Medellín

I loved Medellín but it’s very expensive oddly since the crime is still pretty high here. I can find a better deal and more affordable places in Europe. However, the mountains, coffee, chocolate and general vibe of Colombia is amazing. One of my favourite countries. Also lots to do in terms of networking and attending language events. Just be careful at night walking.

Was great when I visited in 2019, unfortunately upon returning, things have gotten worse. Locals are tired of gentrification and over tourism, and the vibe is not the same. It has attracted a lot of the wrong type of foreigners.

Spent years here in the past. Now I know far too many people who've been robbed (often at gun point or knife point) to return. Had great times here but won't be back

Got robbed at gun point, also the streets are pretty dirty and there are a lot of beggars. I wouldn't recommend it

I loved Medellín. Was there for 5 weeks. Beautiful views of the mountain, warm, trees, coffee, cafe shops and chocolate. The men are very good looking as well. The food is ok but not bad. I got hit on a lot as a foreign woman. The only downside might be the touristy nature of el pablado and the crime and prostitution aspects. Other than that, I am really Look forward to coming back!

An awesome city full of gorgeous greenery/flowers (check it out during the flower fest) and beautiful women. People are down to earth and has a big reggaeton scene (some of the big worldwide artists from here). International food has been improving as it solidifies as a foreigner vacation spot.

Been coming to medellin for like 7 years mainly for vacations, while weather is good (spring like) i prefer a bit colder myself. Everything is cheap, and colombians in general are friendly and welcoming. Have watched as the city has been invaded by more and more gringos over the years, it now has become sort of like a colombian cancun vacation spot, but less trashy.

Did not find it dangerous at all, though it could be at night if you look like a clueless gringo. I am told i give off narco vibes lmao, so maybe thats why I never have trouble. Careful with the drugs here they are very strong, personally I would avoid. Also screen the women you date, I hear scoplamine can be a problem never faced it myself. There is a saying "don' give papaya" in colombia it basically means don't look like an easy target and you will be alright.

Some reviews say this place is mainly for male expats, sure with the gorgeous girls everywhere, but if western women want to be left alone this is the place to go, you will be ignored!

A lot of foreign investment coming into the city in the form of new hotels etc, wish I had bought a property here back in 2017, airbnbs get rented out very easily and certain times of year it is impossible to find a room (christmas).

Overall a fantastic place to live whether for a few weeks or few months. It can get a bit boring after being in the city for maybe 3-6 months so travel around. It is a smaller city after all. Paisas are dope!

INTERNET-----------------------------

Medellin is a larger city, with a solid fiber internet (often 200 mb+) and reliable electricity. Latency is low with fiber. Best internet Ive had so far in Latin/South America.

AREAS TO STAY--------------------------
The two main areas, Poblado and Laurales, for expats and tourists make the area for walks and sights considerbly smaller, than you can exect from a 3 million US / EU city. You can venture outside those two areas, mainly at daytime (eg Botero Plaza), but usually not so much at night time, due to safety. I always felt safe in Medellin, but Im also very attentive and stayed on my side of the road, without showing off watches or phones. As a rule of thumb for Europeans, I divide the population of Latam cities by 3-4 to get a feeling of walkable and sightseeing areas.

Poblado is more active with social life and noise, mainly tourists for short stays. Parque Lleras and Provenza are the party hubs where people gather. Provenza is a bit more clean and hip, Parque Lleras has its issues with prostitution and shady overpriced bars. '

Poblado is a large area outside the party zone, its residential areas, with gated entries and door men. Its generally safe, but be attentive at night. POBLADO IS VERY HILLY, so dont execpt long walks daily. You might have to daily get an Uber for the groceries. You get nice views thought. Tesoro is a huge mall worth visiting, if just for the view over Medellin.

Laurales is more laid back, and less interactive, but still have a lot coworking cafes/places where you can meet other expats. Laurales is cheaper and more walkable/less hilly, more quiet in the weekdays. Its a bit more locals at Rua 70 and noise, but the areas around is nicer, eg around Starbucks area.

