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[QUOTE=Manizales911;3079591]I was in my apartment on the 17th floor here in Manizales. I thought for sure the building was going to collapse and I was going to die. The damage here in Manizales is unimaginable.[/QUOTE]That sounds like a nightmare, glad you and Trip are okay. Hopefully other expats on this board are similarly unscathed. All my friends in Bogota and Medellin who I checked up on told me that the experience was scary, but that they and their homes are undamaged, thankfully.
[QUOTE=MrEnternational;3079357]My ex-girlfriend lives in Cali. She said she was running out of the hospital where she works and fell and people were running over her. Her boss had to drag her away by the arm until she could get up. The building collapsed. .[/QUOTE]This might be it:
[URL]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R1N1R4uD20s[/URL]
Has anyone been keeping track of the USD-to-COP exchange rate? I was in Medellin in May when it was 3,500 COP and now looking at 3,100.
A year ago it was near 4,000. Seems like such a crazy drop-off.
[QUOTE=VoodooJones;3079811]Has anyone been keeping track of the USD-to-COP exchange rate? I was in Medellin in May when it was 3,500 COP and now looking at 3,100.
A year ago it was near 4,000. Seems like such a crazy drop-off.[/QUOTE]May 15 it was 3,810. To 3,133 today. Almost 18% drop in three months is crazy. In contrast the USD has strengthened vs the Brazilian Real in that period. 5. 05 to 5. 20.
[QUOTE=VoodooJones;3079811]Has anyone been keeping track of the USD-to-COP exchange rate? I was in Medellin in May when it was 3,500 COP and now looking at 3,100.
A year ago it was near 4,000. Seems like such a crazy drop-off.[/QUOTE]I have to keep track of it because I visit Medellin almoat every other month. I have no idea why the USD is losing value against the COP. The dollar is up over the past year against the Euro and the Japanese yen, yet is down almost 25% during that time against the COP. That should make US products less expensive in Colombia, but the grocery stores haven't dropped their prices on US products that I have observed.
[QUOTE=VoodooJones;3079811]Has anyone been keeping track of the USD-to-COP exchange rate? I was in Medellin in May when it was 3,500 COP and now looking at 3,100.
A year ago it was near 4,000. Seems like such a crazy drop-off.[/QUOTE]
I've been going there since early 2022. It almost touched 5000 in November 2022. Spirit flights to Colombia ($200 RT) and Viva flights within Colombia ($70 RT) were dirt cheap. It was a golden period.
[QUOTE=FunLuvr;3079828]I have to keep track of it because I visit Medellin almoat every other month. I have no idea why the USD is losing value against the COP. The dollar is up over the past year against the Euro and the Japanese yen, yet is down almost 25% during that time against the COP. That should make US products less expensive in Colombia, but the grocery stores haven't dropped their prices on US products that I have observed.[/QUOTE]The peso was extremely devalued during the time when the exchange rate was in the 4000's. Now it is at a more realistic valuation. It is a combination of the Colombian peso getting stronger against the dollar and the dollar getting weaker against the Colombian peso. What the dollar does against other currencies has no bearing on what it is doing against the Colombian peso. In addition to the exchange rate going significantly down there is significant inflation here across the board. I'm fortunate enough to be able to swallow it but my expenses betwen those two issues is costing me about 40-50% more overall so it does sting but I'm not going anywhere.
[QUOTE=JuneFly;3079878]I've been going there since early 2022. It almost touched 5000 in November 2022. Spirit flights to Colombia ($200 RT) and Viva flights within Colombia ($70 RT) were dirt cheap. It was a golden period.[/QUOTE]Do to responsible governance. Think how the strong dollar has benefited us.
[QUOTE=MojoBandit;3079681]This might be it:
[URL]https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R1N1R4uD20s[/URL][/QUOTE]Yep. That was it.
[QUOTE=Manizales911;3079883]I'm fortunate enough to be able to swallow it but my expenses betwen those two issues is costing me about 40-50% more overall so it does sting but I'm not going anywhere.[/QUOTE]Same here man. Stings a little but still worth it to me compared to other countries I have been to.
[QUOTE=GringoLoko;3079900]Same here man. Stings a little but still worth it to me compared to other countries I have been to.[/QUOTE]From about 2010 through 2014, the USD was on average below 2,000 to the Colombian Peso. In that context, 3,100 isn't bad. Though late 2022 was especially good.