5 uncomfortable truths most people don’t talk about (but should)

If you spend enough time in Medellín (in cafés, coworking spaces, WhatsApp groups) you’ll hear the same ideas over and over again.
“Digital nomads are great for the economy.”
“Tourism is helping the city grow.”
“Remote work is changing Medellín for the better.”

And look… parts of that are true.
But if you sit down with people who actually live here, work here, and build things here long-term, the story sounds a bit different.
So let’s talk about it. Not in a negative way. Just an honest one.

Myth #1: “Digital nomads are always good for the local economy”

Reality: it’s not about how much you spend — it’s about where your money goes.

Digital nomads absolutely bring money into Medellín.
But the harder question is: who actually benefits from that money?
A lot of spending happens through global platforms like:

• Airbnb
• Booking.com
• Rappi
• WeWork
• Starbucks

They’re convenient. Familiar. Easy.
A significant part of the value doesn’t stay in Medellín — it flows back to international companies, investors, and platform structures.

 – Two examples that matter

Airbnb
Short-term rentals have fundamentally changed how housing works in parts of Medellín.
Property owners can often earn more renting short-term to foreigners than long-term to locals. So housing shifts accordingly — away from residents, toward visitors.

At the same time:

• Airbnb takes fees from both hosts and guests
• many properties are managed by professional operators, not local families
• profits are often extracted beyond the neighbourhood

The result:

• fewer long-term housing options
• rising rental prices
• communities slowly reshaped around temporary residents

So while the apartment is in Medellín, a large part of the value often isn’t.

Rappi
Rappi feels like a win: fast, efficient, everything delivered to your door.
But behind that convenience is a different reality.

• Restaurants often pay 20–30% commission per order
• many small businesses operate on tight margins — this cuts deep
• delivery workers carry most of the risk, often without stable income or protections

Meanwhile, the platform scales and captures profit at the top.
So what’s happening?
Your convenience of a quick meal, or fast groceries is built on pressure for the group of small(er) restaurant owners, and the delivery people.

–> We don’t want to say “don’t use these platforms.”
It means: understand them, and balance the use of these platforms and if possible use local alternatives, like the domicilio a restaurant offers or houseplatforms like Nomad Barrio or Get Vico.
Because how you spend matters, a lot.

Myth #2: “Medellín solved its inequality problem”

Reality: the city transformed, but many problems were never structurally solved.
Medellín is often presented as a success story.
And yes, the Metrocable, public spaces, and libraries changed the city in real ways.
But there’s a pattern you start to notice:

visible, fast solutions are often prioritised over long-term structural change

Example 1: The Bronx (Bogotá)
In 2016, Bogotá intervened in the Bronx, a highly visible and dangerous area.
It was presented as a breakthrough. But the underlying issues: addiction, poverty, displacement didn’t disappear. They moved.
Years later, similar problems appeared in other parts of the city.

You can remove a symptom, you can remove people and buildings, but you can’t remove a problem without looking at the roots and giving sustaibanle alternatives.

Example 2: Biblioteca España 
Medellín’s most iconic library opened in 2007 as a global symbol of transformation. Then it closed in 2015 for seven years, it was unusable due to structural failures. For the community, that wasn’t symbolic, it meant losing access to programs, education, and a safe space.
It’s a reminder that: building something is one thing sustaining it is something else, and that’s where many systems fall short.

Myth #3: “Starting your own initiative is the best way to help”

Reality: supporting existing local organisations creates far more impact.

It’s understandable to want to help directly. To organise something. To create something meaningful.
And that intention is beautiful and it matters. But real impact is a long process and before you start something new you can check if your idea already excists.

You can strengthen something that already works. And increase the impact of excisting organizations and structures.
The organisations DNfG works with are not short-term projects. They are local initiatives that have been:

• building trust for years
• working with communities every day
• adapting to real needs in their communities or with their target groups

They’re still there when volunteers leave.
They’re still there when donations slow down.
They’re still there when things get hard.

That’s the difference.

Why toy drives often don’t work the way people think
Toy drives feel good. They’re visible, easy, and shareable.
But in reality, they often:

• cost a lot in logistics
• create short-term moments instead of long-term change
• distract from what communities actually need

There’s a deeper layer.
When children repeatedly experience foreigners as people who arrive with gifts and leave again, relationships can become transactional. Instead of connection, it becomes expectation. And that can led to exploitation.

It comes with risks.

A stronger approach?
Support local organisations (easy through the DNfG platform)
Ask what is actually needed
Fund programs, not moments

Because real impact continues when you’re not there.

Myth #4: “I’ll understand Medellín just by living here.”

Reality: being in Medellín helps, but doing tours is a good way to understand the past and start your time in Medellín.

Doing a tour is one of the best things you can do when you arrive.

A Free Walking Tour gives context.
A La Sierra Urban Coffee Tour shows community-led change.
A Transformation Tour or More Than Escobar Tour adds deeper perspective.
They help you move beyond the surface. They challenge the easy narrative.
Or listen to the Podcast: Under The Surface: Medellín

The longer you stay, the more you realise:

• Medellín is not one story, but many
• Experiences differ massively depending on neighbourhood and income
• How you experience the day-to-day city is only one small part of a much bigger reality

Understanding doesn’t come from seeing more cafés and restaurants.
It comes from staying longer, listening more, immersing yourself in the culture, and questioning what you think you know.

Myth #5: “Small support doesn’t really matter”

Reality: small support, repeated by many people, is often exactly what changes realities.

This might be the most hopefull myth.
People sometimes imagine impact as something big or dramatic: launching a foundation, funding a building, running a giant campaign.

But most real impact looks smaller — and steadier — than that.

• A monthly donation
• Booking with a community-rooted tour
• Using a local guide
• Choosing a Colombian-owned business more often
• Funding an organization’s boring but necessary costs
• Giving in a way that helps people plan six months ahead, not just survive this week

That kind of support matters because it compounds. That’s exactly why DNfG emphasizes regular giving starting from $5/month. Not because it sounds nice — but because regular donations allows planning, stability, and long-term programs instead of one-off reactions.

One person giving a little can feel small.
But many people giving consistently?
That’s what allows organisations to deepen their work, reach more people, and create impact that actually lasts.

So no — don’t feel like you can’t do anything, or that your contribution isn’t big enough. Because every bit counts, every bit counts and helps to change harch realities.

Final thought

Medellín doesn’t need perfect visitors.
It doesn’t need saviours.
It needs people who are willing to:

• look a little deeper
• spend more consciously and local
• support what already exists
• and stay curious

Because this city isn’t a finished story. It is a city in development that has the possiblity to create better futures as long as enough people believe and support.

And if you’re here, even temporarily, you’re part of it.

Written by Sabine Bouwmeester, CEO of Digital Nomads for Good, where she helps connect local-led charities with people who want to make a real impact. She believes that generosity, critical thinking, and good coffee can change the world — in that order.