Any info on expat life in Bogota
Posted by precociouscalvin@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 23 comments
Moving out from London. Have competing offers from Dubai and Singapore, but just got an new offer for a role in the Bogota office for a European firm. Still learning a bit more about what the team/client mix is like and whether Id have exposure to US projects/clients.
But wanted to understand what expat life in Bogota might look like as both the other offers I have are in like high COL cities with low/no tax and are pretty cosmopolitan.
alcott_@reddit
Stressing over finding an apartment in Bogata to lease. Currently I live in Dallas and have been watching you tube videos detailing how difficult it is to lease an apartment as a foreigner. I have two dogs and a busy life, what I’m wondering is how much time I should plan to spend in Bogota looking for an apartment while I’m there and signing a lease. I didn’t know it could be such a drawn out difficult process. I was planning on flying down months from now in May and just thought you know that I would get a friend to watch my dogs, spend about 5 days there, fly home and then fly back with them a month later first few days of June. lol well it sounds like that might not be feasible. Can you share with me any tips on how to get around the insurance company that will deny me because my income and assets are foreign and how many days I should realistically prepare to find a place and sign. I’m guessing I may have to do a longer air bong rental, I just hate that my dogs will be stressed. Also how many months of rent have you all had to pay in advance when renting a place for a year? Thanks in advance everyone.
Careless-Result1218@reddit
lo usual de pago es de entre 2 a 3 meses de adelanto. Finalmente, ¿conseguiste algo distinto?
n3rdguy@reddit
I'm a Digital Nomad currently in Bogotá, and my partner and I love it. What a lot of people don't realize is how big Bogotá actually is, it's about the same size as NYC, population-wise.
There's crime here, but I personally don't feel it's any worse than any major city. It really is a "don't be dumb, don't wear jewelry, don't walk down the street staring down on your iPhone, don't carry a lot of cash, and be mindful where you're at (if it looks and feels dodgy, get out.)
Oh, and take the time to learn the language. The people really do appreciate effort over ignorance.
Chiefrhoads@reddit
Can you tell me about taxes. I will have a pension and from what I can find it looks like the majority of my pension would be in the 39% tax bracket, and to me that would be a deal killer if I have to give up almost 40% of my pension.
EngineerAdventurous1@reddit
Buenos Aires?
WilhiteRicco@reddit
Moving from London to Bogotá sounds like quite an adventure, enjoy the culture and the coffee
precociouscalvin@reddit (OP)
Still need to take a call. Had virtually finalized Singapore before the Bogota offer came in am not too sure whether to go ahead or not tbh. I am definitely enticed by it but it still feels like too much of an unknown quantity. If i was say 5-7 years younger Id have chosen it in an instant
mcdaddy175@reddit
9 months later. I'm interested in whether you went to Bogota and what is your experience there. I've visited because of a girlfriend situation. I didnt like the weather and there is a lot of traffic but it has other things to offer.
catalinrapeanu@reddit
What did you decide man?
precociouscalvin@reddit (OP)
Singapore in the end
Mistahfen@reddit
If you are unfamiliar with Colombia or Bogota you 100% made the right call. Probably just landing on your first day you would have probably regretted choosing Bogotá but it does have a lot of redeeming factors for rich westerners. If you visited you would immediately know what I’m talking about just by looking around at everything.
Immediate_Guest_2614@reddit
I was almost killed via stabbing in broad daylight at 3pm on the sidewalk of a busy street, next to the financial district downtown, because I went for a pizza at an artisan restaurant while waiting for my friend to get off work.
precociouscalvin@reddit (OP)
Wtf!! So is it more or less safe now??
Immediate_Guest_2614@reddit
Yea. Millions of Venezuelans flooded out when that country collapsed, many many ended up in bogota, and engage in violent crime. Local Colombians hate them and talk a lot of shit about them.
nebulousx@reddit
If you don't know Colombia, it will be a bit of a culture shock for a while. I worked in Bogota about 16 weeks a year for 3 years. I've also lived in Monteria, Colombia for 2 years.
Bogota is an interesting city but it does have big city problems. Traffic is bad. Crime can be bad, though I never had any issues. It will absolutely be a lot cheaper than your other options. If you're going to receive a UK or US type salary, you'll live like a king with a fulltime housekeeper, gardener/chauffer if you want those things.
There are many world class restaurants in Bogota and decent entertainment options as well as cultural attractions like museums. The weather is fantastic year-round thanks to the altitude.
Personally, I'd take it over Singapore any day, but I also speak Spanish and know Colombia well.
precociouscalvin@reddit (OP)
Wtf a gardener and chauffeur sounds insane (even just having a house with a garden over a condo is pretty insane) but yeah dont speak any Spanish sadly. Is there a decent sized expat population there? As when i was living in Paris the expat bubble was essentially my social circle and as a single guy I really want to be optimizing for social life in a new city. The weather does seem enticing given both Dubai and Singapore are pretty hot.
nebulousx@reddit
The minimum wage in Colombia is about $250 USD per month. And many are happy to work for it. I always had a housekeeper.
As for expats, there are certainly 10's of thousands of expats from English speaking countries though Medellin has even more, proportionally.
The night life in Bogota is really good in the Zona Rosa, especially for rich expats.
precociouscalvin@reddit (OP)
I mean from what i understand i would be making around 120k euros so around 130k usd but i know taxes are pretty high in Colombia so assuming i get around 70-80ish k in hand
nebulousx@reddit
That's about what I was making. You could have a very good life there.
jami354@reddit
If safety is a concern at all for you, I’d go with Singapore. With no or little Spanish you’re probably going to find that the number of places you ‘should be’ in Bogota is much smaller than the number of places you ‘shouldn’t be’. You will definitely need to maintain constant situational awareness there.
On the other hand, you can utilize the excellent public transportation system in Singapore to move about freely and without constantly thinking about your safety. Also, the expat scene in Singapore is world renowned
roleplay_oedipus_rex@reddit
Others aren't wrong that traffic is pretty bad.
I found I got essentially all I needed in the areas from Bosque Calderon to Zona G so I would stay there if I were you. It is quite walkable and there are tons of restaurants and cafes as well as businesses run by expats such as 416 Alitas and Mesa Salvaje (love this place), etc.
Crime can certainly be an issue but I was never the victim of any in the months I spent in Bogota and the rest of Colombia, luck and situational awareness certainly plays a part in that.
Having said that, Bogota has absolutely incredible street art, some of the best in the world really, has vibrant nightlife and has enough big city things to do.
I would absolutely choose it over Dubai, though I haven't been to Singapore. It requires very little spend to have an extraordinary life in Colombia.
Chicoutimi@reddit
Bogota traffic is ridiculously bad and they do not have any viable alternatives. This really can be soul-sucking unless you're the sort of person who can enjoy waiting in a vehicle for a long while.
AhanonNicoles@reddit
Moving from London to Bogotá sounds like quite an adventure, enjoy the culture and the coffee