MrPeabody posted it in the VIP expat subforum to which most HA members don't have access and are therefore unable to respond. On account of this, I've taken the liberty of quoting some of his post in a new thread and continuing the discussion here.Medellin, Colombia gets 69 inches of rainfall per year, because it is in a tropical rainforest climate zone. In contrast, Lima is in a desert climate and is one of the driest cities in the world. Lima is also warmer than Medellin.
Medellin is now popular with expats all over the world, so you have to overcome a negative reputation to live there and the pressure raises the rents. In contrast, Lima is relatively unexplored. The women in Medellin have a reputation of being gold diggers.
I myself have great interest in Medellín and by many accounts it is an excellent city. Our own @kangarunner recently stayed there, made several videos and speaks highly of the place. I would definitely like to visit Medellín at the very least.
However, I too have my concerns about Medellín. I fear that the city could end up being overrun with expats and that rent and the prices of properties could be driven up as a result.
I've read that some smaller municipalities outside of Medellín but within feasible travelling distance are a good alternative for expats. One expat whose video I watched recommended Rionegro situated east of Medellín and with a population of 83,000. He claimed that rent was considerably cheaper there. Or maybe one could look into the more peripheral municipalities such as Copacabana or Girardota. Just a thought and something that I need to research more.
Then there is the option of other Colombian cities. Pereira in the Department of Risaralda is also said to be a well-developed and attractive city and is sometimes described as a "little Medellín". It has an urban population of 399,283 (a metropolitan population of 709,338) and has a climate very similar to that of Medellín except slightly cooler. Also just outside of the city is the municipality of Santa Rosa de Cabal with its beautiful hot springs.
South of Pereira is also the city of Armenia in the Department of Quindío which also looks pretty nice. I've read that Medellín and the cities of the Coffee Axis are generally the best places to live in Colombia.
@MrPeabody, I am familiar with Lima. Lima is warmer than Medellín in summer and has a desert climate but I personally see that as a negative. I would much prefer the stable temperate climates of the Colombian highlands. Lima is also heavily populated with a population of over 9 million and is quite chaotic in certain areas. To be honest, I'm not a fan of Lima and, if I were to go back to Peru, I'd probably choose some other city. Chiclayo and Piura in the north are said to be nice albeit extremely hot in summer.