After a stroke at 34 shocked me into reassessing my life, I left my Florida home for Medellin, Colombia. Nine years later, I’ve lost 90 pounds, eliminated medications, and live on just $810 monthly—compared to $4,000+ in the US. Beyond dramatic health improvements and financial freedom, I’ve discovered untapped business opportunities in this emerging market. My only regret? Not making the move sooner.
From Corporate America to Colombian Paradise
After selling my business in New York and moving to Florida in 2010, I thought I was going to be living the good life—slower pace and less stress. I took on some contract positions as a Software Engineer through staffing agencies like Robert Half just to keep myself busy and relevant in my career. Florida, to me at the time, was the peak of life: an amazing state with summer all year round where I could go to the beach anytime. I had a house with a pool. But despite these external markers of success, I was still unhealthy, weighing 260lbs (115kg), and experiencing considerable stress from my software engineering projects.
The Wake-Up Call: When Health Takes a Back Seat
In 2014, my life took an unexpected turn. I was getting ready for work when I noticed something strange in my left eye—like a camera flash. I ignored it initially, but the flash persisted throughout the day and was still there the next morning. Concerned, I visited an emergency clinic where they checked my blood pressure: 215/155. They immediately rushed me to the ICU to lower it.
I was stunned when the doctor informed me I was having a stroke. “A stroke?!” I exclaimed. “I’m only 34 years old!” As I spent those critical days in the ICU, reality hit hard. I had devoted my entire adult life to work—building businesses for clients without taking vacations or exploring the world. Now facing potential blindness, I realized I had nothing to show for all those years of sacrifice. That day, I made a pivotal decision: I needed to explore and travel more.
The Search for a Better Life: Exploring Latin America
By 2015, I began my journey through Latin America—starting with the Dominican Republic, then Panama, Costa Rica, and Mexico. A turning point came when one of my clients, for whom I worked as a Fractional CTO, wanted to relocate their call center to Medellin, Colombia.
After visiting Envigado and exploring Poblado and Laureles neighborhoods, I felt an immediate connection with Medellin. Between 2015 and 2017, I took the plunge and rented an apartment in Poblado. I noticed remarkable changes during my stays: I was losing weight, feeling healthier, and experiencing more energy. Each time I returned to Florida, I felt increasingly miserable—confronted by unhealthy food options (everything seemed loaded with sugar) and the crushing financial burden. In Florida, basic necessities like mortgage, car, gym, food, phone, and health insurance easily cost me $3,800 monthly, while in Medellin, these same essentials amounted to less than $900.
Why I Chose Medellin
Medellin is a growing city where I see tremendous opportunity and potential—not only for investments but also for my health. I view Medellin as an investment and untapped market that’s about to explode. My decision ultimately came down to three core factors: health, investment potential, and business opportunities.
Health Benefits
Medellin—and Colombia in general—prioritizes public health in ways the US doesn’t. The government actively encourages healthier consumption by requiring warning labels on all foods with excessive sodium, sugar, etc. This is significant because sugar is the #1 killer in the US. Even a can of Coke in Colombia has less sugar than its American counterpart, and uses cane sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
The healthcare system is also superior in Medellin. I plan to write another article comparing health and food quality between the US and Colombia, but the difference has been transformative for my personal wellbeing.
Investment Potential
Properties in Medellin are incredibly affordable. While some claim the market bubble is about to burst, I disagree completely. Real estate here remains approximately 80% cheaper than comparable properties in popular US or European cities, making it an excellent buying opportunity.
That said, you must be careful about whom you consult and where you look. Some well-known advisors like Andrew at Nomad Capitalist direct investors toward $3.5 million USD apartments that are extremely overpriced. With proper research, you can still find quality apartments for under $100,000.
Strategic Work Advantages
As a digital nomad and business owner who primarily serves US clients, Medellin’s location in the same time zone as the Eastern United States is invaluable. I can seamlessly work with clients in Florida, New York, and other eastern states without adjusting my schedule. When necessary, I’m just a 3-hour flight from Florida for high-priority in-person meetings—though since the pandemic, most interactions have shifted to virtual platforms like Google Meet.
Business Opportunities
Medellin offers abundant entrepreneurial possibilities. The city lags behind in many services that Americans take for granted, meaning you can essentially transplant proven US business models here and succeed. For example, moving companies in Medellin lack professionalism and efficiency—someone who built a proper moving business with logistics expertise and staff training would dominate the market.
Colombia desperately needs an MLS-style system for real estate. I could list countless other business ideas that would thrive here simply by applying established methods from more developed markets.
Making the Permanent Move During a Global Crisis
When the pandemic hit in 2019, I faced a choice: return to Florida or weather the storm in Medellin. Having already sold everything I owned in Florida—including my car—staying in Medellin made the most sense. Since then, I’ve only returned to the United States twice, both times for banking matters and never staying longer than 24 hours.
