There's definitely a science to travel. It's something that's required but if you want to get the best out of your experiences a little advance planning can make a lot of difference. A luxury weekend in a city like New York can be a wonderful time but it will cost you. This makes us wonder where you could travel to get similar luxury at a more affordable cost. One such destination is Medellin Colombia. Nomadness' own Jubril dives right into that very topic with a direct NYC vs Medellin comparative blog that is everything you could ask for to fully plan for a great Colombian experience.
Take a look below at his break down of living options in Medellin for a good idea of how your U.S money can work for internationally.
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Accommodations:
My 6 month leased penthouse apartment in the exclusive neighborhood of San Lucas, Medellin is 5,000 square feet, has 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, a maids bedroom and bathroom, open floor plan, sauna, a massive rooftop, and it’s all furnished.
You know how much I pay for all of that? $3,400USD per month. Then on top of that my power and internet bill is about $400 per month. So that’s about a total of $3,800 a month.
If you were in New York, you would be looking at $30,000 a month just for the rent alone!
And I haven’t even gotten to the best part… A full-time maid who works Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, who cooks and cleans, and looks after all of us so well. I pay her about $300 a month which is much more than the minimum wage here for service workers.
In New York, for a maid that cooks and cleans 6 days a week, you’ll look at paying around $3,000 per month… Not $300.
You can easily find a modern, luxury apartment in Medellin for the weekend by using Airbnb (check out this post for more info on Airbnb) and it would cost you from $60 a night in the best neighborhood.
For something similar in New York, you can expect to pay upwards of $400 per night.
If you would rather stay in a hotel for the weekend, Medellin has quite a few to choose from and you’ll be looking at spending $40- $100 for mid range, and then $100-$200 for luxury.
You can easily get a luxury hotel for under $100 using Hotwire. Hotels don’t like to advertise their prices that low, so Hotwire hides their identity until your booking is complete. (Check out our post on Hotwire here).
You can use E-Bates with Hotwire as well to make your booking even cheaper. With Hotwire and E-Bates, you can see your accommodation prices cut in half.
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See Jubril's full post for his thorough fiscal run down of activities, transportation, dining and more in Medellin. You won't believe just how much your dollar can get you.