That is so true. Everyone should read your post…. u have to walk around and look in Windows (Arrienda)

I have lived here now for 2 years, and have never paid more than 300 dollars a month for rent. Than was my last place on a farm 3 bedrooms,3 baths with a large balcony on 4 acres. No deposit and people worked the farm. I have lived in 2 apartments for 250 a month. I paid deposit there which was one month rent. I live away from Americans because I Like the Colombian people. If You want to live like your in the states live in Poblado. You will pay 3 times more to live there. My fiance is Colombian and she negotiates everything. Have met many contacts in bar and restaurants. Just need to get out and walk around. I am sorry but your information is for people who have more money than the average. Do not deal with Americans here they will ríp you off. I learned the hard way.

The problem is that in Colombia, most owners rent only through an agent, which makes the prices of course much higher. I personally started to live in a hotel for 10 days then for about 3 months in 2 different furnished apartments which I found locally directly from the owners; I have to say they were minimally furnished (almost nothing to cook for example) and no luxury at all like in the over-priced Poblado, but it was okay as anyway I was almost always out discovering the city, making new friends and enjoying the weather 😉
After 2 years of vacationing in Medellin, I finally installed myself in the very green, although very centered, close to everything, neighborhood of the Velodromo, where I myself renting out now a furnished one bedroom and helping other “Gringos” to make the step to move to Medellin, and as I am not renting through an agency, I can offer the right price…

Again guys comparing monthly to companies that are vacation rental companies. Compare it vs hotels. Not some real you found in laureles. You come into town for 3 nights we for instance have a $50/night AC 1 bedroom. $150 all in. You come you enjoy you go. This be the same as someone saying the charlee hotel was to expensive for a month. So in our defense. Are places are mostly bigger and cheaper then hotels. We also have licensing from tourism board. Same ones hotels have. I’m sure your $250/month apartment doesn’t have a legal license. How could they. There in a residential building. Doing comercial rentals.

Learn some Spanish. Rent a room, then a studio and get in tune with the environment, then rent a place. With no fiador and in my first week I found a studio for 266/month with Wifi, Cable, Maid Service, Laundry Service, furnished, gas paid for (kitchen) right on the main drag in Laureles. Small, but gives you an idea of how bad the above prices are. For 600/month, you can have a nice place in the city outside of Poblado (I think it’s the worst possible place you could rent. It’s like going to Park Avenue in NYC).

For a long terms of 2 years, furnished apartments will be quite expensive in comparison to unfurnished apartment rentals. For such a long-term, it will normally be cheaper to rent unfurnished that you furnish yourself. I was renting furnished for about $1,200 per month when I started living in Medellín. I moved to an unfurnished place that was much cheaper and rented for about $600 per month at the time (now it would be about $400 with the improved exchange rate). I spent about $6,000 to furnish the apartment so that made my break-even about 10 months so unfurnished was cheaper for me over two years, without factoring in the sale of furnishings as I still live in the city six year later.

Some of the furnished apartment owners have lower prices for longer terms. Check on Airbnb and you can find some. You can also check with the real estate firms that have many furnished apartments to see if you can negotiate a lower long-term rental price – Casacol and The Apartment Medellín have the most furnished rentals in the city.

David, I am interested in staying longer than a month, possibly 2 yesrs; would the monthly rental cost be significantly lower. For instance the 4 bedroom you used as an example goes for $2,500 per month. What do you think it would go for for a year lease.
Also, what would be the most effective manner to inquire for long-term rental prices?
Thanks,
Leo