10 Best Places to Retire in Colombia

If South America sounds like a tempting retirement destination, we are glad to help by pointing out the best places to retire in Colombia.

You may have heard some bad stuff about Colombia like problems with drug cartels, but that’s all in the past now. The country has high democracy values, protects civil rights and is safer than it used to be. Don’t get us started with the natural attractions. Beautiful beaches, mountains, tropical forests, deserts, Colombia has it all. The best thing – living in the country is ridiculously cheap. If you are coming from the United States, everything will be three times cheaper here. Also, you’ll be just a 3 or 4 hours flight away from the U.S. soil if you get homesick.

Although it is cheap to live here, quality of life isn’t that low, especially when it comes to healthcare. There is a big income inequality in the country but equal access to healthcare.  In the 1990s, the healthcare was a big issue in Colombia, with only 23.5% of the population having access to healthcare. According to OECD Review of Colombia’s Health System, the figure in 2014 was 96.6%. This is all thanks to government’s efforts to increase the healthcare quality and provide it for the entire population, spending 7.2% of GDP on health. Colombia has one of the best hospitals in Latin America and the country has seen medical tourism growth in the last couple of years.

We said earlier that Colombia is safer compared to previous years, but the crime ratings are still pretty high in the bigger cities. According to the United States Overseas Security Advisory Council Crime and Safety report, criminals often target foreigners on the street. The most common crimes are assaults, mugging, and frauds. The criminals are almost always armed and it isn’t rare for assaults to turn violent. Burglaries and carjacking are also very common. Other points of concerns include civil unrests and environmental hazards. If you would rather go to a place much safer but less warm, check out our list of 10 Best Places to Retire in Canada.

In order to create the list of best places to retire in Colombia, we first started with taking recommendations from Retire Fabulously, Investopedia, and Expat Exchange among others. Then we ranked the places according to their cost of living index (Numbeo) and hospital to population ratio (Google Maps), while also taking in consideration weather averages through the year (temperature, rainy and sunny days) taken from World Weather Online. For each of these criteria, the destination earned points that were then summed up into our IM Score.  In order for you to better understand the provided data, we should mention that the cost of living index should be compared to 100.00 which is the cost of living in New York. The hospital to population ratio tells you, in theory, how many persons from the entire population are assigned to one hospital. When it comes to weather averages, the data provided tells you the lowest and highest monthly averages in the year for temperature, rainy and sunny days. Huh! Let’s check out our list of best places to retire in Colombia then, shall we? 

10. Cartagena

IM Score: 10
Cost of Living Index: 39.60
Hospital to Population Ratio: 51,136
Temperature: 87/91°F
Rainy Days: 0/31
Sunny Days: 0/27

Although this cost of living index isn’t really that high, you should know that Cartagena is the most expensive destination on our list. It is a beautiful city located in the Caribbean coast region, and it played a large role as a key port in the Colonial period. Tourism is the biggest contributor to the city’s economy, so you know that there are plenty of amazing things to experience here, from architecture to nature beauties.

9. Medellin

IM Score: 13
Cost of Living Index: 34.77
Hospital to Population Ratio: 77,000
Temperature: 72/77°F
Rainy Days: 19/31
Sunny Days: 0/9

Forget everything bad you’ve heard about Medellin. Pablo Escobar and drug cartel conflicts are things of the past. Medellin that ranked 9th on our list of best places to retire in Colombia is only looking to the future and it has been labeled as one of the most innovative cities in the whole world. If you are not convinced yet, it is also the best city to live in South America. Medellin is bursting with life on every corner and has numerous cultural attractions including museums, festivals and artistic events. The only thing that may turn you off is the fact that the city is rather crowded and far away from the beach.

8. Pereira

IM Score: 14
Cost of Living Index: 35.35
Hospital to Population Ratio: 38,421
Temperature: 75/80°F
Rainy Days: 4/31
Sunny Days: 0/29

As a coffee addict, I am strongly attracted to Pereira, the number 8 on our list of best places to retire in Colombia. It is located in the coffee producing region of the country and is a part of “Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia” which belongs to UNESCO World Heritage Site list. This made it an attractive touristic destination, but it isn’t the only thing. The city offers numerous other attractions like lakes, open swimming pools, recreational parks and other sites ideal for outdoor activities. We also heard that the nightlife is great.