COST OF APARTMENT--------------
My apartment i Laurales was 800$ monthly, the one in Poblado 1000$. These were the cheaper options for an own apartment, 1 person.
I would pay around 18-22 mil (5-6$) for a regular hamburger in Poblado. Eating out in Poblado/Laurales is not that cheap unless you find the side streets where the locals go.

POINTERS----------------------------------------
Go to the restaurants on the hillside for sunset, eg places like Ritwal, Le Parch, Rebellion. Its a 20 min drive to get some fresh air and a horizon.

Find the rooftops, as in all larger cities. Marquee Hotel, 360 bar among others.

Rent a scooter to get around, remember to get the insurance, the traffic is alright, AVOID RUSH HOUR AS ALL BIG CITIES. Uber is a safe option, but the app Indrive is cheaper, faster and you can pay with cash (tolls are on you, as opposed to Uber). Rappi is a good option to Uber eats or groceries.

You can fly to Armenia (coffe region) for 90$ and 45 min flight.

Okay so I finally took the leap of faith and came to Medellin. For a bit of statistics, I am female travelling alone. Like many, I was scared of my safety because of everything we hear about Colombia being dangerous BUT I have good news for you! This place is freaking AWESOME! It is not as dangerous as it used to be 20 years ago. Trust me! I was walking around the streets feeling so safe, meeting colombian people, dancing with them in the salsa classes, going on tours...I just loved it! I love Colombian people, they are so nice and welcoming! Do not be overwhelmed when you get to the airport. The taxi drivers are just asking if you want a ride. They are not taking you anywhere bad. They are just trying to make their money. In any case, there are 2 main tourist neighbourhoods: El Poblado and Laureles. I loved Laureles to live because it was calmer than Poblado and the landscape is flat, but I liked Poblado for the party! Go to Gringo Tuesdays and you will have a nice time meeting Colombians and other expats.
Medellin in summary is a beautiful place to be. I will never forget the bus ride I had where a few Colombians jumped in and started laughing and chatting with us. What a beautiful experience!
P.S: Remember to go to Colombia during the dry season if you do not like rain. The rain here is no joke! When it rains, it pours down!!!

The stats are stats are super misleading and the reviews here as well. Locals are staring to recent digital nomads for the rise of housing prices and for it not paying taxes. It is really unfortunate, but I am let down by this city and the people. The only reason this city is popular is because all the single male wanting to go to parties and passport bros, if you are a female digital nomad you won’t feel any of this because most people that go there are male and are the ones causing the problems.

Just to echo the last two reviews - these stats are super misleading. This year I've worked out of a number of different towns and cities in Mexico, Central & South America, and Medellin by far had the best internet. I was also a woman traveling alone and not once did I feel in danger, just don't go out clubbing alone or something insane that would make you a target in any city. I rented a car and roadtripped what was basically a 5 hour radius around Medellin and the roads were great, I'd rank that drive just as beautiful (if not more) than the Dolomites in Italy. I'm heading back in November to stay in Santa Elena for 4 months.

The scores are misleading and do not represent the reality of Medellin. Internet is super fast in most places and it's very safe (the murder rate is 15 for 100,000 which is well below most US cities).

I don't know who writes the pros and cons for this site, but it is fairly obvious that they either know nothing about Medellin, or have never been here. For example it says "pretty slow internet", seriously? I live here and I have gig fiber to the door internet (up and down) and the same is available throughout the city. It also says "not safe at all", nonsense. Like any big city there are areas best avoided of course, but in general its a safe place to walk and work and use public transportation. It also says "not family friendly". Now I don't know what standard you are using to base that statement on, but this is probably one of the most family friendly places I have every lived!!

I stayed in El Poblado for 1 week, did not like it that much. If you're European: to describe the vibe it's sort of Ayia Napa vibe to it all (A lot of tourist coming to party, and a lot of locals trying to scam). I had very nice guided trips during day so that was nice. I stayed in at the Selina, I would recommend to avoid the hotel if you're dependent on a stable internet.

