Some thoughts on living in South America

[Herbie]

Firstly the reason Ray only goes as as far as Mexico is because since 9/11 he will not fly due to police and x rays and only will travel by car, train or boat and because the Pan American highway stops and is near impassible to get right down into South America etc.

Ray recently said that the tourist spots are the best to live because there is less xenophobia and easier to blend in and why places like San Miguel are good.

I listen to Barry Cooper from never get busted. He was a top drug law inforcer in Texas but fled to Venezuela then Brazil, then lived in Mexico and now lives in the Philippines. He said he felt safer in Mexico than in the US. He said cops cannot raid your home in Mexico and everything is safe aslong as one stays out of the drug trade.

For people who want to buy property and want high altitude, La Paz Bolivia may be an option because foreigners are allowed to own property and it comes with a visa.

Remember that there are English teaching jobs in these countries for people who don’t have an online business.

I admire anyone who does it and hope your fortunes are better than that of Butch and Sundance.

 

[清貴杉山]

I live in argentina,i hate living here man,its all glamour and beuty this part of the wolrd from a foreign perspective,the food is fairly good,but its expensive to survive,not even live here

 

[清貴杉山]

i can point some stuff.
Good things:
Dairy egg and meat quality is fairly good,even the cheap stuff,you can get really good meat and eggs for cheap,and the overal fresh cheeses like soft cheese,mozzarella,ricotta,etc are good quality,never had a problem with that.
Due to the variety of soils here we have plenty of fresh ripe fruit all year,in fall/winter lots of citrus and pomm fruits and things like kiwis,lots of gourds too,in spring/summer lots of fleshy juicy fruits like grapes,berries,even some tropical fruit grows on the north due to high temperatures
easy to get to a fair price things like coconut oil
Bad things:
crashing economy,high corruption,HIGH insecurity,the wages are fairly low
like 90%of the supplements that you all mention here,here are non existent,we have to import everything and the taxes are insanely high
90%of the stuff you find in the supermarket is trash,full of chemicals,additives,fortification,bad quality crap
The society as a whole is.....nevermind haha

 

[osar]

Firstly the reason Ray only goes as as far as Mexico is because since 9/11 he will not fly due to police and x rays and only will travel by car, train or boat and because the Pan American highway stops and is near impassible to get right down into South America etc.

Ray recently said that the tourist spots are the best to live because there is less xenophobia and easier to blend in and why places like San Miguel are good.

I listen to Barry Cooper from never get busted. He was a top drug law inforcer in Texas but fled to Venezuela then Brazil, then lived in Mexico and now lives in the Philippines. He said he felt safer in Mexico than in the US. He said cops cannot raid your home in Mexico and everything is safe aslong as one stays out of the drug trade.

For people who want to buy property and want high altitude, La Paz Bolivia may be an option because foreigners are allowed to own property and it comes with a visa.

Remember that there are English teaching jobs in these countries for people who don’t have an online business.

I admire anyone who does it and hope your fortunes are better than that of Butch and Sundance.

Have you been to South America?

 

[Herbie]

Have you been to South America?

I have.

 

[qminati]

Living in Medellin, Colombia since the beginning of the year. The exchange rate allows for a decent lifestyle for under $1000 a month if you choose. I spend about $2000 a moth and live like a king. Although it is the least english speaking country in South America so you have to know some spanish to get by. Learning spanish when you get here is essential. You can buy and own property which grants you a visa. You can open up a business and get a business visa which I dont recommend. I currently have a student visa for a year and took some spanish classes.

The grocery store food ingredients are just as bad as the USA if not worse. They even put fluoride in the salt for some reason so I get some things imported like salt and collagen powder using an American shipping service based out of Miami. Amazon has reliable shipping to Colombia for certain products. Every morning I get 2 liters of fresh squeezed orange juice and cut fruits from a very nice lady who does it for me. She feels well compensated at the equivalent of $400 a month. My fruits come fresh from a street cart every morning. I get honey delivered straight from the bees on the farm on the outskirts of the city. I get raw goat milk delivered from the farm weekly. I buy parmigiano reggiano in bulk delivered once a month. All beef in Colombia is grass fed since it's actually illegal to feed a cow corn. Pasteurized milk cost about 70 cents a liter. If you want to eat out at a restaurant you can get a steak dinner with soup for about $4.

