Airbnb and VICO satisfy very different needs. We suggest which option to choose according to your profile.
One of the coolest aspects of the collaborative economy is finding furnished apartments in Medellín at low cost. Airbnb is very popular and we all know how useful it can be, especially if you travel the world changing cities every week. But it only is the best option for short term stays. However, if your looking for longer term housing, a VICO (VIvienda COmpartida) surely is what you need.
A VICO is a shared housing where you get to share time, cultures and experiences, facilitating the integration process in your new city.
Tips for international students
In general, international students stay between 6 months and a year.
VICOs start to be available around November since it is the end of the academic semester. It is thus the perfect time to start looking for rooms if you arrive in January, for example.
The first step for medium or long term stays is to look for houses and/or furnished apartments in Medellín. Of course, you must inform yourself about the neighborhood you will study/work in to avoid being too far from there.
The VICO search engine is very useful because you get to select the accommodations regarding the neighborhood you’re targeting or the university you study in. If you need help to decide which neighborhood to live in, read our blog about the features of each barrio.
TTips for an university student intern
The university student intern is usually the international student who is in the last semester.
Unlike a common international student, this person soon enters the working world. In other words, he has other needs such as budget, comfort and location. Being clear about the monthly budget is key, especially if you’re becoming more independent and start paying your own bills.
For this reason, you must know what features you prioritize when looking for a shared home. Most rooms cost between 600,000 COP and 1,000,000 COP. If you are looking for more comfort, for example with a private bathroom, the cost of the room increases. If you’d rather be close to a safe and richer area, like El Poblado, the price also increases
There are many things that are shared in a VICO. Beer, oil, milk, coffee, salt, etc. On the long term you stop being just a tourist, this implies doing more group activities. You will also have a deeper interaction with the city and a sense of mutual support. Indeed, a shared home implies an experience much more stable.
It is better to look for housing near your university or working place. However, everyone has a different profile so just choose the option that suits you best with VICO.
Furnished apartments in Medellín for everyone.
There are also Freelancers coming to Medellín. If you are one of them, you know that time flexibility and autonomy are important.
The lifestyle and the type of shared housing is different from students. It is useful to look up the rules of the apartment before booking it. For example, you might prefer a house with young professionals and mature students than freshmen.
Airbnb for travelers, VICO for friends
The finality of Airbnb is more related to the exchange of properties, from furnished apartments to boats, cars or any belongings of the host.
On the other hand, you can live in a VICO with your friends in Medellín, travel to Cartagena for a few days and rent an Airbnb space for example. It is very likely that the host lives in the place where you stay. In a shared house, this would never happen.
Attentive host, happy user
You have permanent contact with the host/owner of the house or apartment. He does everything possible to guarantee your comfort. In addition, the platforms offer the possibility of rating the hosting experience.
So as you could understand, you will find lots of furnished apartments in Medellín as a student, Freelancer or intern.
More than 6 million foreigners arrived in Colombia this year. That is to say that the opportunities to meet new and interesting people are always going to happen in Medellín. So just relax and enjoy this great city!
