As tourism continues to boom in Medellin, there has been an increase in high-end offerings with high-end prices. Accommodation, food, drinks, and activities have shot up in cost but if you are smart you can still enjoy an amazing experience in Medellin on a budget.
The city offers a lot of free activities, they are amazing places you can visit and you can save a lot of money by making smart choices in terms of places to stay, transport, food, drinks, and discounted activities. In this article, I will explain how to have an amazing time in Medellin without breaking the bank.
Affordable Places to Stay
If you are visiting Medellin as a tourist the first expense to consider is accommodation. People often think that hostels are the only way to find a bargain while traveling and that isn’t usually the case. If you stay in a room shared with 5 other people then you can get a good price but local hotels in nice areas can be cheaper.
For example, if you look for a hotel provided by Aydenda then you can get some real bargains. Ayenda is a company that works with a wide range of hotels of different budgets and manages them across their platform. Some are far more fancy than others but I have found even when you opt for a cheaper option the offering is always at least adequate.
Sometimes it will be far from fancy but you get at least a clean room with fresh lining, soap, a private bathroom, a television, and a fan. Hostels can help you make new friends, provide fun activities and parties but if you want some peace, quiet and privacy then there are good budget hotels available for the same prive.
Using Public Transport
Citizens of Medellin are very proud of their public transport network and rightfully so. The city has two metro lines, integrated buses, trams, cable cars, and even an urban escalator network that serves the steep hills of one of the poorer neighborhoods. It is always kept spotlessly clean and is very well managed.
Using the metro can often be quicker and significantly cheaper than taking a taxi or uber. You can enjoy amazing views out of the window and the cool air-conditioned temperatures. Rush hour is a bit mad, but if you are a tourist then head out at 9.30am and avoid 5pm for your return. You can pay for all public transport by topping up a Civica payment card online or in person. Make sure you don’t need to top up in person during rush hour or you will wait in a long line.
You pay as you tap in to enter the network and then can leave at any point. The metro and cable car system is completely integrated so you can take the metro in Poblado up to Acevedo and then walk up the stairs to the cable car without paying again. The cable car from Acevedo takes you up to Santo Domingo with amazing views of the city. You can leave at Santo Domingo or stay on the cable car and head back down to the metro without paying more than once.
Taking the metro is a must if you want to do Medellin on a budget.
Cheap Lunch with Menu del Dia
One of the best ways to do Medellin on a budget is to opt for local food over imported, international options. It is a great way to enjoy the freshest ingredients and popular paisa dishes and pay far less money.
One of the best ways to do this is to eat lunch at local restaurants offering a “menu of the day”. This will be a set menu option that usually changes every day for a special reduced price. You can get fresh fruit juice, a soup starter, and then a well-balanced main. The main course will usually have a combination of ingredients such as rice, arepa, meat, chicken, plantain, kidney beans, french fries, fish and salad.
You can enjoy amazing food by choosing fresh, delicious local options rather than eating at generic chain restaurants.
Free Activities in Medellin
There are many places to visit and things to do in Medellin which have no cost at all. These can be activities subsidized by the government or outdoor spaces you can explore with no entry fee.
Jardin Botanico is a great place to spend a sunny afternoon to enjoy Medellin on a budget. This area in the center of the city close to the University of Antioquia has a huge range of plants, flowers, birds, and insects. You can walk around the central lake area, relax, and enjoy the sun. They also have a butterfly house you can enter with a local expert.
Comuna 13 was once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellin but today is a symbol of transformation with innovative infrastructure, art, music, and culture. You can get to the neighborhood by taking the metro to San Javier station and then a very short bus. There is of course no charge to go into the neighborhood and while a guide is highly recommended to learn about the history, you can still have a great time without one.
I don’t imagine you will be able to resist the amazing street food on offer but fortunately, it is all very reasonably priced and sales help support the resilient, friendly community.
As mentioned previously you can take the cable car up to Santa Domingo where you get amazing views over the city. From Santo Domingo there is a second cable car which continues up beyond the limits of the valley before heading across the trees of the surrounding countryside. The cable car has a small additional charge but takes you directly to the entrance of Parque ARVI. This is a free natural park with lakes, trails, and forests to explore.