Specifically in the city of Medellin as long as you can speak spanish, the locals will embrace you. They are the most friendly people you can meet as long as you communicate. If you aren't social it will look bad on you. But if you just smile and say hello to people you will get smiles back. I am in love with this city and hope i never have to leave. There were horrible lockdowns last year but some very violent protests put an end to that and now although some people still wear masks its almost like covid doesnt exist anymore.

Finding work here isn't an option. You need a remote source of income. I do very well selling print on demand products online. If you can make $2000 a month you can live like a king, if you can make $1000 you can easily get by. A studio apartment will cost about $300 a month. A lavish penthouse will cost about $1500.

and oh yeah, the sea level is about 4000 and the weather is an average of 76 degrees daily, it's called the city of eternal spring, it never gets cold, and rarely gets hot.

Crime is a factor. The biggest of all crimes being the snatching of phones and laptops at gunpoint. The lockdowns made this much worse than before. I use a cheap prepaid flip phone when im out and about and haven't had issues. As long as you arent looking for cocaine and prostitutes, you will be ok. All the stories of Americans getting killed involve prostitutes or drugs. There are many safe neighborhoods and a huge expat community. It is the number one city for digital nomads. Internet is reliable. I work online with a 60mb download speed. I personally see it as a paradise. It has nice city vibes with the country side only a short ride away. You can rent a farmhouse for about $500 a month if thats your thing. Living in nature with plenty of property and room for pets to run around. Dogs are allowed everywhere. Uber gets you anywhee in the city for $3 or less. Night Life is top notch. And if you are a single male, the ratio of beautiful women will astound you daily. They are feminine and still like masculine men. They are extremely responsive when being approached. It's a different world and i want to die here. Visiting family in the US is the most depressing part of my life.

 

[Rivka]

Firstly the reason Ray only goes as as far as Mexico is because since 9/11 he will not fly due to police and x rays and only will travel by car, train or boat and because the Pan American highway stops and is near impassible to get right down into South America etc.

Ray recently said that the tourist spots are the best to live because there is less xenophobia and easier to blend in and why places like San Miguel are good.

I listen to Barry Cooper from never get busted. He was a top drug law inforcer in Texas but fled to Venezuela then Brazil, then lived in Mexico and now lives in the Philippines. He said he felt safer in Mexico than in the US. He said cops cannot raid your home in Mexico and everything is safe aslong as one stays out of the drug trade.

For people who want to buy property and want high altitude, La Paz Bolivia may be an option because foreigners are allowed to own property and it comes with a visa.

Remember that there are English teaching jobs in these countries for people who don’t have an online business.

I admire anyone who does it and hope your fortunes are better than that of Butch and Sundance.

Thanks for sharing this Herbie! Good to know Ray's thoughts. Did Ray make the comment on La Paz Bolivia also as an option or is this a place you have been?

 

[Seven]

Thanks @MarianoBecchi and @qminati for these detailed descriptions ... makes me want to head south.

 

[清貴杉山]

Thanks @MarianoBecchi and @qminati for these detailed descriptions ... makes me want to head south.

if you can make it and go for example to the south of argentina it would be perfect,is the best part of the country,woods,mountains,wild fruit and game,lots of good quality food,low stress life,the only downside can be the not so abundant sun

 

[Razvan]

South America is a failed society and it's completely a shithole. Don't even bother thinking of this. Eastern Europe is much better and safer.

 

[清貴杉山]

South America is a failed society and it's completely a shithole. Don't even bother thinking of this. Eastern Europe is much better and safer.

i agree with this,i want to scape from this hole as soon as i can

 

[Don]

Amazing post thanks all of you for your insights !

Living in Medellin, Colombia since the beginning of the year. The exchange rate allows for a decent lifestyle for under $1000 a month if you choose. I spend about $2000 a moth and live like a king. Although it is the least english speaking country in South America so you have to know some spanish to get by. Learning spanish when you get here is essential. You can buy and own property which grants you a visa. You can open up a business and get a business visa which I dont recommend. I currently have a student visa for a year and took some spanish classes.

