Medellín vs Santiago
📶
Santiago has 5x faster internet
🌡️
Tropical Wet vs Temperate climate
🛂
Colombia offers a digital nomad visa
💰 Cost of Living Breakdown
Monthly expenses comparison in USD
Expense
Medellín
Santiago
Total Budget
$1,500/mo
$1,500/mo
Rent (1BR)
$500/mo ✓
$650/mo
Coworking
$120/mo ✓
$200/mo
Meal Out
$5 ✓
$8
Coffee
$1.5 ✓
$3.5
Both cities have similar costs
💻 Remote Work Essentials
Internet, timezone, and language comparison
🇨🇴 Medellín
📶 Internet50-100 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishlow
🛂 Nomad VisaAvailable
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🇨🇱 Santiago
📶 Internet263 Mbps
🕐 TimezoneUTC-5
🗣️ Englishmedium
🛂 Nomad VisaNot available
Working hours overlap:
🇺🇸 US West8h
🇺🇸 US East8h
🇬🇧 London6h
🇩🇪 Berlin5h
🌡️ Climate Comparison
Weather patterns and best times to visit
Medellín
ClimateTropical Wet
Avg Temp21°C
Rainy Days256/year
Best months: July
Santiago
ClimateTemperate
Avg Temp16°C
Rainy Days30/year
Best months: January, February, March, December
Quarterly Temperatures
Jan
20°22°
Apr
21°17°
Jul
21°11°
Oct
20°16°
MedellínSantiago
📊 Full Comparison
Category
🇨🇴Medellín
🇨🇱Santiago
💰
Monthly Budget
$1,500
$1,500
📶
Internet Speed
50 Mbps
263 Mbps
Winner🛡️
Safety
3.3/5
3.5/5
⭐
Nomad Score
4.5/10
Winner3.8/10
🍽️
Food Scene
7/10
7/10
🎉
Nightlife
9/10
Winner6/10
🚶
Walkability
7/10
7/10
👥
Community
large
Winnermedium
3
Medellín wins
vs
1
Santiago wins
Which City is Right for You?
Recommendations based on your nomad style
💵Budget Nomad
Either works
Similar costs - choose based on other factors
💻Developer
Santiago
263 Mbps is essential for video calls & uploads
🦋Social Butterfly
Medellín
Larger nomad community for networking
🛡️Safety-First
Either works
Both cities are similarly safe
🍜Foodie
Either works
Both have great food scenes
🎉Party Person
Medellín
World-famous nightlife scene
🇨🇴Medellín
Pros
- +Perfect spring-like weather year-round (22°C)
- +Very affordable cost of living ($1,200-1,800/mo)
- +Growing digital nomad community
- +Modern metro system (only in Colombia)
Cons
- −Safety varies by neighborhood
- −Spanish language essential
- −Altitude adjustment (1,500m)
- −Petty theft risk in tourist areas
🇨🇱Santiago
Pros
- +Excellent internet infrastructure with 5G coverage nationwide
- +Modern metro system and reliable public transport
- +Proximity to Andes mountains and beaches within 1 hour
- +High-quality healthcare comparable to US standards
Cons
- −Rising petty crime especially phone theft in tourist areas
- −Air pollution can be severe in winter months (Jun-Aug)
- −Not the most vibrant nightlife compared to other LatAm cities
- −Higher cost of living than most South American destinations