There is a reason why 95% of expats are male.... If you want low cost of living, pretty girls, decent climate and cheap parties Medellin is the place to be, however the people that say Medellin is amazing is usually guys because of the pretty girls, Medellin isnt a pretty city at all, not overly alot to do in the city itself, nothing special

I love Laureles which is calmer, lots of tress, great restaurants. I don't like Poblado which is noisier, more polluted and more party.

Medellin is a great city to be in. Taking advantage of the current exchange rate, it is a very affordable city, as in any metropolis you must be careful with your things in some places, especially where there are many people because they can take your mobile phone out of your pocket, as in the Barcelona metro or Paris I have also lived it. El Poblado is a very safe area with a wide gastronomic offer and nightlife. The weather is great and the people are very friendly. I do not recommend renting vehicles, ubers are very cheap and easy to get, also you avoid the traffic to drive that can be very heavy at times. The internet is good and it has several coworkings where you can go to change the atmosphere of your apartment. Definitely one of the best places I've been recently.

👍 👍 Malls are fucking awesome, free wifi + free coworking spaces, toilets cleaner than Europe/ASEAN
👍 Public transport is pretty good
👎 Foods are a bit bland compared to ASEAN and Mexico
👎 👎 Safety, lots of racist/xenophobic catcalling on the street especially when I am an Asian. "Oi Chino Chino!" -- something I didn't get in other latam countries

It rains way too much. I visited in August 2022 and it rained every day. Most days were overcast and you rarely saw the sun. It's overcast all day - from sunup to sundown. I can't wait to leave. I thought Florida was rainy and overcast, but it's much worse here. It's overcast and rainy 8 months out of the year, whereas Florida is only rainy and overcast 4 months our of the year. It's a great city, but the rain just killed it for me.

Spent 2 months in Medellin this spring and loved it. Just booked a flight to go back for the Flower Festival in a couple weeks. The contrast of the city and vibrant jungle is stunning. Half of the time we were in Poblado and they other half in Laureles. Poblado has a really fun food scene with impressive restaurants and grocery stores, while Laureles has tons of cafes that are great for working in. Laureles definitely has a more authentic, residential vibe which we really liked. There's definitely some neighborhoods I would steer clear of, but overall I felt very safe. As a female, I felt comfortable venturing on my own through highly trafficked parts of town. I'm not a big party goer so it was easy to be inside by dark. The locals were very kind and accepting. I met a lot of fellow travelers through volunteering with a non-profit, which made my experience in Medellin even more positive. The weather is perfect year round which is a huge plus as well. This next time I will explore more outside of the city (Sabaneta) and go on more hikes. Can't wait.

Lived here for about 3 months as a female. The climate is amazing as it is the City of Eternal Spring. Very reasonable prices everywhere. I stayed in Poblado, but about a 25 minute walk from all the action of Poblado. Walking on the main roads during the day was fine. The local people are amazingly nice. However, once night falls, you have to be careful here. Do not walk on quiet streets. Leave your valuables at home and do not ever show your mobile phone outside on the street. Use an Uber at night when you do go out.

I have been here for over 100 days so far and really like it BUT you have to be very careful. Yeah, crime is everywhere but if you stick out it will find. No ground-floor apartments without security that open into the street. Prostitution is legal here so you will see it. And you hear about men getting drugged and robbed. The center of the city is a place to visit in the daytime but stay away at night. That said there are some great restaurants here, from Korean to Fine dining. The nightlife in Poblado is huge but not my thing. Safe hotels can be had here for as low as $36 a night, good hostels will be much less. Month-long Airbnbs can are cheap by American standards just be sure to read all the reviews. There are several very nice coliving spaces. As always the weather is perfect no ac or heat needed. Always carry a small umbrella was rain happens often but ends fast. The water is safe to drink. If you are aware of your surroundings, don't mess with drugs or lose women you will probably be ok. As a married man traveling with my wife I don't think this place is all that family-friendly for kids. I think you can live very well here for about 3k USD if you were single, probably less as you learn where to shop and eat. Don't visit any country and expect English. If you eat out a lot as we do then be sure don't flash money and leave your jewelry home.

