8/100k. 2022 was a decade low at 12.9/100k.
Medellínstronger
11.3/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- 319 homicides in Medellín in 2024 (SISC), 59 fewer than 2023 (−16%); the city's SISC/security-secretariat reported an official rate of 11.3 per 100,000, the lowest among Colombia's main cities and the lowest local rate since the mid-20th century. Victims: 290 men (91%), 28 women (9%).
- Notes
- Municipal SISC figure (city proper). Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k) and below Bogotá (~15/100k) in 2024 — a historic low after decades of cartel-era violence — but still several times rich-world capital levels. 2025 figures were trending slightly upward at time of writing; to be re-verified against the SISC year-end 2025 balance.
03Private healthcare cost
Bogotá
$1,250/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
Medellín
$1,250/yr
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
04Air quality (PM2.5)
Bogotástronger
13.4 µg/m³
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 from Bogotá's district RMCAB monitoring network: 13.4 µg/m³ (2023), down from 15.1 µg/m³ (2022). City-wide average across background stations; southern/industrial localities read higher than northern residential zones.
- Notes
- ≈2.7× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Bogotá is outside the EEA city-viewer coverage, so this uses the national monitoring network (RMCAB), the per-methodology fallback. To be re-verified against the RMCAB 2024 annual report.
Medellín
15.5 µg/m³
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) — SIATA, Informe Anual de Calidad del Aire 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 for Medellín ≈ 15.5 µg/m³ (2023) from the official AMVA/SIATA Valle de Aburrá monitoring network annual report; the network reports a further fall to ≈14.8 µg/m³ in 2024. Figure attributed to the AMVA 2023 annual report; the exact per-station table should be reconciled against the report PDF.
- Notes
- ≈3× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) and above the 2030 EU limit (10), within the current EU limit (25). The Aburrá valley traps pollution and suffers seasonal contingency episodes (Feb–Mar, Oct) when levels spike several-fold; neighbouring Bello and Envigado read higher than Medellín proper. Air quality is a genuine drawback of the location. To be re-verified against the AMVA 2024 annual report.
05English proficiency
Bogotá
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Medellín
Low
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Money & crypto
Optimising tax, banking and crypto rules.
A close call for this plan
01Crypto regulation
Bogotá
Legal regulated
DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 8, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.
Medellín
Legal regulated
DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 8, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.
02Financial control level
Bogotá
Moderate
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 26, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).
Medellín
Moderate
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 26, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).
03Freelancer tax burden
Bogotá
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Medellín
17.3%
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Calm lifestyle
Prioritising safety, air, and an easy daily life.
Bogotá fits better — 2 of 4
01Homicide rate
Bogotá
15/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈1,200 homicides in Bogotá in 2024 (SDSCJ/SIEDCO; the annual security report cites 1,204) over ≈7.9M residents = ≈15 per 100,000 — the highest in 8 years, ~11% up on 2023. Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k): big-city Bogotá is safer than conflict-affected regions, though far above rich-world capitals.
- Notes
- District security-secretariat count (SIEDCO) reported via Bogotá Cómo Vamos; the underlying figure is official municipal data. The city administration's target for 2024–2027 is 8/100k. 2022 was a decade low at 12.9/100k.
Medellínstronger
11.3/100k
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- 319 homicides in Medellín in 2024 (SISC), 59 fewer than 2023 (−16%); the city's SISC/security-secretariat reported an official rate of 11.3 per 100,000, the lowest among Colombia's main cities and the lowest local rate since the mid-20th century. Victims: 290 men (91%), 28 women (9%).
- Notes
- Municipal SISC figure (city proper). Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k) and below Bogotá (~15/100k) in 2024 — a historic low after decades of cartel-era violence — but still several times rich-world capital levels. 2025 figures were trending slightly upward at time of writing; to be re-verified against the SISC year-end 2025 balance.
02Air quality (PM2.5)
Bogotástronger
13.4 µg/m³
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 from Bogotá's district RMCAB monitoring network: 13.4 µg/m³ (2023), down from 15.1 µg/m³ (2022). City-wide average across background stations; southern/industrial localities read higher than northern residential zones.