The grocery store food ingredients are just as bad as the USA if not worse. They even put fluoride in the salt for some reason so I get some things imported like salt and collagen powder using an American shipping service based out of Miami. Amazon has reliable shipping to Colombia for certain products. Every morning I get 2 liters of fresh squeezed orange juice and cut fruits from a very nice lady who does it for me. She feels well compensated at the equivalent of $400 a month. My fruits come fresh from a street cart every morning. I get honey delivered straight from the bees on the farm on the outskirts of the city. I get raw goat milk delivered from the farm weekly. I buy parmigiano reggiano in bulk delivered once a month. All beef in Colombia is grass fed since it's actually illegal to feed a cow corn. Pasteurized milk cost about 70 cents a liter. If you want to eat out at a restaurant you can get a steak dinner with soup for about $4.

Specifically in the city of Medellin as long as you can speak spanish, the locals will embrace you. They are the most friendly people you can meet as long as you communicate. If you aren't social it will look bad on you. But if you just smile and say hello to people you will get smiles back. I am in love with this city and hope i never have to leave. There were horrible lockdowns last year but some very violent protests put an end to that and now although some people still wear masks its almost like covid doesnt exist anymore.

Finding work here isn't an option. You need a remote source of income. I do very well selling print on demand products online. If you can make $2000 a month you can live like a king, if you can make $1000 you can easily get by. A studio apartment will cost about $300 a month. A lavish penthouse will cost about $1500.

and oh yeah, the sea level is about 4000 and the weather is an average of 76 degrees daily, it's called the city of eternal spring, it never gets cold, and rarely gets hot.

Crime is a factor. The biggest of all crimes being the snatching of phones and laptops at gunpoint. The lockdowns made this much worse than before. I use a cheap prepaid flip phone when im out and about and haven't had issues. As long as you arent looking for cocaine and prostitutes, you will be ok. All the stories of Americans getting killed involve prostitutes or drugs. There are many safe neighborhoods and a huge expat community. It is the number one city for digital nomads. Internet is reliable. I work online with a 60mb download speed. I personally see it as a paradise. It has nice city vibes with the country side only a short ride away. You can rent a farmhouse for about $500 a month if thats your thing. Living in nature with plenty of property and room for pets to run around. Dogs are allowed everywhere. Uber gets you anywhee in the city for $3 or less. Night Life is top notch. And if you are a single male, the ratio of beautiful women will astound you daily. They are feminine and still like masculine men. They are extremely responsive when being approached. It's a different world and i want to die here. Visiting family in the US is the most depressing part of my life.

Man you could probably make some awesome youtube videos of how life is down there. I hope you get to live there as long as you want.

 

[qminati]

Amazing post thanks all of you for your insights !

Man you could probably make some awesome youtube videos of how life is down there. I hope you get to live there as long as you want.

There are at least 20 youtubers living here, plenty of videos on it. The videos are what inspired me to visit. Once you visit you get hooked.

 

[Herbie]

Thanks for sharing this Herbie! Good to know Ray's thoughts. Did Ray make the comment on La Paz Bolivia also as an option or is this a place you have been?

No, I just mentioned it because it’s a very elevated city and popular tourist destination.

He said Colombia is probably the best because there is high altitude plus it’s right on the equator. It’s cheaper than Bolivia as well.

He said high altitude, low pressure, dry and cool temperature is best for health.

I have only been in low altitude Peruvian jungle. I would like to travel around the high altitude areas for some time to get the experience of high altitude out of curiosity.

 

[osar]

Living in Medellin, Colombia since the beginning of the year. The exchange rate allows for a decent lifestyle for under $1000 a month if you choose. I spend about $2000 a moth and live like a king. Although it is the least english speaking country in South America so you have to know some spanish to get by. Learning spanish when you get here is essential. You can buy and own property which grants you a visa. You can open up a business and get a business visa which I dont recommend. I currently have a student visa for a year and took some spanish classes.

The grocery store food ingredients are just as bad as the USA if not worse. They even put fluoride in the salt for some reason so I get some things imported like salt and collagen powder using an American shipping service based out of Miami. Amazon has reliable shipping to Colombia for certain products. Every morning I get 2 liters of fresh squeezed orange juice and cut fruits from a very nice lady who does it for me. She feels well compensated at the equivalent of $400 a month. My fruits come fresh from a street cart every morning. I get honey delivered straight from the bees on the farm on the outskirts of the city. I get raw goat milk delivered from the farm weekly. I buy parmigiano reggiano in bulk delivered once a month. All beef in Colombia is grass fed since it's actually illegal to feed a cow corn. Pasteurized milk cost about 70 cents a liter. If you want to eat out at a restaurant you can get a steak dinner with soup for about $4.

