Similar but not the same- Medellin is F*cking awesome

Dear Overseas Opportunity Letter Reader,

I've spoken with lots of potential expats who are trying to choose between Cuenca, Ecuador, and Medellín, Colombia... even though these two cities are not very similar. Because I've lived in both places (and both are among my favorites in Latin America) I'm frequently asked to compare the two.

Let's take a deeper look at these popular destinations.

(Note that, as Medellín is such a large and diverse city, I'm confining my comparisons to its upscale, expat-favored neighborhood El Poblado.)

In some ways, Cuenca and Medellín are quite similar...

Weather

Both Medellín and Cuenca enjoy great weather all year. My home didn't have heat or air conditioning in either city, which saves a lot on the monthly budget.

But the weather is not the same, even though some describe them both as "spring-like." Medellín is warmer, with daily highs averaging around 82°F, with lows in the 60s, and only 1°F of seasonal variation. In Cuenca, monthly average highs vary from 68°F to 72°F depending on the time of year, and nightly lows are also correspondingly less. I never broke a sweat in Cuenca, and wore a long-sleeved shirt with no jacket almost every day of the year.

Rainfall is higher in Medellín (69 inches vs. 35 inches in Cuenca), but nonetheless, the average sunshine is higher in Medellín.

I personally prefer the tropical warmth of Medellín, but the city with the best weather will be a matter of your own taste.

The altitude of both cities is worth noting, aside from being the reason for their moderate temperatures. Medellín sits at about 5,000 feet above sea level (1,500 meters). Most people won't notice the altitude unless they have respiratory problems that cause low oxygen levels. Cuenca's elevation is about 8,300 feet, or 2,530 meters. Almost everyone will notice the altitude on arrival, and then adapt to it after a time. Again, if you have oxygen deficiency issues, Cuenca is not a good choice for you.

Health Care

Health care is good in both cities, and costs just a small fraction of what it costs in the States. Both have modern, first-world facilities and get high ratings from expats. While both cities are good enough to have a medical tourism industry, Medellín's is more popular, diverse, and mature.

Culture

The cultural scene in Medellín is somewhat similar to that in Cuenca. This is surprising because Cuenca has around 600,000 people in its metro area, while Medellín has about 4 million. In both cities, you can enjoy orchestra, theater, art openings, museums, and a generally sophisticated cultural scene. It feels more sophisticated and world-class in Medellín, but I enjoyed Cuenca's laid-back cultural scene just as much. You'll pay a fee for most of these offerings in Medellín, while in Cuenca they're usually free.

Cuenca's colorful indigenous presence is a cultural "plus" in the city, contributing to its Andean feel.

Infrastructure

The infrastructure is good in both cities. You'll enjoy drinkable water, reliable broadband internet, and dependable electricity, water, and phone service. Cuenca's cobblestoned and adobe historic center is not as upscale and modern as Medellín, but while hundreds of years old, it's Cuenca's main attraction.

Walkability

Walkability is great in both places, with excellent and cheap public transit systems. And if you decide to drive, you'll find traffic jams equally maddening in both cities... although Ecuador's drivers are far more rude, aggressive, and reckless than their Colombian counterparts. I honed my aggressive driving skills to perfection while living in Cuenca. 

Real Estate

Real estate costs are cheap in both cities, even by South American standards. That said, when comparing Medellín's upscale El Poblado to Cuenca's downtown, Cuenca is cheaper. On a cost-per-square-meter basis, El Poblado comes in at US$1,492 at today's exchange rate, while Cuenca is down at US$1,285. (To put that into perspective, a nice neighborhood in Montevideo, Uruguay will cost over US$3,455 per meter, while Santiago, Chile comes in at US$3,300.)

Even though it costs more than Cuenca, I consider Medellín's real estate to be a good value, due to their high standards for construction and workmanship.

For the lifestyle you'll enjoy in Medellín, the real estate is a tremendous bargain. And the same is true in Cuenca: for the lifestyle it offers, it is a bargain.

But the lifestyle in one is nothing like the other.

Residency

Residency in Colombia has the edge over Ecuador.

The residency process is fairly easy in both Medellín and Cuenca, but I'd give Medellín the victory in this category, due to the simplicity of qualification and lower retiree financial thresholds.

Colombia's retiree visa options start at around US$800 per month, and investor options begin at less than US$30,000... US$93,000 if the investment is in real estate.

