TL;DRArgentina gets you to permanent residency 3 years faster (2 vs 5 years). Buenos Aires is safer — homicide rate 4.3 vs 25.3 per 100k. Both are solid options for settling down — the spreadsheet won't save you from this one.

Buenos Aires scores 61 to Medellin's 50 on livability — the gap is real. Medellin has its charms, but the numbers favor Buenos Aires.

How the livability score breaks down

Buenos Aires

Medellin

21.5/25

💰 Affordability

22.1/25

10.7/15

🔒 Violent Crime

0/15

3.7/10

🛡️ Perceived Safety

4.6/10

4.1/15

⚡ Internet

5.9/15

9.8/15

🗳️ Democracy

9.5/15

7.5/10

🗣️ English

4.3/10

8.8/10

☀️ Climate

9.5/10

0/10

📊 Stability

3.4/10

6.6/10

🚗 Road Safety

2.2/10

6.9/10

🕊️ Geopolitical Safety

3.2/10

Verdict delivered. Your move.

The winner's file

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

Full profile. Verify before you pack.

Due diligence

🇨🇴 Medellin

Every verdict deserves an appeal.

Plot twist

Buenos Aires vs Cordoba

Someone else's dilemma, equally unsolvable.

Household

Buenos Aires

Metric

Medellin

$611/mo

🛒

Living costs (no rent)

lower is better

$402/mo✓

$3,051

🧳

Cost to land

lower is better

$2,156✓

✓64 / 100

🛡️

Settler safety

higher is better

29 / 100

✓4.3 / 100k

🔒

Homicides

lower is better

25.3 / 100k

✓8.8 / 100k

🚗

Road deaths

lower is better

16.2 / 100k

37 / 100

🚨

Safety Index

higher is better

46 / 100✓

81°F

☀️

Summer high

personal taste

79°F

48°F

❄️

Winter low

personal taste

63°F

55 Mbps

⚡

Internet speed

higher is better

79 Mbps✓

✓8.9 μg/m³

🌬️

Air quality (PM2.5)

lower is better

14.7 μg/m³

68 / 100

🏥

Healthcare

higher is better

71 / 100

6.5 / 10

🗳️

Democracy

higher is better

6.3 / 10

✓6.5 / 9

🤝

Migrant acceptance

higher is better

4.0 / 9

74 / 100

🏳️‍🌈

Rainbow Index

higher is better

71 / 100

✓55/100

🗣️

Street English

higher is better

28/100

✓$30k

💼

GDP per capita (PPP)

higher is better

$22k

219.9% · Buckle up

📈

Inflation

lower is better

6.6% · Noticeable price creep✓

45/100 — Unreliable

⚡

Grid reliability

higher is better

74/100 — Mostly stable✓

✓84/100

🗽

Freedom House

higher is better

68/100

A median Software Engineer in Buenos Aires takes home $1,740/mo under Standard employee. In Medellin: $2,180/mo under Standard employee.

$440/mo more in Medellin

Each city pays its own median — Software Engineer gross via Levels.fyi / Eurostat. Moving changes your salary too; that's the point.

$33k

💰

Gross income

$34k

−$6k

🏛️

Income tax

Standard employee

−$5k

−$6k

🛡️

Social contributions

−$3k

$21k/yr

$2k/mo

💵

Take-home pay

$26k/yr✓

$2k/mo

−$29k

🏠

Cost of living

−$23k

−$8k/yr

🐖

Annual savings

$4k/yr✓

Swap the local medians for your actual number

Sources: Numbeo · UNODC · Ookla · WHO · EIU · Gallup · World Bank · Freedom House · Updated April 2026

💰

Cost of Living

Medellin

$64/mo cheaper on rent alone

🔒

Safety

Buenos Aires

4.3 homicides per 100k

🗣️

English

Buenos Aires

higher proficiency score

📋

Residency

Buenos Aires

PR in 2 years

Sun

How much sky you actually get

62% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

Sky clear

avg daytime

10% clear

Win

Spr

Sum

Fall

14.5h

Shortest day

Dec

11.8h

9.8h

Longest day

Jun

12.5h

Source: WeatherSpark (clear-sky share of daytime hours)

Settler Essentials

declining ↓

Democracy trend

declining ↓

improving ↑

Inflation trend

improving ↑

fintechtech-outsourcingagteche-commerce

Industries

techtourismfashion-textilefintech

active

Startup ecosystem

active

Easy

🇺🇸 Your visa

Easy

EU visa

Easy

RU visa

Easy

UA visa

Easy

✅ Partner can work immediately

Spouse works

❌ Partner cannot work on this visa

Visa stamps:Easy <90 daysModerate 3–6 moComplex 6+ mo

Sources: EIU · Freedom House · Startup Genome · official immigration portals

Reproductive Rights

Because your body shouldn't need a visa too

On request

Abortion access

On request

14 wk

Gestational limit

24 wk

Legal on request up to 14 weeks since 2020.

Legal on request up to 24 weeks since 2022 Constitutional Court ruling.

Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

LGBTQ+ Rights

Can you hold hands without doing a risk assessment first

Legal

Marriage

Legal

Joint adoption

Adoption

Joint adoption

Yes

Job protection

Yes

Hate crime law

Yes

Buenos Aires vs Medellin — Common Questions

Is Buenos Aires cheaper than Medellin?▾

Medellin is cheaper. A 1-bedroom apartment in city centre costs around $703/month there vs $767/month in the other city (Numbeo data).

Which is safer, Buenos Aires or Medellin?▾

Buenos Aires is statistically safer based on UNODC homicide data. Buenos Aires has a rate of 4.31 per 100,000 and Medellin has 25.27 per 100,000.

Should I move to Buenos Aires or Medellin?▾

Buenos Aires scores 61 to Medellin's 50 on livability — the gap is real. Medellin has its charms, but the numbers favor Buenos Aires. See the full comparison above for rent, safety, internet speed, climate, and democracy scores to decide which city fits your priorities.

Is it easier to get residency in Buenos Aires or Medellin?▾

Buenos Aires: Argentina Rentista Visa (moderate requirements, 1 year (renewable)). Medellin: Colombia Digital Nomad Visa (V-type) (easy to get, 2 years (renewable)). See each city's profile page for full requirements.

Can I live in Buenos Aires or Medellin without speaking the local language?▾

Buenos Aires is easier for street-level English (55/100) than Medellin (28/100). That's the score that matters for doctors, landlords, and bureaucracy. Office English can still run higher than street English in both cities.

What's the cost of rent in Buenos Aires vs Medellin?▾

A 1-bedroom in the centre: $703/month in Medellin, $767/month in Buenos Aires (Numbeo). That's 8% cheaper rent in Medellin.