Specifically in the city of Medellin as long as you can speak spanish, the locals will embrace you. They are the most friendly people you can meet as long as you communicate. If you aren't social it will look bad on you. But if you just smile and say hello to people you will get smiles back. I am in love with this city and hope i never have to leave. There were horrible lockdowns last year but some very violent protests put an end to that and now although some people still wear masks its almost like covid doesnt exist anymore.

Finding work here isn't an option. You need a remote source of income. I do very well selling print on demand products online. If you can make $2000 a month you can live like a king, if you can make $1000 you can easily get by. A studio apartment will cost about $300 a month. A lavish penthouse will cost about $1500.

and oh yeah, the sea level is about 4000 and the weather is an average of 76 degrees daily, it's called the city of eternal spring, it never gets cold, and rarely gets hot.

Crime is a factor. The biggest of all crimes being the snatching of phones and laptops at gunpoint. The lockdowns made this much worse than before. I use a cheap prepaid flip phone when im out and about and haven't had issues. As long as you arent looking for cocaine and prostitutes, you will be ok. All the stories of Americans getting killed involve prostitutes or drugs. There are many safe neighborhoods and a huge expat community. It is the number one city for digital nomads. Internet is reliable. I work online with a 60mb download speed. I personally see it as a paradise. It has nice city vibes with the country side only a short ride away. You can rent a farmhouse for about $500 a month if thats your thing. Living in nature with plenty of property and room for pets to run around. Dogs are allowed everywhere. Uber gets you anywhee in the city for $3 or less. Night Life is top notch. And if you are a single male, the ratio of beautiful women will astound you daily. They are feminine and still like masculine men. They are extremely responsive when being approached. It's a different world and i want to die here. Visiting family in the US is the most depressing part of my life.

wow, great post! I had been reading about colombia recently and the sun, altitude, and fruit it sounds amazing

 

[Herbie]

South America is a failed society and it's completely a shithole. Don't even bother thinking of this. Eastern Europe is much better and safer.

I’ll make a post about this and tag you because I think about this too. If only there was high altitude, I know there are some higher areas in the Caucusus.

 

[Herbie]

Living in Medellin, Colombia since the beginning of the year. The exchange rate allows for a decent lifestyle for under $1000 a month if you choose. I spend about $2000 a moth and live like a king. Although it is the least english speaking country in South America so you have to know some spanish to get by. Learning spanish when you get here is essential. You can buy and own property which grants you a visa. You can open up a business and get a business visa which I dont recommend. I currently have a student visa for a year and took some spanish classes.

The grocery store food ingredients are just as bad as the USA if not worse. They even put fluoride in the salt for some reason so I get some things imported like salt and collagen powder using an American shipping service based out of Miami. Amazon has reliable shipping to Colombia for certain products. Every morning I get 2 liters of fresh squeezed orange juice and cut fruits from a very nice lady who does it for me. She feels well compensated at the equivalent of $400 a month. My fruits come fresh from a street cart every morning. I get honey delivered straight from the bees on the farm on the outskirts of the city. I get raw goat milk delivered from the farm weekly. I buy parmigiano reggiano in bulk delivered once a month. All beef in Colombia is grass fed since it's actually illegal to feed a cow corn. Pasteurized milk cost about 70 cents a liter. If you want to eat out at a restaurant you can get a steak dinner with soup for about $4.

Specifically in the city of Medellin as long as you can speak spanish, the locals will embrace you. They are the most friendly people you can meet as long as you communicate. If you aren't social it will look bad on you. But if you just smile and say hello to people you will get smiles back. I am in love with this city and hope i never have to leave. There were horrible lockdowns last year but some very violent protests put an end to that and now although some people still wear masks its almost like covid doesnt exist anymore.

Finding work here isn't an option. You need a remote source of income. I do very well selling print on demand products online. If you can make $2000 a month you can live like a king, if you can make $1000 you can easily get by. A studio apartment will cost about $300 a month. A lavish penthouse will cost about $1500.

and oh yeah, the sea level is about 4000 and the weather is an average of 76 degrees daily, it's called the city of eternal spring, it never gets cold, and rarely gets hot.

