Bogota - Post Report Question and Answers
What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Everything! It’s been a dream post for our family and I hope the same for others. No place is perfect (traffic/smog, petty crime, etc.), but the warmth of the people, their love of dogs and children, quality of the childcare, travel opportunities in country (including weekend fincas) and surrounding countries, fun going out scene with every kind of restaurant, dance club, cumbia house, etc. has made it an outstanding chapter for our family we will always cherish. - May 2024
Cost of living is cheap, and very wide range of activities to do. Good air quality, comfortable weather, food safety. - Aug 2023
Quite a walkable city within the residential neighborhood. Best music scene in the Spanish-speaking world. Affordable prices. Cool mountain views. - Jul 2020
It's close to the US, fairly cosmopolitan, friendly people, nice temperatures. - Feb 2020
Lots of parks, cheap restaurants, cheap movies, and it's very pet and kid-friendly. - Sep 2018
Everything available for delivery to your house. - May 2018
With the current exchange rate food in general is very inexpensive and eating out is generally inexpensive. - Apr 2016
The Caribbean coast cities (Cartagena, Santa Marta) are worth a visit. Although domestic tourism isn't great or up to most int'l standards (e.g. a five star Colombian hotel = three stars at best), the external escapes are easy, with short flights to Aruba, Punta Cana, Panama City, etc. The Colombian peso has devalued significantly, so you can save some money, even though Bogota is relatively expensive, given our isolation in the mountains and the high costs to transport things here. - Aug 2015
Tourism opportunities - coffee country - coastal towns/beaches - rural mountain scenery. Fantastic restaurant scene in Bogota and Medellin. You can purchase just about anything you may want here but at a premium. Food and flower markets are inexpensive. Coffee shops are all over the place. Excellent medical care available making it a destination for plastic surgery. - Jun 2014
Bogota is a thriving metropolis that struggles with an affluent modern population juxtaposed with a poor (and sometimes violent) one. There are many very good restaurants that range from friendly pubs (BBC is a must) to 5-star quality. Although there is no Colombian cuisine, per se, many other types are available here, including Peruvian, Japanese, and Middle Eastern. There is an emerging interest in attracting tourists, but there are only a few real attractions in the city (Gold Museum, Bottero Museum, etc.). If possible, it's good to get to other parts of the country which tend to be warmer and more laid back. - May 2013
Fantastic fresh fruits; trips to the coast and outside of Bogota; easy flight connections throughout South America, North America and Europe. - Oct 2012
Bogota is a great city, full of all the opportunities a big city can offer. It's very certainly the easiest expat experience we've ever had in 14+ years of doing this. After tours that require very long flights, we are happy to be closer to the east coast for quicker trips home. - Jul 2012
It is a very dynamic, big city that is easy to navigate using taxis (which are not expensive) and/or private drivers. - Apr 2012
Colombia is a fantastic country for culture and tourism. It's truly a beautiful place. Some people still have the image of Pablo Escobar and the drug cartels running the major cities. But that's an outdated image. While violence still exists in parts of the country, the major cities have been cleaned up enormously and the tourists are starting to move in. My favorite cities are Bogota, Cartagena and Medellin. You've got everything from mountains to the sea/beaches. Fancy parts of the country/cities feel like you're in Europe or the U.S.Poorer parts of the country/cities can feel like you're in Africa. - Dec 2011
Bogota is booming! people are lovely. - Jul 2011
For a single man, dating with Colombian girls with families is really difficult. Living here is very expencive and the weather is horrible. - Nov 2010
It is not cheap to be here. Dining and movies are about the same, clothes are lower in quality and more expensive. Although there is a lot of money here, most Bogotanos are poor. As a result, personal services are cheap. Domestics, massages, haircuts, etc. are all bargains. - Aug 2010
Colombians are seriously nice people with a terrific appreciation for good food and a good time. It's not possible to save money here, though - it's like living in a moderately expensive American city. Weather is okay, but some people get pretty sick of it; it rains a lot, but never gets too cold or too hot. Sort of like Seattle, actually. - Aug 2010
The weather is always spring-like so temperatures are great. The people are very friendly and welcoming. It may be difficult to travel a lot if you are with an embassy, due to security restrictions, but there are lots of amazing places to visit, including sparkling beaches, the amazon, coffee country and quiet mountain retreats. And the air is better here than in most big cities I've lived in. - Aug 2010
Bogota is a great country with great people. It is a big city, but you can find everything, and it is pretty close to the States. It is a beautiful city, but there are not many touristic attractions. It rains almost every day -- and all day long. You cannot save money at all, but people like it. A lot of people at the embassy ask for one more year. People say they like almost everything but the weather. Single men love it here. - Jun 2010