- Notes
- ≈2.7× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Bogotá is outside the EEA city-viewer coverage, so this uses the national monitoring network (RMCAB), the per-methodology fallback. To be re-verified against the RMCAB 2024 annual report.
Medellín
15.5 µg/m³
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) — SIATA, Informe Anual de Calidad del Aire 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 for Medellín ≈ 15.5 µg/m³ (2023) from the official AMVA/SIATA Valle de Aburrá monitoring network annual report; the network reports a further fall to ≈14.8 µg/m³ in 2024. Figure attributed to the AMVA 2023 annual report; the exact per-station table should be reconciled against the report PDF.
- Notes
- ≈3× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) and above the 2030 EU limit (10), within the current EU limit (25). The Aburrá valley traps pollution and suffers seasonal contingency episodes (Feb–Mar, Oct) when levels spike several-fold; neighbouring Bello and Envigado read higher than Medellín proper. Air quality is a genuine drawback of the location. To be re-verified against the AMVA 2024 annual report.
03Cost of living (single, excl. rent)
Bogotá
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Medellín
$705/mo
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
04Climate comfort
Bogotástronger
12/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: all 12 months qualify (max 18.5–20.2°C year-round, no month above 117mm). Bogotá's high-altitude equatorial climate is spring-like all year; the trade-off is coolness/rain, not seasonality.
Medellín
2/12 mo
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: only Jan (27.9°C, 72mm) and Dec (27.3°C, 115mm) qualify = 2. Ten months miss the strict test — seven exceed the 28°C max ceiling by a fraction (28.1–28.7°C) and the rest carry >150mm rain (Mar–May, Sep–Nov are the two wet seasons). This understates real comfort: Medellín's temperature is famously stable and spring-like all year (its 'Eternal Spring' reputation); the criterion penalises it for a whisker over 28°C at the warm valley-floor station and for heavy tropical rainfall, not for genuine seasonality. Users should read the raw normals alongside this score.
03
The full comparison
Open any fact to see what it measures, how fresh it is and the complete source trail for both cities.
01
Taxes
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Freelancer tax burden% effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profileBogotá17.3Medellín17.3
What this measures
Effective total burden (income tax + mandatory social and health contributions) for a solo IT freelancer with €60,000/year revenue and 10% deductible expenses, using the most favourable eligible scheme in the country's tax-schemes data. Computed by the SettleMetric tax engine; recorded as a curated value with the winning scheme id in method.
Lower is better· % effective burden at €60k/year self-employed profile· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jan 1, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Best eligible scheme co-rst-professional at €60,000 = 229,069,800 COP (3,817.83 COP/EUR), ≈ 4,374 UVT → SIMPLE professional-services band 0–6,000 UVT = 5.9% of gross = 13,515,118; plus mandatory independent social security on IBC = 40% of income: health 12.5% of IBC = 5% of gross = 11,453,490 and pension 16% of IBC = 6.4% of gross = 14,660,467. Total = 39,629,075 COP → 17.3%. Consistent with the co-rst-professional worked examples. Note: at this income IBC ≈ 4.36 SMMLV ≥ 4, so the Fondo de Solidaridad Pensional adds ≈ 0.4% (all-in ≈ 17.7%); and the SIMPLE pension discount, if claimed, would lower it further — both unmodeled, so 17.3% is the modeled, conservative-of-those figure.
02
Legalization
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Remote-work legalization easeBogotáDedicated nomad visaMedellínDedicated nomad visa
What this measures
Best available legalization route for a location-independent earner with a median (non-EU, non-US) passport, classified from this country's legalization-paths data: dedicated digital-nomad visa; general freelance/self-employment permit; realistic long-stay path (e.g. renewable temporary residence); only short visa-free/tourist stays; effectively none.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Bogotá
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores — Resolución 5477 de 2022, art. 46 (Visa V Nómada digital)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 22, 2022
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Colombia has a dedicated Visa V for digital nomads (trabajo remoto/teletrabajo for foreign companies), valid up to 2 years, income requirement 3 SMMLV. Longer-term freelancers can also use the accumulating Visa M — Profesional independiente (5 SMMLV) toward permanent residence.
