South America Relocation Calculator
Compare Cost of Living, Taxes, Rent & Moving Budget by City
Compare taxes, rent, living costs, take-home pay, and one-time moving expenses across major South American cities.
Use this calculator to pressure-test your budget before relocating to South America.
$8,427 left each month · $7,910 upfront
Colombia's Digital Nomad Visa (V) is one of the most accessible in the world, remote workers qualify with income of at least three Colombian monthly minimum wages (SMMLV), which is about COP 5.25 million a month in 2026 (SMMLV COP 1,750,905); the dollar equivalent moves with the exchange rate. The pensioner category uses the same three-minimum-wage rule. Check the current amounts on the Cancillería site before applying. Migrant Visa (M) leads to permanent residency after 5 years of continuous stay. Medellín and Bogotá are the continent's top expat hubs. Cost of living is very low by North American and European standards.
Visa requirements vary by citizenship and change frequently. Always verify with official government sources and an immigration attorney.
Using estimates for Medellín unless you changed them: everyday costs of about $400 a month, and about $7,910 of upfront cash (deposits, visa, flights, setup and a cash buffer).
Example results from sample inputs. Change any field to see your own numbers.
About $8,427 a month is left in Medellín after taxes, housing and core living costs.
You would need about $7,910 upfront, including deposits and any emergency buffer. That would leave about $17,090 in savings, enough for about 16.6 months of costs.
Medellín is roughly 73% less expensive than New York City.
At about $1,030 a month, what would living in Medellín do to your path to financial independence?
See your FIRE number if you retire in Medellín →How this South America relocation calculator works
This calculator is designed to help you test whether a move to South America looks financially realistic before you commit. It compares destination-country taxes, rent, living costs, and one-time relocation expenses so you can estimate how the move may change your monthly budget and cash readiness.
Instead of relying on broad “South America is cheap” assumptions, the tool focuses on what usually matters most in a real move: take-home pay, housing pressure, recurring living costs, residency friction, exchange-rate effects, and whether your savings leave enough room to make the move comfortably.
Taxes and take-home pay
Compares country-level tax treatment so you can estimate what actually reaches your budget after local rules are applied.
Housing and essentials
Estimates rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare-related costs for each destination city.
Relocation readiness
Looks at deposits, visa fees, setup costs, and monthly flexibility so you can judge whether the move looks realistic.
What makes South America relocation financially different
Low cost does not mean simple
Some South American destinations look highly affordable on everyday costs, but tax treatment, residency rules, and local infrastructure can change the real picture quickly.
Exchange rates can distort the comparison
South America can be harder to model cleanly than some other regions because exchange-rate reality may not match official-rate assumptions in every country.
Dollarized Ecuador changes budgeting
Ecuador often feels simpler to budget for than some neighboring countries because there is no separate local-currency conversion layer for many expats thinking in USD.
Country-to-country differences are large
Medellín, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, Montevideo, and São Paulo should not be treated as one cost profile. Housing pressure, tax treatment, and residency paths differ substantially.
What this South America relocation calculator includes
This calculator estimates how a move to South America may affect your monthly budget, covering income taxes, housing, living costs, and one-time relocation expenses across major South American countries and cities.
It includes city-level cost defaults, country-specific tax models, residency context, monthly flexibility, savings coverage, and comparable salary estimates to help you compare relocation scenarios more clearly.
Estimated take-home pay based on salary, filing assumptions, and country-specific tax rules.
Rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and healthcare-related cost assumptions.
Residency-path notes, planning assumptions, and one-time permit-related costs where relevant.
Monthly flexibility, comparable salary, savings coverage, and comfort signals.
Results are estimates only. Real taxes, rent, healthcare, immigration rules, and household costs vary by residency status, visa path, city, and local market conditions.
This tool does not fully model neighborhood-level housing variation, every exchange-rate reality, employer-provided benefits, all tax edge cases, or every local immigration pathway.
It is most useful for testing scenarios, comparing destinations, and seeing whether your income and savings create enough room to make the move comfortably.
Frequently asked questions
- Which South American country is the cheapest to live in?
- Lower-cost destinations in the calculator often include parts of Colombia, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, but the right answer depends on exchange-rate conditions, housing choices, and what you are comparing against.
- What is the easiest South American country to get a visa for?
- That changes over time and depends on your situation. Some countries are commonly seen as more accessible for remote workers or retirees, but you should verify current requirements with official government sources before treating any route as reliable.
- How does this calculator handle Argentina's currency situation?
- It uses a standardized planning approach. In practice, currency conditions may shift the real cost picture materially, so Argentina should be treated as a destination where extra verification matters.
- Is Ecuador a good option for retirees?
- It can be attractive for some retirees because dollarization simplifies budgeting and some cities offer lower costs than many North American markets, but the right fit still depends on healthcare needs, residency path, and local living preferences.
- How much money do I need to relocate to South America?
- A common planning approach is to hold several months of destination expenses plus one-time move costs such as flights, deposits, visa fees, and setup costs. The calculator is designed to estimate that combined picture for the destination you choose.
See how relocating to South America may change your FIRE timeline after taxes, spending, and housing costs.
Explore more relocation planning tools
Keep comparing your options with more relocation, budgeting, and FIRE tools from Relocation by Numbers.
Sources and limits
Written and maintained by Relocation By Numbers. Sources and limits reviewed October 13, 2026. Found a mistake? Tell us in the feedback box below. Full methodology
Sources
- U.S. Treasury Reporting Rates of Exchange, as of September 30, 2026 (exchange rates)
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32, section 3.39: 2026 foreign earned income exclusion ($132,900)
- IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32: 2026 tax brackets and standard deduction
- Social Security Administration: U.S. international Social Security agreements (self-employment coverage)
Exchange rates are the U.S. Treasury's quarterly reporting rates (September 30, 2026), not live market rates. U.S. tax uses the 2026 IRS figures. Tax rules for other countries were refreshed in October 2026 from each country's tax authority or, where its site could not be read, from adviser summaries; each country's rules and caveats are listed in the code, and many are labeled simplified. Rent defaults come from official statistics for the U.S. cities (Census Bureau), London (Office for National Statistics), Lisbon and Porto (Statistics Portugal), Toronto (Statistics Canada), Singapore (Housing and Development Board), Taipei (Ministry of the Interior), Seoul (Korea Real Estate Board) and Hong Kong (Rating and Valuation Department). For about 35 other cities, rent is a market estimate for a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre from Numbeo, Lamudi or Yellowkey (checked October 14, 2026), not an official average. Grocery, utility, transport, healthcare and setup defaults are planning assumptions, not government figures; some carry an official household-spending reference for comparison. Verify all of them locally before a major decision.
Not included
- Planning estimates only; visa, residency and tax-treaty effects are not modeled in full.
- U.S. tax owed while living abroad (for citizens and green-card holders) is added only when you answer Yes to the U.S. tax question: 2026 federal brackets, the foreign earned income exclusion for wages and a credit for foreign tax. Freelancers also get U.S. self-employment tax unless the country has a Social Security agreement with the U.S. (31 countries, per the SSA). U.S. state tax, income tax treaties and the Foreign Tax Credit's category limits are not modeled.