Ecuador's retiree visa requires US$1,275 to qualify, while the investor visas require US$42,500... which can be an investment in real estate.

Colombia's visa however, is quicker and easier to obtain, with fewer required documents. Ecuador requires a criminal background check, for example, which Colombia does not.

Also, Ecuador has restrictions on being out of the country during your first two years of temporary residency, while Colombia has only token time-in-country requirements.

Ecuador's visa is intended for people who actually live there, while Colombia's will also work for those who are only in-country occasionally.

Both countries have a fast path to citizenship, with some options beginning after just two years as a resident.

How Do These Top-Tier Retire Overseas Options Differ?

This brings us to the ways in which these two cities differ...

The Ambiance

Medellín's El Poblado offers a way of life that is modern and upscale. It has elegant shopping, spotless infrastructure, glistening new buildings, and more fine dining than you can imagine. New, brick, luxury high-rises look down from lush, wooded hillsides. Tall trees line the clean, well-maintained streets. And El Poblado is only one of several such desirable areas in Medellín.

On the other hand, Cuenca is one of the Americas' premier Spanish-colonial cities and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The old cathedral was built in 1557, the architecture is well-preserved Spanish colonial, and the streets are cobblestone. You'll even see evidence of the Inca occupation from the early 1500s. Yet just outside the historic center, Cuenca also offers new, modern high-rises. So you can live in a modern home yet have the historic center within walking distance.

El Poblado is a first-world environment; you'll be hard-pressed to find a U.S. city that can beat it. Cuenca is part of a developing country, where you'll find third-world characteristics like poor sidewalk and building maintenance.

Access

Access to the United States is easier from Medellín than from Cuenca. Medellín has daily nonstops to the United States, and the trip to Miami is three hours. But you'll need to connect at least once (maybe twice) when traveling from Cuenca. The fastest trip from Cuenca today is to Atlanta—via Delta—which takes over 8 hours including the layover. If you travel to Guayaquil—3.5 hours away—the flight options are much better.  

Expat Community

The expat community is much more of a presence in Cuenca... especially on a per-capita basis. I can find expats in Medellín—at a local coffee shop or the Irish pub—fairly reliably, if I look for them. And a couple of Americans are signed up at my gym. But aside from the gym, I don't see many expats around in my travels.

In Cuenca, there is a huge expat community of over 5,000 people, who are making a cultural imprint on the city. Their impact is generally positive, in my opinion.

Since the infusion of North Americans to Cuenca, there's been an explosion in the number of nice cafes, restaurants, and book shops... as well as other expat-owned services and businesses. Today in Cuenca, you can find most everything you'd enjoy... and often find an English-speaker to deal with. In Medellín, you'll struggle if you don't speak any Spanish.

But whether an expat community of that size is a positive or a negative for you will be a matter of choice.

Cost Of Living

The cost of living, as of today, is comparable between Medellín and Cuenca. But it won't necessarily stay that way, as Colombia's living costs (in dollar terms) are influenced by the fluctuation in exchange rates. The dollar is strong by historic standards in Colombia. By contrast, Ecuador uses the U.S. dollar, so dollar-holders don't feel the windfall of a strengthening dollar... or the pinch of a weakening dollar. 

If the exchange rate in Colombia returns to 2014 levels, it will become noticeably more expensive to live in Medellín... although there is no way to predict if this will happen or when.

Neither city is expensive, though, so the choice of which to choose should not be made on dollars alone. Your desired lifestyle is far more important. 

The Winner?

In fact, there is no winner. Neither city is better. Manhattan is not inherently better or worse than New Orleans, after all... but it's a lot different. And the same goes for Medellín and Cuenca.

I see Ecuador as a cultural adventure. This country is as different as you can get from the United States or Canada without leaving the world's European-based cultures.

When I retired to Cuenca at age 49, I shunned places like Medellín, Chile, and Uruguay, because they were too much like America. I wanted something as different, enriching, and exciting as I could get, and Cuenca fit the bill.

Yet when I bought my place in Medellín, 10 years later at the age of 59, it was also exactly what I was looking for... a way to enjoy perfect weather and a sophisticated lifestyle that I couldn't afford in the United States. By then, Medellín fit the bill.

You've heard a dozen times that the "perfect retirement location" is different for everyone. This is true, but there's really more to it than that.

That "perfect spot" may also change with your taste, your age, and your experience level at living abroad. If it does, you'll find that the adventure and excitement of discovery need never stop.

Lee Harrison
Latin America Correspondent