Medellín
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores — Resolución 5477 de 2022, art. 46 (Visa V Nómada digital)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jul 22, 2022
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Colombia has a dedicated Visa V for digital nomads (trabajo remoto/teletrabajo for foreign companies), valid up to 2 years, income requirement 3 SMMLV. Longer-term freelancers can also use the accumulating Visa M — Profesional independiente (5 SMMLV) toward permanent residence.
03
Cost of living
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Cost of living (single, excl. rent)USD/month, single person, excluding rentBogotá705Medellín705
What this measures
Monthly cost of a defined single-person basket (food, transport, utilities, mobile+internet, modest leisure) excluding rent, curated from national statistics office price data and large local retailers' published prices, converted to USD at the ECB rate recorded in fx-rates. The method field of each value itemizes the basket inputs.
Lower is better· USD/month, single person, excluding rent· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
Medellín
DANE — línea de pobreza y clasificación por ingreso 2025 (basket anchor), CPI-consistent
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Curated single-person non-rent basket (food, utilities, urban transport, mobile+internet, modest leisure and misc.) for a foreign remote worker in a major Colombian city, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands (national poverty line 482,041 COP/mo; middle-class per-capita spending 853,608–4,596,352 COP/mo) and typical published utility/transport/mobile tariffs. Estimated ≈ 2,360,000 COP/mo ÷ 3,349.7 COP/USD (ECB EUR/COP 3,817.83 ÷ EUR/USD 1.1399, fx-rates 2026-07-02) ≈ 705 USD. Curated estimate — DANE has not published a 2025/2026 one-person-household consumption line comparable to Poland's GUS figure; to be refined from ENPH microdata.
DANE income/spending bands 2025 (basket anchor)
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Illustrative split of the ≈$705/mo single-person non-rent basket into typical urban categories, anchored on DANE 2025 income bands and published utility/transport/mobile tariffs, converted at 3,349.7 COP/USD. Categories sum to ≈$705. Curated estimate, not a DANE household-budget survey line; national/major-city average — El Poblado-tier neighbourhoods run higher.
Food & groceries230 USD
Restaurants & eating out110 USD
Recreation & culture90 USD
Household & personal care85 USD
Utilities (electricity, water, gas)75 USD
Transport (urban)70 USD
Mobile & home internet45 USD
04
Housing
Rent by apartment type
Asking rent, central price with outside-centre in parentheses ($/mo).
Bogotá
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City-wide asking-rent room averages (studio ≈1,600,000; 1BR ≈1,900,000; 2BR ≈2,700,000; 3BR ≈3,700,000 COP/mo — triangulated from Fincaraíz/Metrocuadrado March–June 2026 portal reports) split into central vs outside using location multipliers ×1.22 (central estrato-4/5 north-centre: Chapinero, Chicó, Teusaquillo) and ×0.79 (outer estrato-2/3: Suba, Kennedy, Engativá, Cedritos), converted at 3,349.7 COP/USD. The 1BR-center cell ($692) reconciles with the separately recorded rent-1br-center ($690).
- Notes
- DERIVED matrix: no single Colombian source publishes rent by room count AND by centre/outside simultaneously. City-wide room averages and the central-vs-outer spread are each observed in portal market reports (Fincaraíz/Metrocuadrado per-m² and by-zone data, March–June 2026); the individual cells are computed (room-average × location multiplier) and are estimates. Cross-checked against colombiamove Bogotá 1BR neighbourhood ranges ($317–$1,341 unfurnished). Central = north-centre expat/stratum-4+ districts; outside = outer stratum-2/3 districts. Furnished/short-term (nomad) rents run higher.
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Matrix of average unfurnished asking rents by apartment type × location, mid-2026, converted at the official TRM 3,334.93 COP/USD (2026-07-04). 'Center' = desirable central/mid core (Laureles / Estadio, stratum 4–5): apartaestudio ≈1.85M / 1BR ≈2.6M / 2BR ≈3.4M / 3BR ≈4.5M COP. 'Outside' = cheaper outer neighbourhoods (Belén, Envigado, La América, stratum 3–4): apartaestudio ≈1.5M / 1BR ≈2.0M / 2BR ≈2.7M / 3BR ≈3.5M COP. Room-count midpoints derived transparently from portal ranges; the 1BR-center cell equals the scored rent-1br-center value.
