Key takeaways
- In Guatapé and El Peñol that gap is the whole market: the short-term range of 8 to 15 percent gross exists precisely because weekend demand pays more per night than a year-round tenant pays per month.
- A typical Guatapé apartment at about US$153,000 held on a long-term contract sits in the 5 to 9 percent gross band.
- Gross means before costs, and the costs are knowable in advance.
- Buyer closing costs run about 2 percent of the price: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent, beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee on top.
- Some prohibit short-term letting outright, which converts a 15 percent plan into a 5 percent plan overnight.
There is no single national rent figure worth quoting, because rent in Colombia is set property by property, not city by city. What you can price is the other side of the equation: long-term rentals in Antioquia have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year and short-term 8 to 15 percent, and those percentages are applied to a purchase price you can actually check.
That is the part most "average rent in Colombia" pages skip. They give you a number with no asset behind it. A rent is only meaningful when you know what the landlord paid, what the property tax costs, and what the place would sell for today. This page works backwards from the purchase price, which is the number you can verify before you commit to anything.
Checklist · Before you sign a promesa
The 12 documents I check on every deal
Tick them off as you collect them. Saved on this device.
Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
The building's or gated community's administración
From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
In the deed and on the cadastral record
Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
Declared before the notary in the deed itself
Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
The full list shows once you add Mike Zapata Real Estate as a preferred source on Google. One click, no email, no call.
Where each document comes from
- Certificado de tradición y libertad: Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
- Prior deed: The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
- Property-tax good standing: The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
- HOA good standing, if applicable: The building's or gated community's administración
- Seller's ID / RUT: From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
- Power of attorney, if the seller is represented: Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
- Cadastral appraisal: Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
- Survey and boundaries: In the deed and on the cadastral record
- Utilities up to date: Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
- Family-home protection certificate: Declared before the notary in the deed itself
- Promesa de compraventa draft: Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
- Building permit, if applicable: Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
Google · Preferred source
The full checklist is ready.
Add Mike Zapata Real Estate as a preferred source on Google and all 12 documents show here, with where to get each one and a printable version. One click, no email, no call.
Why is there no reliable average rent for Colombia?
Because the country's rental stock is not comparable within a single city, let alone nationally. A one-bedroom in a consolidated Medellín neighbourhood, a three-bedroom family apartment in Rionegro, and a lakefront cabin in Guatapé that only rents on weekends are three different businesses. Averaging them produces a figure that describes no actual apartment.
The other problem is furnishing and term. The same unit rents at one price on a one-year contract, unfurnished, and at a completely different price furnished by the night. In Guatapé and El Peñol that gap is the whole market: the short-term range of 8 to 15 percent gross exists precisely because weekend demand pays more per night than a year-round tenant pays per month.
So the honest answer to "how much is the average rent in Colombia" is: tell me the property, and I will tell you the rent. If you want the tenant-side breakdown by city, the full guide covers it.
What does the asset behind the rent actually cost?
These are current asking levels, in US dollars, for the two markets most foreign buyers compare.
| Property type | Guatapé and El Peñol | Antioquia |
|---|---|---|
| Apartment, entry | about US$86,000 | about US$90,000 |
| Apartment, typical asking | about US$153,000 | about US$189,000 |
| Country house, entry | about US$135,000 | about US$144,000 |
| Country house, typical asking | about US$297,000 | about US$475,000 |
| Finca, entry | about US$165,000 | about US$261,000 |
| Finca, typical asking | about US$443,000 | about US$562,000 |
Apply the yield ranges to those numbers and the rent question answers itself. A typical Guatapé apartment at about US$153,000 held on a long-term contract sits in the 5 to 9 percent gross band. The same unit run as a short-term rental sits in the 8 to 15 percent band, with more work, more turnover and more furniture.
Note the direction of the gap on houses. A typical country house in wider Antioquia asks about US$475,000 against about US$297,000 near Guatapé and El Peñol. Fincas follow the same pattern, about US$562,000 against about US$443,000. Lots are the exception: near Guatapé a lot typically asks about US$416,000 against about US$255,000 across Antioquia, because lake proximity is priced into the land itself.