During the pandemic, I became certain that Medellin was where I wanted to settle permanently. In October 2020, I decided to buy my apartment. The timing couldn’t have been better—housing markets were down, and Colombia was about to elect a new president. As Baron Rothschild famously advised: “Buy when blood is on the streets.”
Life Transformation in Medellin
I don’t regret a single moment living in Medellin, Colombia. Despite cultural differences in work ethics and bureaucratic challenges with banking and immigration, I’m genuinely happy here. The transformation in my health has been remarkable—I now weigh 170lbs (78kg), no longer need blood pressure medication, and my blood sugar levels are excellent. My physical condition is better now than when I was in my mid-20s.
The affordable cost of living in Medellin allows me to maintain an exceptional work-life balance, enabling me to focus on my business ventures and health. I walk about 10km daily and regularly visit the gym. I also dedicate several hours each day to growing my business and helping other expats looking to relocate to Medellin through my company, Medellin.co.
Breaking Down My Monthly Expenses
Here’s a transparent look at my monthly living costs in Medellin:
- Cell Phone: 100,000 COP ($25 USD)
- Admin/HOA: 1,000,000 COP ($240 USD)
- Electricity: 350,000 COP ($90 USD)
- Health Insurance: 350,000 COP ($90 USD)
- Groceries: 1,000,000 COP ($250 USD)
- Internet: 60,000 COP ($15 USD)
- Cleaning Service: 400,000 COP ($100 USD)
Total: 3,260,000 COP ($810 USD)
When factoring in additional expenses like transportation, dining out, socializing, gym membership, and streaming subscriptions, my monthly costs range from $1,000 to $1,500. But my baseline expenses remain around $810 (approximately 4 million COP monthly).
For perspective, just the basics were costing me $3,800 back in 2016 in Florida. According to friends still living there, those same expenses would nearly double in 2025. With that reality, returning to the US doesn’t make financial sense.
Lessons Learned and Advice for Future Expats
Like any significant life change, moving to a new country comes with a learning curve. Initially, not speaking Spanish made the transition challenging. Finding trustworthy assistants to help navigate the process was essential. Fortunately, I met reliable people who have since become good friends, helping me secure an apartment, obtain visas, set up banking, and more.
If I were to do it all over again, I could do it better and more cost-effectively. I now know where to look for apartments and whom to contact to get things done efficiently.
My advice for anyone considering relocating to Medellin—or any foreign country—is to first find a trustworthy local assistant. Even if you’re fluent in the language, having someone who knows the local systems, understands where to go, and has connections can make your transition significantly smoother and less stressful.
Looking Forward: Building a Community
As I continue my journey in Medellin, I’m passionate about building bridges for other digital nomads and expats looking to make a similar life change. Through my experiences—both the successes and the challenges—I hope to create resources that make the transition easier for others seeking a healthier, more balanced lifestyle in this beautiful corner of Colombia.
Have questions about moving to Medellin? Feel free to reach out through my company website or join our expat community forums to learn from those who’ve already made the leap, or write in the comment area let others know your experience moving to Medellin.
Questions Related to The Article
Q. How difficult is it to navigate the Colombian visa process, and what type of visa would be best for digital nomads or remote workers planning to stay long-term?
A. I was mostly on the tourist visa. I was traveling between Colombia and US every few weeks so i wasn’t worried about the visa process until I started looking for an apartment. Apartments are a lot cheaper when renting unfurnished. I went with the business Visa because at the time it seem like the best option and i was moving money into Colombia to rent an apartment, buy furnisher etc.. I wouldn’t recommend a Business Visa (TP-7 Visa) if you’re looking to get a visa in Colombia.
Q. Since you mentioned not speaking Spanish initially, how important is learning the language for daily life in Medellin, and what resources helped you overcome the language barrier?
A. It’s not all that important I been here 9 years and my Spanish is barely Conversational (B1). Medellin is a growing city and a lot more places are speaking english as opposed to 9 yrs ago. Regardless, I would recommend hiring an asst. to help you with some tasks like Banking, Billing etc.. but day-to-day tasks like Shopping, Restaurants, exploring the city you can get by with very basic spanish.
Q. How reliable is the infrastructure in Medellin for digital nomads – particularly internet speed, power stability, and access to coworking spaces.
A. Medellin infrastructure probably one of the best in Latin America. I live in El Centro and the power rarely goes out maybe once in 6 months. Internet is a lot better than it was 9yrs ago. I currently have SOMOS and its been great. I also have Tigo as a backup since my work is extremely relying on the internet. You also have internet cafe, Starbucks which i go to regularly just to get out of the house and write. A lot of restaurants have WIFI where you can get some work done and grab lunch.