- Notes
- Asking prices, unfurnished, before administración (COP 150k–800k) and utilities (COP 150k–300k). Premium El Poblado sits well above the 'center' column shown (a 1BR there is ≈$1,050–1,500). Studio/apartaestudio figures rest on fewer listings than 1BR/2BR, so treat those cells as indicative.
01Studio
Bogotácheaper
$583$377 outside
Medellín
$600$450 outside
021-bedroom
Bogotácheaper
$692$448 outside
Medellín
$780$600 outside
032-bedroom
Bogotácheaper
$983$637 outside
Medellín
$1,020$810 outside
043-bedroom
Bogotácheaper
$1,348$873 outside
Medellín
$1,350$1,050 outside
05
Safety
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Homicide rateintentional homicides per 100,000/yearBogotá15Medellínstronger11.3
What this measures
Intentional homicide victims per 100,000 population, latest available year. Country level: UNODC national series. City level: official municipal/police statistics where published; otherwise null (country value shown as country-level).
Lower is better· intentional homicides per 100,000/year· re-verified every 730 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈1,200 homicides in Bogotá in 2024 (SDSCJ/SIEDCO; the annual security report cites 1,204) over ≈7.9M residents = ≈15 per 100,000 — the highest in 8 years, ~11% up on 2023. Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k): big-city Bogotá is safer than conflict-affected regions, though far above rich-world capitals.
- Notes
- District security-secretariat count (SIEDCO) reported via Bogotá Cómo Vamos; the underlying figure is official municipal data. The city administration's target for 2024–2027 is 8/100k. 2022 was a decade low at 12.9/100k.
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2024
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- 319 homicides in Medellín in 2024 (SISC), 59 fewer than 2023 (−16%); the city's SISC/security-secretariat reported an official rate of 11.3 per 100,000, the lowest among Colombia's main cities and the lowest local rate since the mid-20th century. Victims: 290 men (91%), 28 women (9%).
- Notes
- Municipal SISC figure (city proper). Well below the Colombian national rate (~25/100k) and below Bogotá (~15/100k) in 2024 — a historic low after decades of cartel-era violence — but still several times rich-world capital levels. 2025 figures were trending slightly upward at time of writing; to be re-verified against the SISC year-end 2025 balance.
06
Climate
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Climate comfortpleasant months/yearBogotástronger12Medellín2
What this measures
Number of months whose 1991–2020 climate normals satisfy: mean daily maximum between 15°C and 28°C and monthly precipitation under 150mm. Computed from the city's climate-normals indicator; the raw normals are stored alongside so users can judge by their own taste.
Higher is better· pleasant months/year· re-verified every 3650 days
Bogotá
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C and precipitation < 150mm: all 12 months qualify (max 18.5–20.2°C year-round, no month above 117mm). Bogotá's high-altitude equatorial climate is spring-like all year; the trade-off is coolness/rain, not seasonality.
Medellín
SettleMetric computation over climate-normals
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Months with mean daily max 15–28°C AND precipitation < 150mm: only Jan (27.9°C, 72mm) and Dec (27.3°C, 115mm) qualify = 2. Ten months miss the strict test — seven exceed the 28°C max ceiling by a fraction (28.1–28.7°C) and the rest carry >150mm rain (Mar–May, Sep–Nov are the two wet seasons). This understates real comfort: Medellín's temperature is famously stable and spring-like all year (its 'Eternal Spring' reputation); the criterion penalises it for a whisker over 28°C at the warm valley-floor station and for heavy tropical rainfall, not for genuine seasonality. Users should read the raw normals alongside this score.
02+−Air quality (PM2.5)µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5Bogotástronger13.4Medellín15.5
What this measures
Annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration for the city, latest available year. Anchors follow the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³ → 10) through the EU limit value territory (25 µg/m³ → 2). Preferred source: European Environment Agency city-level air quality data; outside Europe: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database or the national monitoring network.
