Cost of Living in Colombia in 2021

Well I know for a fact that Cartagena is more expensive than Santa Marta (by a significant margin). However, Cartagena is more "alive" and has more "stuff". So it depends on your lifestyle and priorities.

Try this comparison tool, maybe that will help:

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/c … Comparison

Good luck!

I know

cccmedia wrote:

Spoiler alert... According to the Numbeo website, the typical rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Barranquilla is 750,000 COP, or about $196 US.  I wouldn't necessarily expect a furnished unit or air conditioning at that price point.  -- cccmedia

I lived in B'quilla for 7 years and you're right - at that price you'll get either a small 1-bedroom apt or a studio apartment, and that's in the north - northwest of the city, the better areas. If you choose the barrios around Riomar to Paradiso to Buena vista you can expect it to be 1million pesos or more for 1-bedroom or even a studio. And they will not be furnished.

I was renting a 1-bedroom apt in north-central barrio Boston from a friend so she let me have a rent of 600,000 a month, but she told me she planned on increasing my rent to 650,000 but I moved to Puerto Colombia before she could raise it on me.

In Puerto Colombia, about 15K west of B'quilla, you will find the rents are significantly lower, but the good areas to live are very limited and have very low availability.

This week's exchange rate.

The Dollar to Peso exchange rate was relatively steady this week, closing at 3837 pesos to the U.S.A. greenback.

That's up ten ticks from last week's close of 3827.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charting

This week's exchange rate.

Friday, October 1st, was a down day for the U.S. Dollar versus the Peso.  The Dollar was down about 20 ticks for the day and 37 for the week, ending the week equivalent to 3790 COP.

Source.. xe.com charting

Excelente opinión. Gracias.

This week's exchange rate.

The Colombian Peso continued its downward trend versus the U.S. Dollar this week.  At the close for the week ending Friday, October 8,  the exchange rate stood at 3767 Pesos to the Dollar, down 23 ticks from the previous week's close.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charting

Gracias

This week's exchange rate.

The exchange rate closed Monday at 3767 Pesos to the U.S. Dollar.

In the last five years, the Dollar was strongest in spring of 2020 when it peaked at 4176 Pesos to the Dollar.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charts

Gracias

This week's exchange rate.

The Colombian Peso closed the week ending October 22, 2021, at 3774 pesos to the Dollar.

That's up seven ticks from last Friday's close of 3767.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charting

This week's exchange rate.

The U.S. Dollar closed out the week ending October 29 at
3763 Colombian Pesos to the Dollar.

Versus the Peso, the Dollar has been on a generally downward trend for the last couple of months.

Source... USD-COP charting at xe.com

This week's exchange rate.

The U.S. Dollar had a strong week versus the Colombian Peso.

The Dollar closed the week today, November 5, at 3874 Pesos to the Dollar, up from 3763 a week earlier.  That's the first time in months that the Dollar has gained so much against the Peso in any single week.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charting

I saw that!  I just  transferred 1,500 dollars from my account in the USA to bancolombia through Xoom. Don't understand why I received almost 400,000 less pesos.   Crazy fees and or taxes.

Avoid those fees in the future .. or at least reduce them.

When expat Loren Lowe (rhymes with cow) goes to the mall in Armenia, Colombia, to obtain money from an ATM, he looks for Davivienda machines.

Loren has found that Davivienda bank charges relatively low fees and has favorable exchange rates.

Loren hosts the live weekly program for Expats "Coffee Time" on Sundays at 11 a.m. Armenia time on YouTube's Gran Colombia channel.  The program is also available for replays starting Sunday afternoons.

cccmedia in Ipiales, Nariño

This week's exchange rate.

In this week's opening session, the U.S. Dollar equalled 3886 Colombian Pesos at the close.

The Dollar has been mostly floating near this Expat-favorable spot since bumping upward from the 3750's around November 4 (2021).

Source.... xe.com USD-COP charting

This week's exchange rate.

The U.S. Dollar may be headed back to the 4000 level -- four thousand Pesos to the Dollar.

In Friday's trading (Nov. 19) the Dollar reached the 3948 mark before closing the week at 3916.  That's still about 30 ticks above the previous week's close.

Source... xe.com USD-COP charting

This is kinda good news. At least for me. 

Posted one week ago, November 19, 2021:
This week's exchange rate.

The U.S. Dollar may be headed back to the 4000 level -- four thousand Pesos to the Dollar.

---

Sure enough, the U.S. Dollar has eclipsed 4000 Pesos in value .. a Thanksgiving-worthy gift to many Expats.

Read the details at our new thread titled "Dollar Domination!" which is listed at the Colombia forum welcome page.

cccmedia