The International Schools Review Forum

What's the top paying school in Colombia? Can a single person live fairly well, travel and still save a good bit?

A friend of mine worked for a few years in the Anglo school. She saved quite a bit and I understand she traveled around regularly. She did mention that discipline was quite an issue... According to the Search database, they pay around $50k plus flights, rent, etc...

I worked in two schools in Colombia. You can save and travel in beautiful Medellin. However, the Cartagena school does not provide housing, so savings there will be minimal.

Nobody goes to Colombia to save good money.

You can save something, however, depending on the lifestyle. The schools in Bogota pay the best, such as Nueva Grenada or the Anglo-Colombiano as mentioned before. However, depending on the school (and as the above poster highlighted) discipline can be an issue. I know some schools where, essentially, it is a war of attrition between the teacher and the students to get them to work. These are some of the GOOD schools in Colombia...and what can happen when pedagogy takes a back seat to business and keeping the clients happy.

Colombia itself is a wonderful country and it is for many their favourite in South America, even though they have travelled around the continent. You can save far more in other places however such as in Caracas (dangerous), Santiago (polluted, not that nice) or Lima (tiny bit boring, but generally ok, bad traffic and again polluted).

The really big Latin American cities are not necessarily that nice - or healthy - to live in, yet that is where the best schools tend to be. Think Sao Paulo, Quito, Lima etc.

The lifestyle is wonderful in many ways, however, and the overall experience is one I would heartily recommend.

The Columbus school in Medellin has posted a position. I would be going with my non teaching spouse. Is it possible to survive on the package they provide?

Yes you can survive, you can even live well if you go bust on your pay each month. You just cant bank any significant amount of coin. Saving in Columbia and S.A carries the assumption youre not leaving the region.

Couples dont really have appreciable costs when considering expenses. A 1BR flat costs the same for 1 as it does a couple. Its actually more expensive to cook for 1 then it is for 2. Utilities are cheap such that you wont notice the little extra water and it costs about the same to use the aircon for one as it does two. About the only real cost variation necessity will be the second mobile, transportation, and night life/dining out. Of course the costs to keep your trailing spouse occupied is an entirely different issue.

I did teach in Honduras and the lack of safety didn't concern me when I was a younger pup, however, now that is something I find very important. How is Medellin in this regard?

@tsalicco

How safe is safe? Singapore safe? Its the safest environment your going to find in Columbia and the majority of S.A.

Well there came a point in Honduras where the outdoor fitness road became unsafe so I am hoping to be able to walk outdoors during the day at least. Safest in S.A. sounds safe enough for me :)

Thank you!

Medellín is safe, but Armenia and Manizales (in the coffee regions) are safer. Utilities are expensive-namely water, so
I have to disagree with you on that one @psyguy

Seein'TheWorld wrote:
> The really big Latin American cities are not necessarily that nice - or healthy -
> to live in, yet that is where the best schools tend to be. Think Sao Paulo, Quito,
> Lima etc.

I guess it depends on your perspective but I disagree completely. Those three cities are all pretty damn nice in my book. Direct experience of living and working in Sao Paulo tells me that it is a big city with tons to offer culturally (high and low), lots of open green spaces, easy to walk around and safe if you don't strut around in your Sunday best in "middling" areas or stroll around "dodgy" parts of town (just like London, New York or any other megacity - if you live your life thinking you will get robbed at gun point might as well move to Greenland). It's also one of the food capitals of the world.

Caracas has major security issues and is the only place, in my reasonably informed opinion, in South America where a bit of common sense doesn't negate the risk of being done over and it is sensible to feel paranoid.

THEE school in Colombia I heard was CNG. They actually pay pretty decent. Apparently they got over 2,800 applications this year. So good luck with that. We saw them at the job fair this year and there was definitely a lot of interest.

A friend works at CNG and confirmed a recent job ad got 500 applications in 48 hours! They are no longer the highest paying school in Colombia, but they are very close.

@Cee13

Expensive compared to what? The average utilities (Heat, water, electric, refuse) per month is about $79 in Medellin, the average in Tokyo/JP is $157, the global average is $115.

@Chargerfan

2800 applications for how many positions? Elite tier schools in high desirable areas such as ASIJ get about 1000+ apps per vacancy.

@psyguy It all depends on what stratus you live in. The higher the stratus - 6 being the highest, the more you will pay for all of your bills. If you live in stratus 5 or 6, your bills will definitely more than $79 for all of those you mentioned (heat, water, electric).