7. Villavicencio

IM Score: 15
Cost of Living Index: 35.00
Hospital to Population Ratio: 26,063
Temperature: 79/85°F
Rainy Days: 6/29
Sunny Days: 0/22

We will stay in inland Colombia with this entry on our list of best places to retire in Colombia. It isn’t the most exciting place to be regarding the architecture and touristic attractions, so you may want to consider this destination if you are a nature freak. Villavicencio is one of the best places to see all the biodiversity of the country.

6. Cali

IM Score: 16
Cost of Living Index: 32.37
Hospital to Population Ratio: 51,085
Temperature: 77/81°F
Rainy Days: 27/31
Sunny Days: 0/2

Cali is a cheerful place, all wrapped up in salsa music. The city that ranked 6th on our list of best places to retire in Colombia has numerous events through the whole year, from festivals to carnivals. In case that’s not your thing, you can always find silence and peace in one of the city’s parks. The interesting thing about Cali is that it became known as a place to go when it comes to plastic surgery.

5. Santa Marta

IM Score: 18
Cost of Living Index: 35.80
Hospital to Population Ratio: 18,194
Temperature: 87/91°F
Rainy Days: 0/30
Sunny Days: 0/31

We head now back to the coast. Santa Marta is known as the first settlement in Colombia established by Spaniards. If you enjoy water sports, you’ll fit just right. You can spend your days exploring the city’s astonishing beaches, diving, surfing or swimming with dolphins. When you get enough, you can dedicate yourself to exploring Santa Marta’s rich cultural attractions.

4. Barranquilla

IM Score: 20
Cost of Living Index: 34.22
Hospital to Population Ratio: 25,914
Temperature: 89/90°F
Rainy Days: 0/26
Sunny Days: 0/30

It looks like Barranquilla is all about embracing the life. The city is a place where the most famous festival in Columbia takes place, but even without the festival, there is always something happening. You can enjoy architectural landmarks within the city borders, taste the local cuisine, or participate in various workshops.  If you want to get away to a calmer environment, there are numerous resorts around the city offering all kinds of relaxation.

3. Bucaramanga

IM Score: 22
Cost of Living Index: 33.53
Hospital to Population Ratio: 14,910
Temperature: 73/80°F
Rainy Days: 8/31
Sunny Days: 0/14

You won’t have much trouble getting medical care in Bucaramanga since the city has the best hospital to population ratio on our list of best places to retire in Colombia. Although there are no beautiful beaches near, the city still has a charm that will attract you. In Columbia, they call it “La Ciudad Bonita de Colombia”, meaning “Colombia’s beautiful city”. This is due to fact that Bucaramanga has well over 160 parks. Besides the parks, the city offers numerous other natural and cultural attractions.

2. Manizales

IM Score: 24
Cost of Living Index: 31.40
Hospital to Population Ratio: 21,582
Temperature: 69/76°F
Rainy Days: 2/27
Sunny Days: 1/26

This coffee-producing city isn’t such a big touristic attraction, so it will be a perfect fit for those looking to escape the fast life of big cities. Still, Manizales offers tons of attractions starting from music and theater festivals to fairs, parades and all kinds of art shows. If that doesn’t interest you as much, you can always spend your time in one of many natural and wildlife resorts in and around the city. Just be careful, since the city is known to experience earthquakes.

1. Ibague

IM Score: 27
Cost of Living Index: 30.63
Hospital to Population Ratio: 20,500
Temperature: 79/83°F
Rainy Days: 2/22
Sunny Days: 5/27

We close out our list of best places to retire in Colombia with a perfect choice for those on a budget. Ibague has the lowest cost of living index compared to all other entries on the list. If you think that is because the city hasn’t much to offer, you are wrong. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Colombia and it’s on its way to becoming one of the economic centers of the country. There is more. Ibague is known as the “music capital of the country” due to having the most prestigious music school in Colombia and hosting numerous music festivals and events throughout the year. The weather is very pleasant since you won’t suffer from the heat but there are plenty of sunny days. Finally, the city is packed with monuments, museums, touristic sites and nature attractions. Even if money isn’t something that worries you, you should still strongly consider retiring here.