A digital Nomad guide To Living in Medellin, Colombia

digital nomads are always searching for somewhere to work with good wi-fi and a good cup of coffee. I personally try to find a destination with at least one other nomad around, where the concept of sitting in a cafe for hours on my laptop isn’t too strange.

But in Medellin, it’s not a question of ‘where can I find the best cafe’. The question really is — ‘which one ought to I choose?’

As Colombia’s second-biggest city, which was recently named “the world’s many innovative city”, it’s no surprise that it has become such a major hub for digital nomads.

If you’re considering living in Medellin as a digital Nomad, here’s all you need to know.

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Best areas to live in Medellin & rough Costs
Best wi-fi spots & Cafes to work in Medellin
Transport options in Medellin
Digital Nomad community in Medellin
Living like a local in Medellin
Weather in Medellin
It’s a cultural hub
Safety in Medellin

READ MORE: Travelling to Medellin, Colombia: Our first Impressions and Experiences

Best areas to live in Medellin & rough Costs

The many popular places for digital nomads to live are south and west of the city centre: El Poblado, Envigado, Ciudad del Rio, Laureles, Floresta, Estadio.

El Poblado: tends to be the most expensive area as it’s the most touristy. A double room in a shared house will start around 1m cop (roughly 330 USD) per month. A one-bedroom house starts around 700 USD per month.

Envigado: Technically located outside of Medellin, Envigado is a little even more south than El Poblado. prices are similar – in some cases a little less. If you are searching for somewhere close to Poblado but not within the traveler bubble, it could be a good option.

Ciudad del Rio: close to El Poblado but accommodation is typically a bit less expensive here, as it’s less touristy with lots of house blocks. prices for a standard room in a shared house start around 600k cop (roughly 200 USD). A one-bed house typically starts around 600 USD per month.

Laureles/Estadio/Floresta: These areas are located west in Medellin, and feel a little much more authentic Colombian than El Poblado (although they are westernizing quickly). They are close to the football stadium, a public sports arena, and home to one of the main universities – so it feels young and vibrant, full of Colombian students that live here.

A double room in a shared house ought to start around $600k cop (roughly 200 USD). For a private one bed apartment, expect to pay from 500 USD per month.

If you are wanting to live in luxury with fantastic panoramic views of the city, there are a lot of penthouse apartments (with pools, gyms, saunas etc) dotted around all these areas – for a fraction of European prices.

Where to search for Apartments in Medellin:

Comparto Apto: Often the best place for value as you deal directly with the landlord, on this website. However, you will many likely need to have a basic level of Spanish to be able to communicate with the landlords.

Facebook groups: Sometimes the costs can be marked up a little, but it’s relatively easy to find a room especially for English speakers. check out “Digital Nomads Medellin” and “Medellin Rooms, Apartments and Expat Info”. 

Airbnb: lots of rooms are available here, and numerous have discounts on stays over a month.

If you find yourself going to the big city of Bogota during your stay, check out our post on the best things to do in Bogota.

Best wi-fi spots & Cafes to work in Medellin

Internet connection is typically very strong around the city, and there’s frequently totally free wi-fi in the streets and parks. (But as with any public network, be careful using it for anything personal)

Of course, digital nomads need to guarantee there is fast and stable wifi for working. here are my preferred cafes & spots to work in Medellin:

El Poblado

Botanika Lounge – great wifi connection with plug sockets under every table

Cafe Zeppelin – opt for the menu of the day for 12,000 cop (under 4 USD) and stay all afternoon

Pergamino – known for the best coffee in El Poblado

Cafe velvet – a popular spot for nomads although you need to get there early as plugs are a little sparse

Amarillo chocolate – cute interior with a great selection of veggie sandwiches

Como pez en el agua – opt for brunch and stay all day (their fried eggs on toast with mushrooms & truffle oil is just 16,500 cop – approx 5.50 USD)

Envigado

Cafe Otra Parte – great garden and terrace if you want some peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of Poblado

Cocolatte – unwinded atmosphere, great coffee and friendly staff makes it easy to stay all afternoon

Ciudad del Rio

Cariñitocafe – often a bit quieter than the Poblado cafes, with an outstanding coffee menu & large terrace

Laureles

Algarabia – has a beautiful view overlooking the second park in Laureles

Cafe Revolucion – located on the main road, it can be a bit busy but it’s great for people-watching at the same time.

Naturalia cafe – one for the health-conscious foodies out there, with an comprehensive menu & another cheap but great menu of the day

Floresta

Hostal Ondas – has a cafe on the ground floor open to anyone, and a great co-working area above

Transport options in Medellin

Getting around the city is typically very easy and cheap – either by taxi, metro or bus.

Local taxis: There are plenty of taxis driving around the city; however, in some cases it can be challenging to track them down. often they don’t stop, despite seemingly looking empty.

Uber: The guidelines on Uber are slightly unusual in Medellin. Technically it is illegal to take an Uber, but the app still exists – so it is very easy to pick them up. However, if the police stop you, you could be in trouble. Therefore, I’d recommend taking the local taxis – they are similar in price anyway.

Metro: The standard cost of the metro is 2,300 cop (roughly 80 cents), for pretty much all trips (regardless of the distance). It was built to enable locals up in the outskirts work in the centre – so it’s a great option to save money.

Unfortunately, the metro station in Poblado is a little way out of the centre, at the bottom of a hill. If you take the metro to go to the centre of Poblado, be prepared to walk up Calle 10.

Bus: There are lots of buses around the city so you can easily pick one up from the side of the road. There aren’t as numerous bus stops but they stop and pick you up as it drives along the route on the main road.

They say in big letters on the front where they are heading – but always check with the chauffeur when you hop on, and if in doubt, ask the man next to you. Each journey costs between 1,900 cop (under 1 USD).

