Medellin: A Digital Nomad Haven

This is a guest post by Eleni Cotsis (find out more about Eleni at the bottom of the post)

I recently moved to Medellin after being a frequent visitor. I already had a few favorite spots in the city and was excited to return to them after a year finishing up my studies in the States. My favorite Medellin coffee shop was Pergamino in the neighborhood of El Poblado, and when I returned in January I noticed a dramatic change.

The place was filled with gringos.

I mean, filled. I felt like I hadn’t left Seattle – everyone was plugged into their MacBooks, drinking fancy lattes, speaking English and I was so confused. Where did they all come from? Sure, tourism in Colombia had risen 12% since my last visit, but these coffee shop dwellers were not just your average tourist; they were professionals, millennials, and they felt at home.

The first meetup event I attended in Medellin gave me my answer: they were digital nomads. I had never heard the term before, but I was intrigued. These are people who have careers that are 100% online and take advantage of this to travel all over the world; all they need is a computer and an internet connection.

It was a cool concept that made sense, but there was still an aspect that intrigued me… why were they all in Medellin?

After spending the past four months meeting and chatting with these digital nomads from all over the world, I have come to realize why Medellin has become such a haven for individuals with this type of lifestyle.

Great people

This was a strong motivator for why I decided to pack up and move here. Medellin is known for having not only beautiful looking people, but also some of the nicest, most open people in the world. As a traveler who is going to a place that is completely new and foreign to them, it’s important to be amongst people who will not be rude to you just because you are foreign.

Cheap cost of living

If you’re earning a decent salary in dollars, euros, or pounds, you will love living in Medellin. The cost of living is extremely economical if you are earning in a reserve currency (which most digital nomads do), and this is a driving force behind the reason there is such a high population of virtual workers living here in Medellin.

Strong sense of community

While there is a large community of expats living in Medellin, there is an especially tight-knit group of Digital Nomads. Even though these travelers are in the city for varying amounts of time, there is always a welcoming and familial feel among them. Just check out the Digital Nomads Medellin Facebook group to get an idea of their strong sense of community. This sense of community and familiarity is what makes Medellin a place that travelers can feel at home.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Eleni is a Southern California native, Medellin transplant. She is a freelance writer and travel enthusiast; writing with through the lens of a young millennial living abroad. Read more of her work on her blog ‘Internationally Social’