Job Discussion Forums

[leretif9]

Speaking hypothetically:

If I plan to land in Bogota at the end of January and immediately start looking for work, what's the least amount I should reasonable expect to bring?

I know, 5000 USD or more would be best, but, pessimistically speaking, what's the least amount? Figuring 24,000 COP per night for a hostel, cooking meals in the hostel kitchen, and other such hardcore economizing measures?

Thanks in advance.

[EFL Educator]

My EFL colleagues in Bogota brought at least $3,000 with them (minimum) while on the job hunt...in case of emergencies such as medical or having to return back home you should also have at least another $1,000 in cash handy. Of course the more money you bring the merrier you will be..but anything over $10,000 must be declared! Good luck in Colombia.

[esl_prof]

At minimum:

1. Enough funds to live in a hostel up to one month while doing a job search.
2. Assuming you get a job within that time frame, sufficient cash to rent and apartment (deposit, first and last month's rent, or whatever the norm is for your destination city).
3. Enough funds in reserve to buy a one way ticket home if things don't work out.

Actually 2 and 3 could be the same pot of cash as you can just use your rent money to buy a plane ticket home if you don't find a job within a reasonable amount of time.

Last time I made a move like this, I brought one of those portable backpacker cooking kits, a set of basic utensils, and a thermarest air mattress which allowed me to "camp" out in my apartment until I saved up enough cash to buy some second hand furniture.

Hopefully, others will chime in if I missed something.

You've been planning this move for several months now. Good luck as you make the transition. And, of course, please keep us posted on how things go.

[BakerStreetSaxSolo]

At current exchange rates I spend about $620 a month (I said $750 earlier, I hadn't noticed how much the rates have changed recently!). That equates to about 50,000 pesos a day. If you spend half on a hostel, that should leave you plenty for food and local transport and a few extras here-and-there. But yes, you might need a month's rent in advance as a deposit on a flat (anywhere between 400,000 for a cheap roomshare to 1,000,000 or a single-room studio apartment)... plus a few hundred-thousand in advance of getting paid.

Look at best-case and worst-case scenarios:
BCS -you find a job and an apartment in 2 weeks, no deposit needed, you get paid a month later = 6 weeks at 50,000 a day = 2.1m = $870!
WCS - you take 3 months to accept a job and you're asked for a deposit on the 1m-a-month flat you set your heart on and you spend 75,000 a day because you love hanging out in Zona Rosa and then you badly injure your knee in a freak accident leading to an MRI scan, doctor and physio sessions
16 weeks at 75,000 a day + 1m deposit + 750,000 meds = 10.2m = $4200

so, y'know, you could burn through $4000 if you're unlucky and very picky with jobs and apartments, so... try not to be!