Lower is better· µg/m³, annual mean PM2.5· re-verified every 730 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 from Bogotá's district RMCAB monitoring network: 13.4 µg/m³ (2023), down from 15.1 µg/m³ (2022). City-wide average across background stations; southern/industrial localities read higher than northern residential zones.
- Notes
- ≈2.7× the WHO 2021 guideline (5 µg/m³); within the current EU limit (25) but above the 2030 EU limit (10). Bogotá is outside the EEA city-viewer coverage, so this uses the national monitoring network (RMCAB), the per-methodology fallback. To be re-verified against the RMCAB 2024 annual report.
Medellín
Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá (AMVA) — SIATA, Informe Anual de Calidad del Aire 2023
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- City annual mean PM2.5 for Medellín ≈ 15.5 µg/m³ (2023) from the official AMVA/SIATA Valle de Aburrá monitoring network annual report; the network reports a further fall to ≈14.8 µg/m³ in 2024. Figure attributed to the AMVA 2023 annual report; the exact per-station table should be reconciled against the report PDF.
- Notes
- ≈3× the WHO 2021 annual guideline (5 µg/m³) and above the 2030 EU limit (10), within the current EU limit (25). The Aburrá valley traps pollution and suffers seasonal contingency episodes (Feb–Mar, Oct) when levels spike several-fold; neighbouring Bello and Envigado read higher than Medellín proper. Air quality is a genuine drawback of the location. To be re-verified against the AMVA 2024 annual report.
07
Healthcare
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Private healthcare costUSD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-oldBogotá1,250Medellín1,250
What this measures
Median of at least three publicly quoted annual premiums for comprehensive private medical insurance (outpatient + inpatient, ~$100k coverage, small deductible) for a healthy 35-year-old resident foreigner, from local and international insurers. Method field lists the insurers quoted.
Lower is better· USD/year, comprehensive private insurance premium, healthy 35-year-old· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Comprehensive private cover in Colombia layers on top of the mandatory contributory system (EPS): a 'medicina prepagada' or voluntary health plan (Sura, Colsanitas, Coomeva) with outpatient + inpatient access for a healthy 35-year-old runs roughly 250,000–450,000 COP/month; midpoint ≈ 350,000 COP/mo ≈ 4,200,000 COP/yr ≈ 1,254 USD at 3,349.7 COP/USD (range ≈ $895–$1,610). Curated market midpoint — Colombian prepaid-medicine premiums are age/plan-banded and quoted on request, not from a public engine.
- Notes
- Residents affiliated to an EPS already have universal contributory cover; prepaid medicine buys faster access, private hospitals and broader networks. Premiums exclude the mandatory 12.5% health contribution (counted in the tax burden), not an insurance premium. International (IPMI) plans cost several times more.
08
Money & crypto
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Crypto regulationBogotáLegal regulatedMedellínLegal regulated
What this measures
Own classification of the legal status of holding, trading and cashing out cryptocurrency for individuals: legal-friendly (legal with clear, favourable rules or explicit tax exemptions), legal-regulated (legal under standard licensing/AML and taxation), restricted (partial bans: payments or banking access prohibited), banned (holding/trading prohibited). Classified from national regulators' and central banks' official positions.
Rated by category· re-verified every 180 days
Bogotá
DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 8, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.
Medellín
DIAN — Concepto Unificado 100202208-1621 de 2023 sobre criptoactivos (tratamiento tributario)
Official source
- Data as of
- Jan 8, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Crypto is legal to hold/trade but is not legal tender (Banco de la República); the DIAN treats it as an intangible asset. Gains taxed as ordinary income (up to 39%) if held <2 years, or as ganancia ocasional (15%) if held ≥2 years; holdings must be declared. From tax-year 2025 the DIAN (Resolución 000240) requires registered virtual-asset service providers to report Colombian users' operations; the SFC administers a PSAV registry. No consumer ban; banking access can be uneven.
02+−Financial control levelBogotáModerateMedellínModerate
What this measures
Own composite of state control over personal money flows: currency/capital controls (IMF AREAER), restrictions on foreign accounts and transfers, mandatory income declaration scope for residents, cash payment limits, banking access for foreigners. Low = free movement of personal funds and easy non-resident banking; very-high = strict capital controls and pervasive reporting. Method field on each value lists the inputs used.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 26, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).