I just loved Medellin. I planned to stay 4 weeks, but I stayed 8 weeks. First, the weather: always comfortable, not too hot not too cold. You do not need air conditioning, you can sleep with the window open (no mosquitoes or flies because of the bats). Second, for a North American, everything is very cheap; food, lodging, transportation (Uber and taxis are so inexpensive you should not bother with the very clean subway or the buses). Then the fun life; every neighborhood has some kind of nigh entertainment. Most well known is Poblado, but I stayed and preferred Laurales (restaurants on Ave Nutibara and nightlife on LA 70). Sorry: I also need to mention that the women are very beautiful. Nowadays it's pretty safe if you practice basic common sense (as it's explained in innumerable posts on the 'net).

I won’t write a review of Medellin but of this list in particular. I’m from Barranquilla but have been many times in Medellín and actually did a quick remote work for 15 days in this city and I can not disagree more with some statements in this list. I don’t know if this is write because of nomads reviews or a singular person but some of them are just inaccurate, the perception you can have in a few days doesn’t define how a culture or a country really is.
First saying Medellin is not family friendly is completely wrong. Paisas (people from Antioquia) is consider the most Family kind in the whole country, bonds and tight family relationships are very important for this people so idk who or why is ranked as a not family friendly city?.
Second, as an Afro Colombian I never experienced any kind of discrimination in this city, and I’ve been in upscale apartments, restaurants, bar, etc; indeed there is some classism but that is in whole Latin America, basically people trait you as they see you. That being said put some effort on your attire if you don’t want to get “weird looks” regardless of your skin color.
Last but not least… “people don’t speak English very well”. I understand English is the “universal language” specially for travelers, but is a bit Entitled and pejorative high light it as a cons when is not our obligation learn the language of the tourist. If you visit a new country with a different language the least you can do is learn some basic words and start from there. You have to adapt to the new place, not the place to you.

I've told not to stay at downtown, though I did anyways and do not regret it. Best deals for airbnb, loads of markets where you can find everything to consume easely, and a infinity of cabs passing by, aside obviously apps like cabfy and uber.
Parque Lleras its a must during all day, but at night its very democratic in therms of "rumbia" for every taste for music and party. Had a blast parapenting, its 30 min taxi ride from downtown, and the price its ok, like 20/25 dolars. After parapenting, I went straight to comuna 13, one of the most mesmerizing places Ive ever seen, due to how culture and public transportation can transform marginalized societies.

Medellin is a very nice place! Good options of restaurants, hotels and places to hangout. En EL Poblado you have a good variety of bars and places to hangout. At Medellin i worked from the hotel and from a famous shopping mall (EL TESORO) witch has dedicated places, with very good structure os desks, chairs and wi fi for digital nomads (Nómadas Espacio de Coworking).

I've been in Medellin for a few months and I'm liking it. It's inexpensive, wifi is great, medical/dental is excellent, availability of groceries including "luxury" brands is fantastic and that weather is top. Lots to do here in the city and dirt cheap domestic flights. Be careful with the drugs, I've seen people spiral out pretty quickly with the widespread availability of cheap cocaine. Can be dangerous depending on what you're getting into, but if you are reasonably smart and relatively sober you'll be fine. Masks are worn but no super strict covid rules. Stay outside of poblado (I'd suggest staying in rosales / laureles) and you'll save a ton of money.

I don't understand why Medellin isn't tanking in the ratings right now. They are locking down again and have to wear masks outdoors lol. End the farce. We canceled our tickets. Better off spending money somewhere else so you can live your life.

I lived for 4 years in Medellin. People its nice, friendly, nightlife its amazing and can be as crazy as you want, the city its cheap and really beautiful, i loved Medellin, best city of south america in my opinion. I recomend laureles more than el poblado but both places are great.

We loved Medellin! Poblado is a magical enclave, unlike most of Medellin. Amazing restaurants, lots of nature, friendly people, gorgeous women, fast internet, tons of places to work.

