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Medellin
#88 of 124
South America

Medellin

Colombia

Salary & Cost of Living

View purchasing power ranking

How do salaries and expenses in Medellin compare to Chiang Mai?

Purchasing Power Comparison

An engineer in Medellin is 29% worse off vs in Chiang Mai

This shows how far a software engineer's salary goes in Medellin compared to Chiang Mai, taking into account both salary differences and cost of living.

Median Salary
$32,730
-$3K (-7%) vs Chiang Mai
Based on 233 data points from levels.fyi
Net Salary
$22,747
-$7K (-24%) vs Chiang Mai
Tax Rate: 31%

Community Insights

New

Medellin remains a top tier destination for remote software engineers due to its incredible value proposition: earning a strong foreign salary while living in a vibrant, affordable city with perfect weather. The EST time zone is a massive logistical advantage for North American workflows.

However, the city is not for beginners. The safety situation has deteriorated according to recent discussions, with specific threats targeting single male expats via dating apps. Success here requires a balance of enjoying the "good life" while maintaining a high level of street smarts and vigilance. It is less of a "tech hub" for local employment (low local salaries) and more of a lifestyle hub for remote talent.

Resident Sentiment

Current residents express a mix of deep affection and growing caution. Long-term expats love the climate, the warmth of the Paisa culture, and the ability to live a luxury lifestyle on a mid-level tech salary.

However, there is a distinct undercurrent of wariness regarding safety. Many threads warn that the city feels "edgier" than a few years ago, with frequent warnings about using dating apps and flashing wealth. While few want to leave, most agree that "Medellin is not Disney World" and requires constant situational awareness to enjoy safely.

Living Environment

Weather•Safety•Pollution•Events

A quick look at climate, safety, pollution, and tech community compared to Chiang Mai.

Rankings

Cost of Living

Top 11%

#14

of 124 cities

26/100

Current value (lower is better)

Comfortable Weather

Top 23%

#29

of 124 cities

70/100 weather score

Current value

Home Affordability

Middle of the pack

#52

of 124 cities

≈7.4 yrs to buy 80m²

Current value

Housing Affordability

View affordability ranking

How affordable is housing for a software engineer in Medellin compared to Chiang Mai?

Avg. Property Price
$2,110 / m²
6% more expensive than Chiang Mai
View detailed property prices on Numbeo

Salary Converter

Enter your annual gross salary (before taxes) to see what you would need to earn in Medellin to maintain the same standard of living.

$

Do you have kids?

Cost of Living
7% more expensive than Chiang Mai
View detailed cost breakdown on Numbeo

Top Paying Companies in Medellin

Microsoft logo
Microsoft
EPAM Systems logo
EPAM Systems
Perficient logo
Perficient

The Good

  • Affordable Cost of Living: High purchasing power for foreign currency earners; significantly cheaper than US/EU tech hubs.
  • Eternal Spring Weather: Consistent, pleasant climate year-round (around 20-26°C), though with frequent rain.
  • Time Zone Alignment: EST time zone makes it ideal for working with US-based teams and clients.
  • Active Digital Nomad & Tech Scene: Growing community with meetups like Medellin Developers, JavaScript groups, and numerous coworking spaces (e.g., in El Poblado, Laureles).
  • High-Quality Internet: Fiber optic is widely available in expat neighborhoods; reliable enough for full-time remote work.
  • Lifestyle & Culture: Friendly locals (Paisas), vibrant nightlife, and a relaxed pace of life compared to Western cities.

The Bad

  • Safety Concerns: High risk of theft, mugging, and sophisticated drugging attacks (scopolamine), especially targeting foreigners on dating apps.
  • Pollution & Air Quality: Valley geography traps smog; air quality can be poor (Rank #88), causing respiratory issues for some.
  • Language Barrier: English is not widely spoken outside expat bubbles; Spanish is essential for daily life and navigating bureaucracy.
  • Traffic & Infrastructure: Congestion is severe, and pedestrian infrastructure can be lacking in many areas.
  • Noise Pollution: A generally loud city with street vendors, traffic, and nightlife noise permeating residential areas.
  • Gentrification Friction: Rising rents in popular neighborhoods are causing tension with locals displaced by high-earning expats.

The Verdict

You'll love it if...

Remote workers with US/EU jobs looking to maximize savings without sacrificing lifestyle.

Street-smart travelers who have experience in Latin America and speak (or are eager to learn) Spanish.

Social extroverts who want to plug into an active, welcoming community of nomads and locals.

Skip it if...

Junior developers looking for local employment (local wages are very low compared to global standards).

Safety-anxious individuals or those who expect Western-level security and rule of law; the risk of petty and violent crime is real.

Non-Spanish speakers unwilling to learn the language, as this will severely isolate you and increase vulnerability.

Updated 11/29/2025

Weather7.0/10+289% vs Chiang Mai
Safety46-41%
Pollution63-20%
Events5+5
7.0/10TechCities weather score vs 1.8/10 in Chiang Mai

0–10 composite (higher is better) combining temperature comfort, sunshine hours, rainy-day count, and humid days. See methodology for weighting and data sources.

Weather snapshot

Average High
25°C(vs 32°C in Chiang Mai)
Average Low
17°C(vs 21°C in Chiang Mai)
Sunshine Hours
1,892h/yr-620h/yr(-25%)
Hottest Month High
26°C(vs 36°C in Chiang Mai)
Coldest Month Low
17°C(vs 15°C in Chiang Mai)
Rainy Days
268/yr+166/yr(+163%)

Community & Quality

Medellin community pulse

Medellin has 5 Luma events listed.

Chiang Mai has no listed Luma events for comparison.

Community Events

Middle of the pack

#54

of 124 cities

5 events on luma

Current value

Tax Rate

Middle of the pack

#56

of 124 cities

31%

Current value (lower is better)

Pollution Score

Bottom 30%

#88

of 124 cities

62.5/100

Current value (lower is better)

Purchasing Power

Bottom 30%

#88

of 124 cities

Safety Index

Bottom 29%

#89

of 124 cities

46.3/100

Current value

Net Income

Bottom 16%

#105

of 124 cities

$22,747/yr

Current value

SWE Affordability
7.4 years
2.1 years longer than Chiang Mai
Muggy Days
0/yr-213/yr(-100%)
Cloud Cover
90%(vs 61% in Chiang Mai)