What if you were born in Colombia?

If you had grown up in Colombia instead of Pakistan, here is what your money, your home and your day in Bogotá could look like.

Try it with my numbers

Wax palms in the Cocora Valley. Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Three alternate lives in Colombia

Each person keeps the same place on the income ladder they have in Pakistan. Amounts are per month, after tax, in COP and in rupees at today’s rate.

Single, starting out

Earns Rs 60,000 a month in Pakistan, on your own.

Take-home in Colombia: COP 3,340,000Rs 281,000
Rent (city centre): COP 964,000
Transport (public transport): COP 170,000
Food: COP 482,000
Saved: COP 500,000

Family of four

Earns Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, as a family of four.

Take-home in Colombia: COP 7,670,000Rs 646,000
Rent (suburbs): COP 1,950,000
Transport (public transport): COP 391,000
Food: COP 1,300,000
Saved: COP 1,150,000

High-earning couple

Earns Rs 300,000 a month in Pakistan, as a couple.

Take-home in Colombia: COP 12,420,000Rs 1,050,000
Rent (city centre): COP 3,040,000
Transport (car): COP 1,160,000
Food: COP 1,520,000
Saved: COP 3,480,000

Try it with my own income

A day in Bogotá

The family of four above, with one parent working as an engineer.

Morning
You wake up in Bogotá, a city of mild winters around 18°C and cool summers around 20°C, and an umbrella is never far away.
Commute
You take a bus and a train: about 40 minutes, a bit longer in bad weather.
Work
As an engineer: You spend the morning on site and the afternoon on drawings and calls with suppliers.
Language
Everything happens in Spanish; English is not widely spoken.
Lunch
Lunch might be bandeja paisa: beans, rice, meat, egg, plantain and avocado on one big plate.
Evening
You get home with COP 1,150,000 saved each month. You stay alert in some areas at night.
Weekend
Weekends are for the coast, the mountains and forest trails.

Colombia compared with Pakistan

	Colombia	Pakistan
Prices of everyday things	1.8× Pakistan	1×
Average life expectancy	78 years	68 years
Air pollution (PM2.5)	18 µg/m³	58 µg/m³
Unemployment	8.3%	5.4%
Average temperature, main city	19°C	26°C
Languages	Spanish	Urdu, English, regional languages
Currency	COP	PKR

Sources: World Bank (price levels, household spending, life expectancy, PM2.5, unemployment), NASA POWER (climate), Dareecha’s daily exchange rates.

Thinking of really moving? See Pakistan vs Colombia, living in Colombia and the visa checker.

Questions

How much would I earn if I was born in Colombia?

It depends on where you are on the ladder. A family earning Rs 120,000 a month in Pakistan, above the national average, would take home around COP 7,670,000 a month at the same level in Colombia (about Rs 646,000 at today's rate). Try your own numbers in the simulator.

Is Colombia more expensive than Pakistan?

Yes. Everyday goods and services cost about 1.8 times as much as in Pakistan (World Bank price levels), but incomes there are higher too, so what matters is how far your pay goes.

What language would I speak in Colombia?

Mainly Spanish. English is not widely spoken.

Can I actually move to Colombia?

This page imagines being born there. For a real move, compare costs, safety and jobs on the Pakistan vs Colombia page, and check visa rules in the visa checker.