The area of Poblado in Medellin is perfect for all travelers and especially digital nomads. Try to stay somewhere off the main streets as the are a bit noisy but not too far. Selina is an excellent hotel/hostel/co-working space and is a nice place to work if you need it. There are open seats, fast-ish WiFi, phone booths as well as a bar, cafe and shops on site. The weather is perfect all-year round which is why is was nicknamed the "City of Eternal Spring". Watch out for guys selling candies as there main goal is to pickpocket you. Easy enough to avoid when sober but be careful when drunk. Other than that it's safe and fun.

wasn't crazy about the town - the surrounding country is gorgeous

The water is perfectly safe to drink. It's more trustworthy than the water in my city back in the States. The air quality is not good at all. If you go by Plume, you will see what days you should engage in outside activities. The ride from the airport is a little wild, so Dramamine may be useful. Uber is illegal, but it's the best way to not get ripped off by your driver (taxis used to get me all the time), just make sure you sit in the front. Be sure to check your route once you're out of your Uber to make sure you didn't get scammed as well (this has only happened to me twice). Your trip should end when you get out of the Uber. Good neighborhoods for foreigners include the following: El Poblado (expensive, good night life), Laureles (more authentic, good street night life), Envigado (farther away from some cool areas, but very chill, more authentic, cheaper), Guayubal, and more. No matter how good the AirBNBs downtown look, just don't do it. Don't be on your phone outside at night. Put it away and you'll probably be fine. The internet is fine! I work every day on the internet and have never had any trouble in any neighborhood. Food can be very cheap outside of El Poblado. Other than the amazing fruit selection, the food is bland in most restaurants. Spice is not really a thing here. Last thoughts: cars will not stop for pedestrians, go salsa dancing every night, and you can find a cheap gym - just keep looking!

I visited Poblado for about a week. I had absolutely no problems with the Internet while I was there. Maybe it was because I was in Poblado, but I never experienced slowness or anything of the sort. Pros of Medellin: spring-like weather, inexpensive, reliable Internet, plenty of shopping and creature comforts, cosmopolitan, friendly people. For cons, a big one is air pollution. Medellin is located in a higher altitude valley. There are many old cars, buses, and (especially) motorcycles belching exhaust into the air. It's difficult for pollutants to disperse because of the city's geography. I.e., there's plenty of smog and there's no debate regarding the negative health impact. To Medellin's credit, the city acknowledges the problem, monitors pollution, issues advisories, and is trying to change, but obviously change doesnt happen overnight. Other cons: The more Spanish you know, the better (not really a con, just is), gringo price gouging, some safety issues (use extra common sense).

Lived here for a year with my wife and two kids. The city is great for families and pets. Internet was slower than average but the coffee was great! For families, Poblado or Laureles is a good area. Most buildings in Poblado have security guards and a perimeter surrounding it. Not so much in Laureles. For young adults, Parque Lleras. The downside for me was that there wasn't much to do outside of Medellin compared to Europe. No trains to go from city to city. Most people fly. Getting from city to city by car means hours on a windy two lane road. I used T-mobile international plan which gave me 2G unlimited internet for free. It was good enough to check e-mails, texting and sending pics. Not so good with video. On the bright side, service and food is extremely affordable. Uber was only means of transportation. Just make sure someone is always sitting in the front seat since it's illegal and could get pulled over. Overall great city, my kids loved it and so did my wife. I'd go back but after a year there i'm good for a few years.

Very livable. Great weather, clean, inexpensive and very friendly. I recommend the Laurels area. It's quieter, cheaper, more authentic, and cleaner than Poblado but not as compact. Envigado is supposed to be a very nice area as well. Don't alone at night anywhere no matter the neighborhood.

The food wasn't great by my standards. I could have done it wrong, but it was no Thailand. Lots of potatoes, heartiness. Groceries were affordable, like most things compared to North America. Local beer and anejo is pretty good. Weirdly, Uber is both available and illegal (EasyTaxi was fine).

Wifi can be spotty in cheaper Airbnbs. Helpful to have a few hundred words and some phrases in Spanish to get around, people are very friendly and mostly patient with gringos. Air quality around traffic was not great. There's an above-average level homelessness, from US perspective, be extra careful walking solo at night.

A pretty fun intro to South America, all told. Scenic and budget-friendly.