The metrocable in Medellin

Digital Nomad community in Medellin

With the massive influx of nomads, there are lots of meet-ups and social events. Hostel Ondas has a weekly social on their roof, specifically for digital nomads, and there are lots of independently organised Couchsurfing meet-ups.

Plus, there are lots of groups on Facebook, which you can request to join and be part of the community. Például:

Digital Nomads Medellin

Medellin digital Nomads

Start-up Medellin digital Nomads Network

Medellin entrepreneurs Society

So if you are wanting to make some friends with like-minded people, it shouldn’t be too difficult.

Living like a local in Medellin

Here are some of the best ways to get your food, groceries and other daily needs while living in Medellin.

Groceries

The many popular supermarkets are: Exito, Jumbo, Euro, & Carulla. There are numerous large supermarkets, as well as smaller benefit stores, all over. Exito, Jumbo & Euro are cheaper; Carulla is much more premium.

For the much more niche health foods, there are shops such as Salud pan or Ceres Mercado organic where you can pick up non-dairy milks, nut butter etc.

Plaza Minorista is a huge market with lots of fresh fruit, veg, meats, cheeses and more…such as the superstitious soaps that apparently the locals like to buy, to get good fortune in things such as love or finances.

Goods here are less expensive than in the supermarkets, but its location in El Centro implies it’s not as convenient to just pop down there, if you are coming from one of the local areas discussed above.

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Arepas & empanadas are everywhere! There is a broad variety of types and flavours of each, and prices typically start at 2,000 cop (0.65 USD).

Drinks

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The two many common, and typically cheapest, beers are Aguila & Club Colombia. expect to pay around the following:

Supermarket: 2,000 cop (0.65 USD)

Local pub: 4,000 COP (1.30 USD)

Bars/restaurants: 6,000 cop (1.95 USD)

Nightclubs: 8,000 cop (2.60 USD)

Spirits

Aguardiente is the national spirit that’s available all over Colombia. A 750ml bottle costs around 27,000 cop (just under 9 USD) in the shops, and with an aniseed taste, similar to sambuca, it is popular with the locals. (It’s not for everyone though!)

“Ron Medellin” is Medellin’s many popular rum, and is the most affordable spirit, after aguardiente. A 750ml bottle is around 28,000 cop (just over 9 USD) in the shops.

Juices

Colombians love their fresh juices, and there is typically a juice of the day included within the menu of the day at lunch. popular flavours are:

Lulo – an exotic, sour Colombian fruit

Maracuya – passionfruit

Guanabana – a distinct Colombian fruit, that practically tastes both sweet and sour.

They typically cost around 6,000 COP (1.95 USD).

Víz

Tap water in Medellin is fine to drink. However, if you do travel elsewhere in Colombia, check the health warnings as it’s typically not drinkable in many other areas.

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They say the Colombians are some of the most beautiful people in the world — so if you are wanting to join the crew and stay in shape, there are plenty of places to go in Medellin.

Gyms

Alpha fitness (Poblado) – has a great timetable for classes such as HIIT, TRX, yoga and crosstraining

Bodytech (all over) – loads of equipment available but one of the much more expensive gyms, although you can get a trial pass which has 3 days free

Dinamo fitness (Envigado) – tends to be a bit cheaper, especially if you choose an off-peak membership

Jóga

Flying Tree (Laureles) – classes are available in both English & Spanish; 1x class is 25,000 cop (8.20 USD) or monthly limitless passes are 160,000 cop (52.50 USD).

Running / walking

Parque Arvi – take the gondola to this massive area of nature, where you can walk around & delight in the waterfalls and more

Cerro El Volador – a short but very steep hill close to Estadio, with amazing views overlooking the whole city

Stadium (Estadio) – the full-sized athletic track is totally free for public use

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There’s a variety of bars and clubs all over the city, although they are many heavily saturated in El Poblado or Laureles. Reggaeton and salsa are probably the two many popular music types for the locals, but there are various places around so you’ll find something to suit your taste.

El Poblado:

The bars and clubs here tend to be a bit much more western with much more techno, house as well as the much more Colombian reggaeton, salsa and bachata.

Electronic music: Mansion & Calle 9 are two popular clubs at the weekends, with entry typically costing just 10,000 cop (3.30 USD). beauty salon Amador has a good sound system but is a bit swankier and much more expensive (usually 35,000 COP, approx 11.50 USD – although it can be much more on special nights)

Salsa: Mojito Salsa Guaracha y Son. is a small, intimate but popular one.

Cheap beers with a chilled atmosphere: Latineria – located on Parque Poblado – has beers for around 4,000 cop (1.30 USD).

Laureles:

Calle 33 and the ‘setente’ (Carrera 70) is where many of the bars are situated here. They tend to feel a little much more local, with much more salsa and reggaeton.

Salsa/bachata: child Havanah & El Tibiri are both popular spots amongst the locals

Carlos E Restrepo (not in, but close to, Laureles): A very eclectic area, close to the university, where numerous locals hang out and drink beers on the street, singing and dancing to the street performers. Drinking in the streets was banned in January, so this is one of the few places where you can chill at night.

Can’t speak Spanish?

Medellin is a very cosmopolitan city so many people in cafes and shops speak English — especially in the much more western areas of Poblado & Laureles.

El Centro is slightly less Western so you may find it a little harder to communicate in English but on the whole, you shouldn’t struggle too much without any Spanish.

There are lots of Spanish schools around and language exchanges if you do want to pick it up while living there. Some recommended Spanish schools are below:

El Poblado

Tukánmadár

Laureles

Prime 

Colombia Immersion

Weather in Medellin

Medellin is also called ‘The City of Eternal Spring’, because the weather is typically pretty good all