Would you love to live in Colombia? If yes, which is a better Colombian city to live in between Medellin and Bogota? If you ask the locals, everyone is biased depending on where he or she comes from. If you ask the experts, they will give you the pros and cons of each city depending on how good their analysis is, while others tend to be biased too.
The facts:
- i) Bogota:
- It is the capital city of Colombia.
- It is over 8000 feet above sea level.
- It is about a thousand square miles in size and hosts more than 8 million people.
- ii) Medellin:
- It is home to about 4 million people.
- It is about 250 square miles in size.
- It is about 5000 feet above sea level.
You can tell from the facts above that these two cities are different in many ways. The size and population affect factors such as social diversity and service delivery while the difference in altitude affects the weathers. That said, we may not be able to accurately say which city between the two is better to live in and which one is not. We will therefore thoroughly compare the two and leave you to decide which one offers the best life according to your tastes and preferences. Let’s dive right in.
- Security and safety.
The government has invested heavily on security personnel in a bid to make these two cities safe for both the natives and visitors. But despite the efforts, Bogota’s Ciudad Bolivar and San Cristóbal regions, as well as Medellin’s Bello and Santo Domingo, aren’t very safe, especially for visitors.
Historically speaking, Medellin has a bad history of insecurity than Bogota. But in the modern day- due to the expansion of the city- the capital registers more cases of robbery with violence than Medellin.
- Climate
On average, Medellin is warmer than the capital. The former averages at 70+ degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year while the latter averages at below 60 degrees. As a matter of fact, it occasionally snows in Bogota.
- Attraction sites
The fact that Bogota is bigger than Medellin means that there is more to see in the capital. With just a free walking tour in Bogota, you get to see the old neighborhoods, rich history, many museums, parks, festivals, art galleries, and any other tourist attraction item that you can think of can be found in Bogota. The same cannot be said about Medellin.
- Beauty and architectural marvel
Medellin was founded in the 15th century while Bogota was invented a hundred years earlier. Two things come into play here: If you love old architectural marvels, then the capital is your ideal destination. But if you love beautiful and contemporary structures, then you ought to try Medellin.
- Diversity
Bogota largely borrows its culture from the Spaniards, Britons, and French. The city has restaurants that offer a wide range of cuisine styles from the three European nations. The city also plays host to people from diverse ethnicities, races, and social backgrounds. Medellin is also starting to cultivate its diversity, but it isn’t necessarily as established as the capital is.
- Mobility
Being the capital, Bogota has crazier traffic than Medellin. However, the capital has the best transport infrastructure in the entire country. El Dorado Airport, for example, is in the heart of the capital, which makes it easy to access other Colombian cities as well as to travel in and out of the country.
But Medellin isn’t at all left behind in this regard. The city has a highly functioning metro system which is fast, well-managed, and highly affordable. The city has an airport as well, although it is smaller than El Dorado. However, you can easily access this airport from the US, Europe, and from most Colombian cities.
- Cost of living
Medellin is about 30 percent cheaper than Bogota in terms of house rent, foods, and transport. As of buying properties, the capital is two or three times more expensive. However, there are some services- such as dry cleaning and car repair costs- that are cheaper in Bogota than in Medellin.
- Education
If you are looking for the city with the best quality of education, then Bogota is your to go to city. There are more prestigious universities here. And as a matter of fact, there are more graduates in Bogota that any other city in Latin America.