Medellín
Official source
- Data as of
- Feb 26, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite: the COP is convertible and there are no hard capital controls, but Colombia keeps a foreign-exchange regime (régimen cambiario) in which certain operations (external credit, foreign investment, some import/export) must be channelled through the regulated exchange market (IMC or a Banco de la República compensation account) with a declaración de cambio; residents may hold foreign accounts and compensation accounts. Service-export income (freelancer earnings) is not subject to mandatory channelling but reporting/traceability rules apply. Standard AML/UIAF and tax-reporting scope. Rated 'moderate' (freer than capital-control regimes, more paperwork than fully open EU/OECD peers).
09
Infrastructure
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−Domestic delivery qualityBogotáGoodMedellínGood
What this measures
Quality of in-country parcel delivery. excellent = nationwide next-day widely available, dense parcel-locker network, real-time tracking standard; good = 1–3 day delivery, lockers in major cities; basic = reliable but slow (3–7 days), mostly to-door or post-office pickup; poor = unreliable delivery, street addresses often unusable, informal workarounds common. Classified from official service/coverage data of the national postal operator and the two largest private carriers; inputs itemized in each value's method field.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jun 30, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Composite of the national operator (4-72 / Servicios Postales Nacionales) plus the dominant private networks (Servientrega, Coordinadora, Interrapidísimo, TCC, Envía) that provide dense nationwide door-to-door and office-pickup coverage with tracking; 1–3 day delivery between major cities is standard, longer to rural/remote municipalities. Parcel-locker networks are limited compared with Europe. Rated 'good' (reliable major-city coverage, not next-day-everywhere with dense lockers).
02+−International delivery easeBogotáSignificant frictionMedellínSignificant friction
What this measures
Ease of receiving goods from abroad. seamless = major international carriers deliver door-to-door, meaningful duty-free de-minimis threshold, customs clearance predictable in days; minor-friction = carriers present but low de-minimis, extra paperwork or routine delays; significant-friction = frequent customs holds, high brokerage fees, some marketplaces refuse to ship; unreliable = parcels regularly lost or blocked, informal import channels dominate. De-minimis thresholds and clearance rules from the national customs authority (official source, cite the regulation); carrier presence from carriers' official pages.
Rated by category· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
DIAN — modalidad de tráfico postal y envíos urgentes; de minimis USD 200 (Decreto 1090 de 2020)
Official source
- Data as of
- Aug 1, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) serve Colombia. De-minimis: shipments with FOB ≤ USD 200 are duty-free under the tráfico-postal/envíos-urgentes modality (Decreto 1090/2020), but the VAT (IVA) exemption applies only to origins under a free-trade agreement (e.g. USA, South Korea); from other origins IVA is charged. Consignments are capped (≤ USD 2,000, ≤ 50 kg, ≤ 6 identical units). Customs holds, brokerage fees and slower clearance are common → significant friction for non-FTA imports.
Medellín
DIAN — modalidad de tráfico postal y envíos urgentes; de minimis USD 200 (Decreto 1090 de 2020)
Official source
- Data as of
- Aug 1, 2020
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Major carriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS) serve Colombia. De-minimis: shipments with FOB ≤ USD 200 are duty-free under the tráfico-postal/envíos-urgentes modality (Decreto 1090/2020), but the VAT (IVA) exemption applies only to origins under a free-trade agreement (e.g. USA, South Korea); from other origins IVA is charged. Consignments are capped (≤ USD 2,000, ≤ 50 kg, ≤ 6 identical units). Customs holds, brokerage fees and slower clearance are common → significant friction for non-FTA imports.
03+−Internet speedMbps, median fixed downloadBogotá17.4Medellín17.4
What this measures
Median fixed-broadband download speed over the trailing 6 months from M-Lab NDT open data (CC0), aggregated at country or city level. Not comparable with Ookla figures (different test methodology) — do not mix sources within this criterion.