Something I would recommend for anyone visiting Medellin is the Free Walking Tour around the downtown area of the city. Enthusiastic local guides take visitors around the center of the city to key points of interest and share stories of the history of Medellin. They have tours every day available in English and Spanish. There is no cost to sign up and join the tour but tips at the end are expected and always well earned.
Pueblito Paisa is situated at the top of a high hill overlooking the city and is a representation of a traditional paisa village. They have restaurants, stores, and recreations of important village buildings such as the church and administrative buildings. You can enter the area for free and it is a ten minutes walk from Exposiciones metro station. There is a bit of a climb but you have some great views at the top.
The people of Medellin love to be active and this is something that the local government really supports and enables. INDER (The Medellin Institute of Recreation and Sports) oversees all of the publically owned sports facilities and offers free or heavily subsidized sports activities.
On Sunday Poblado Avenue is closed up until midday so that locals can run, jog, walk, take the dog out, and cycle across the city. This weekly event is called the ciclovia and it is hugely popular. It is a great way to connect with locals, enjoy the sun, and get some exercise. On Sundays, you will also find outdoor dance and aerobics classes you can join at no cost.
On the SIMON online platform, you can reserve all types of sports facilities for free if you register. This can include astroturf football pitches, tennis courts, basketball courts, and many others. You can also swim for free in the publically owned pools, such as the full outdoor Olympic sized pool at the Atanasio Giradot Sports Complex. I play football 3 or 4 times a week and the pitches are usually completely free to rent.
Learning about everything INDER offers is a great idea if you want to stay fit, have fun and enjoy Medellin on a budget.
Half Price Cinema
Cine Colombia is the biggest cinema chain in Colombia and on Wednesdays all of their tickets are half-price. This means it is possible to watch one of the latest releases in English with Spanish subtitles in a very modern, comfortable cinema for around US$1. It becomes less of a bargain if you buy the extortianately priced popcorn but this can provide a great saving.
Downtown Bargain Hunting
If you are looking to buy gifts or something for yourself then ‘El Hueco’ is the place to go for bargains. In the Guayaquil sector of downtown Medellin, close to Cisneros metro station, there is a stretch of stores and market stalls offering absolutely everything. I would recommend only going during the day and take care for pickpockets but it is a fun experience and you can find all sorts of things.
Be warned that the US$15 Nike footwear might not be entirely legit and be prepared to negotiate to get the best prices.
Discounted electronics at Monterrey Mall
If you are looking for phones or laptops then Monterrey Mall next to Poblado station is a great place to go. This is a large two-story turquoise building that sells almost exclusively electronics. They offer brand new, legit phones and computers but many stalls also have ‘refurbished’ alternatives at a fraction of the price.
I have bought iPhones and Macbooks here which have lasted for years and when my charger broke after 5 months and 20 days they honored the 6-month guarantee and replaced it with no questions asked.
Partying in Medellin on a Budget
Partying in Medellin can be one of your biggest expenses but there are ways to do it without breaking the bank.
Local spirits are very cheap so go for rum or aguardiente. There will usually be a variety of local rums available but my recommendation is always Ron Caldas. In terms of Arguadiente, I would recommend Antioqueno from here in Medellin. Tapa azul (blue top) is without sugar and red is with sugar. Some prefer the taste of red but go blue to avoid a hangover.
Most bars and clubs have table service and staff will bring over free salty bar snacks to the table. Bottles of local spirits are usually half the price of the imported alternatives. Going out in Poblado will always be significantly more than elsewhere in the city. La 70 in Laureles is cheaper and is a good option but still has a bit of a premium. Envigado is a good shout too and there are some nice options.
Make friends who are cool to drink bottles or rum or aguardiente and then split the bill. If you do this then you can have an amazing night of drinking and dancing while spending less than US$15. Bottles come in medios (375ml ‘half’ bottle), botellas (750ml full bottles), and sometimes garrafas (1,750 ml giant bottle).
Sometimes drinking before going to an expensive club can help save some money but remember you will need a table and there is usually a minimum consumption at the weekend which can be a bottle. This means drinking before is often a bad idea.