Crime is a factor. The biggest of all crimes being the snatching of phones and laptops at gunpoint. The lockdowns made this much worse than before. I use a cheap prepaid flip phone when im out and about and haven't had issues. As long as you arent looking for cocaine and prostitutes, you will be ok. All the stories of Americans getting killed involve prostitutes or drugs. There are many safe neighborhoods and a huge expat community. It is the number one city for digital nomads. Internet is reliable. I work online with a 60mb download speed. I personally see it as a paradise. It has nice city vibes with the country side only a short ride away. You can rent a farmhouse for about $500 a month if thats your thing. Living in nature with plenty of property and room for pets to run around. Dogs are allowed everywhere. Uber gets you anywhee in the city for $3 or less. Night Life is top notch. And if you are a single male, the ratio of beautiful women will astound you daily. They are feminine and still like masculine men. They are extremely responsive when being approached. It's a different world and i want to die here. Visiting family in the US is the most depressing part of my life.

Wow, very successful arbitrage. Good to hear this.

 

[gaze]

South America is a failed society and it's completely a shithole. Don't even bother thinking of this. Eastern Europe is much better and safer.

eastern europe isn't some paradise either. For all its flaws, nowhere in the world beats the US.

 

[Makrosky]

Living in Medellin, Colombia since the beginning of the year. The exchange rate allows for a decent lifestyle for under $1000 a month if you choose. I spend about $2000 a moth and live like a king. Although it is the least english speaking country in South America so you have to know some spanish to get by. Learning spanish when you get here is essential. You can buy and own property which grants you a visa. You can open up a business and get a business visa which I dont recommend. I currently have a student visa for a year and took some spanish classes.

The grocery store food ingredients are just as bad as the USA if not worse. They even put fluoride in the salt for some reason so I get some things imported like salt and collagen powder using an American shipping service based out of Miami. Amazon has reliable shipping to Colombia for certain products. Every morning I get 2 liters of fresh squeezed orange juice and cut fruits from a very nice lady who does it for me. She feels well compensated at the equivalent of $400 a month. My fruits come fresh from a street cart every morning. I get honey delivered straight from the bees on the farm on the outskirts of the city. I get raw goat milk delivered from the farm weekly. I buy parmigiano reggiano in bulk delivered once a month. All beef in Colombia is grass fed since it's actually illegal to feed a cow corn. Pasteurized milk cost about 70 cents a liter. If you want to eat out at a restaurant you can get a steak dinner with soup for about $4.

Specifically in the city of Medellin as long as you can speak spanish, the locals will embrace you. They are the most friendly people you can meet as long as you communicate. If you aren't social it will look bad on you. But if you just smile and say hello to people you will get smiles back. I am in love with this city and hope i never have to leave. There were horrible lockdowns last year but some very violent protests put an end to that and now although some people still wear masks its almost like covid doesnt exist anymore.

Finding work here isn't an option. You need a remote source of income. I do very well selling print on demand products online. If you can make $2000 a month you can live like a king, if you can make $1000 you can easily get by. A studio apartment will cost about $300 a month. A lavish penthouse will cost about $1500.

and oh yeah, the sea level is about 4000 and the weather is an average of 76 degrees daily, it's called the city of eternal spring, it never gets cold, and rarely gets hot.

Crime is a factor. The biggest of all crimes being the snatching of phones and laptops at gunpoint. The lockdowns made this much worse than before. I use a cheap prepaid flip phone when im out and about and haven't had issues. As long as you arent looking for cocaine and prostitutes, you will be ok. All the stories of Americans getting killed involve prostitutes or drugs. There are many safe neighborhoods and a huge expat community. It is the number one city for digital nomads. Internet is reliable. I work online with a 60mb download speed. I personally see it as a paradise. It has nice city vibes with the country side only a short ride away. You can rent a farmhouse for about $500 a month if thats your thing. Living in nature with plenty of property and room for pets to run around. Dogs are allowed everywhere. Uber gets you anywhee in the city for $3 or less. Night Life is top notch. And if you are a single male, the ratio of beautiful women will astound you daily. They are feminine and still like masculine men. They are extremely responsive when being approached. It's a different world and i want to die here. Visiting family in the US is the most depressing part of my life.

Ah! La ciudad de la eterna primavera. I concur with you. One of the best places to live.

Edig: IF you like living in BIG crowded cities. If not, you will have a very bad time.

 

[Makrosky]

South America is a failed society and it's completely a shithole. Don't even bother thinking of this. Eastern Europe is much better and safer.

I think you don't understand south america and hence you try to offend it. It is a way of living, it doesn't suit you that's clear. Do us a favor and don't go there.