Higher is better· Mbps, median fixed download· re-verified every 365 days
Bogotá
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
Medellín
M-Lab NDT country aggregates for Colombia
Open data
- Data as of
- Dec 31, 2023
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Mean of the daily country median download (download_MED) values in M-Lab's public statistics API for Colombia; the published file covers the first 16 days of 2023 (≈181,872 tests), mean ≈ 17.4 Mbps; the 2024 file (first 16 days) is consistent at ≈ 16.9 Mbps.
- Notes
- M-Lab NDT is single-stream and reads well below Ookla-style figures — comparable only within this criterion. M-Lab's public stats API exposes only a partial-year window for Colombia, so this is a limited-coverage figure to be refined via BigQuery. Urban fibre plans advertise 100–900 Mbps; the M-Lab median reflects the mixed national access base.
10
Language
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−English proficiencyBogotáLowMedellínLow
What this measures
Own banding of how far English gets a resident in daily life (government offices, healthcare, housing, services). Informed by EF EPI band (research source, cited with attribution, not republished) plus official language status and service-sector realities. Values are our bands, not EF scores.
Rated by category· re-verified every 730 days
Bogotá
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
Medellín
EF EPI 2025 — Colombia rank 76/123, score 480 (Low Proficiency band)
Research
- Data as of
- Nov 1, 2025
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Notes
- Own band informed by EF EPI 2025 (attribution: EF Education First); score 480 sits in EF's 'Low Proficiency' band. Spanish is the working language for government, healthcare and most services; English is workable in tourist/expat pockets of Bogotá and Medellín and in tech/BPO circles but not broadly across daily life.
11
Education
CriterionBogotáMedellín
01+−International schoolsaccredited international schools, countBogotástronger20Medellín8
What this measures
Count of international schools in the metro area accredited by or member of IB, CIS, COBIS, or an equivalent national-curriculum-abroad body (verified against the accreditor's public registry, not aggregator sites).
Higher is better· accredited international schools, count· re-verified every 730 days
Bogotá
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- ≈18 IB World Schools in Bogotá (IB finder, country=Colombia filtered to Bogotá), within Colombia's 77–78 IB World Schools total (official IB by-country page, 2026). Plus two internationally accredited non-IB schools individually verified against their accreditor: Lycée Français Louis-Pasteur (AEFE member, French Ministry-approved) and Colegio Andino / Deutsche Schule Bogotá (recognised 'Exzellente Deutsche Auslandsschule' under the German Auslandsschulwesen, German Federal Foreign Office / KMK). Total ≈20.
- Notes
- Counts IB-accredited schools (~18) plus the AEFE French school and the German Auslandsschulwesen school, each verified against that accreditor per methodology. Cambridge International schools also operate in Bogotá (e.g. Colegio Cambridge, Colegio Gran Bretaña) but several also hold IB authorisation, so they are not separately added here to avoid double-counting; the true accredited-international total may be a few higher. ±3 uncertainty — to be reconciled against each accreditor's full public registry (Cambridge school directory, CIS/COBIS).
Medellín
Curated by SettleMetric
- Data as of
- Jul 4, 2026
- Verified
- Jul 4, 2026
- Method
- Count of internationally-accredited schools in the Medellín metro (city + Envigado/Itagüí/El Retiro). Two verified directly against their accreditor's own registry: Lycée Français de Medellín (AEFE réseau, homologué — aefe.gouv.fr) and Deutsche Schule Medellín (German ZfA network / Itagüí — pasch-net.de). Six further internationally-accredited schools are well attested across sources as IB / Cambridge / CIS members: The Columbus School (Envigado, IB/US), Vermont School (IB), Colegio Colombo Británico (Envigado, IB), Colegio Montessori (IB PYP), The New School (Envigado, IB), and Marymount School (Cambridge curriculum + CIS/NEASC accreditation).
- Notes
- Only the AEFE and ZfA schools were confirmed one-by-one against the accreditor's public registry; the IB and Cambridge/CIS members' official directories (ibo.org, cambridgeinternational.org, cis.org) blocked automated access, so those six rest on strongly consistent secondary reporting pending direct registry reconciliation. The true accredited-international total for the Aburrá valley may be a little higher (several additional bilingual schools hold IB or Cambridge status). Count excludes purely bilingual schools with no external accreditation.