MEDELLIN MOVING GUIDE

# Moving to Medellin Guide ## Why Medellin? There are many places millions of expats are moving to around the world to start a new life where their dollars can get stretched far enough to have an exceptional quality of life. Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand, Costa Rica, etc... are all very popular destinations and worthy of future guide posts, however we want to talk now about one of the hottest destinations for expats from all around the world. What was once known as the narco capital of the world during the reign of Pablo Escobar in the 1980's, has now become one of the premier places for families and retirees to move to. That place is known as "The Land of Eternal Spring" or more commonly known as Medellin, Colombia. It has earned that nickname due to its springtime weather all year around. It is the perfect climate for people who don't mind rain and don't like extreme cold or hot weather and value being able to go out of the house without a heavy jacket. The weather is not the only reason to consider Medellin as your new home, the main reason is the value you get for your dollar in Colombia. ## What is the value difference? In the USA, if you make $84,000 USD a year that breaks down to $7,000 dollars a month. After taxes, cost of food, rent/mortgage, cell phones, utilities, cars, internet, etc... It is a wonder how most people can make it with rising inflation and incomes not keeping up. In Medellin, that same income equates to approximately $28,000,000 COP a month, and with that amount you can not only live very well, you can have money left over every month to live. Wasn't that at some point the American Dream? To work hard, make a decent living and live with a good quality of life for you and your family? Economies change, inflation changes things and sometimes the best answer is to find a place where your dollar has real value again. That place is Medellin, Colombia and just to give you an idea of what you can do in Medellin with what is considered middle class in the USA, here is a list of things you can have and still have 40% of your income left over to save. * Nice apartment or home in nicest part of the city * New car with insurance included or a personal driver every time you need to go out. * Health Insurance and treatments for your health or sickness from high end hospitals. * Chemical free, direct from farm food at a fraction of the cost of what you are accustomed to paying in your home country. * A wide variety of restaurants all at half the price of normal restaurants in the USA. * A domestic worker to clean your apartment/home and even cook for you 5 or 6 days a week. * All utilities including cable and Internet for you and your family at a fraction of the cost you pay in the USA. Yes that is right, your eyes are not seeing things, that list above looks like a fantasy. It just is not possible with $7,000 USD a month in the USA to live like that. In Medellin not only is that not possible, you will have money left over to save for whatever you want. ## So what are the downsides or obstacles? Obviously there are some downsides and obstacles, but isn't there some of that anywhere you live? For information and disclosure sake, let's go through some of the biggest ones and you can decide for yourself if they are workable or not. The first and biggest downside is the speed at which things happen. If you come from New York, you might be used to a hectic pace and expect things to be available, open and to receive service for whatever you need done very quickly. In Medellin they go at their own pace, so if you must have things done quickly and expect everything to go at your pace, it just won't happen. The second downside is the infrastructure for getting around. If you are used to wide roads and parking spots, being able to take your car out whenever you want, and large quick highways to get from one side of the city to the other, then Medellin is not for you. To cut down on traffic, the authorities in Colombia have instituted something called Pico y Placa, which basically sets up a system that (based on your last license plate number), you will not be able to drive one day a week. That doesn't sound like much, but it can be frustrating if you love being able to go out and do whatever you want whenever you want. Coming from the USA where freedom to do what you want and convenience is very important, you will need to adjust your way of thinking before moving to Medellin. You can make the argument that many Americans can use a change to their hectic life and slowing things down in their daily hustle might actually be a good thing. While there are some other downsides like having to maintain your visa for living in Colombia yearly and the downside of not being able to go to every neighborhood safely anytime you want. I don't really think those are major downsides, because where you live will be very safe and just like any major city in the USA, there are neighborhoods that are more dangerous than others. The largest obstacle for your move is something you can overcome with practice and that is the language barrier, because most Colombians do not speak English. You will need to yourself or have someone translate or speak for you if you do not take the time to learn Spanish. ## I want to start moving, what's the next step? ### Step one Find an apartment on www.iadowrtravel,com that you like. ### Step Two Submit an application just as you would in any apartment building in the USA. ### Step Three Get approved and start the process of moving in while also looking through our directory of services to help foreigners have a smooth transition to life in Medellin. ## Conclusion It seems simple and it is, and I assume the only reason you are reading this guide is because you are truly considering the move. We understand that this kind of move is a once in a lifetime thing and needs to be handled with care, real information and respect. That is why at IADOWR Travel we take our responsibility of vetting and finding the perfect apartment for you very seriously as we do with linking you up with the proper service providers that you can feel comfortable having your best interest in mind. So let's get started together, look through our apartment listings and choose which place will be your new home in the next chapter of your life.

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