What does "gross" leave out?
Gross means before costs, and the costs are knowable in advance.
- Annual property tax: 0.3 to 1.2 percent of cadastral value, depending on the municipality. Ask which rate applies before you buy, not after.
- Administration fees on apartments and gated developments, charged monthly whether the unit is rented or empty.
- Furnishing and replacement if you run short-term. Linens, appliances and paint are a recurring line, not a one-off.
- Vacancy. A short-term unit that rents 12 weekends a year is not earning 12 percent of anything.
- Management, if you are not in the country. Somebody has to hand over keys and answer the phone at 9pm.
Net yield is what is left. Run the arithmetic on the actual property before you treat any headline percentage as income.
What does it cost to get into the position of collecting rent?
Buying is the expensive part, and it is predictable. Buyer closing costs run about 2 percent of the price: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent, beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee on top. Closing normally takes 30 to 45 days once the deal is agreed, so budget a month and a half between handshake and keys.
On the way out, capital gains on a property sale are taxed at 15 percent when the property was held for two years or more. Appreciation in the area has historically run 7 to 8 percent a year, which is history and not a forecast, and should not be written into any rental projection you build.
What do I verify before buying anything I intend to rent out?
Two documents settle most of it.
- The certificate of tradition and freedom. Requested with the property's registry number, it shows the registered owner, mortgages, liens and encumbrances. If the seller's name is not on it, stop there.
- The municipal territorial plan. Land use is set by each municipality's plan, which determines whether a parcel allows country housing, subdivision, or agricultural use only. A rural lot zoned for agriculture is not a rental cabin waiting to happen.
Beyond that, check the administration regulations if the property is in a building or a gated development. Some prohibit short-term letting outright, which converts a 15 percent plan into a 5 percent plan overnight.
Does the road situation change the rent picture in Oriente?
Access shapes weekend demand, so it is fair to ask. The Devimed highway concession reverts on July 31, 2026. The financing trust is expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, which means major works would not begin before late 2027. Anyone selling you a rental projection built on imminent road upgrades is selling you a timeline that does not exist yet.
Price what the road is today. If you need the access to be better before your numbers work, the numbers do not work.
How we knowFigures as of September 25, 2026. Prices: active listings we verified ourselves; USD rate: TRM 3,329.61 COP per US$1, valid September 25, 2026 (Banco de la República, via datos.gov.co).
Frequently asked questions
What is the average rent in Colombia?
No single national figure is reliable, because rent is set property by property and varies with furnishing, contract length and location. A furnished weekend cabin and an unfurnished city one-bedroom are different businesses. The measurable figure is yield: long-term rentals in Antioquia have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year, short-term 8 to 15 percent gross.
How much does an apartment cost if I want to rent it out near Guatapé?
In Guatapé and El Peñol an apartment starts at about US$86,000, with a typical asking price of about US$153,000. Across Antioquia the entry point is about US$90,000 and the typical asking price about US$189,000. Apply the 5 to 9 percent long-term or 8 to 15 percent short-term gross range to whichever price you actually pay.
What costs come out of a rental yield in Colombia?
Gross yield is before costs. Annual property tax runs 0.3 to 1.2 percent of cadastral value depending on the municipality. Add monthly administration fees in apartments and gated developments, furnishing and replacement for short-term units, vacancy, and management if you live abroad. Net yield is what remains after all of it.
How long does it take to buy a rental property in Colombia?
Closing normally takes 30 to 45 days once the deal is agreed. Buyer closing costs run about 2 percent of the price: notary 0.27 percent, registry 0.67 percent and beneficencia 1 percent, plus your lawyer's fee.
Can I legally run a short-term rental in any property?
Not always. Building and gated development administration regulations can prohibit short-term letting, and the municipal territorial plan determines whether a rural parcel allows country housing, subdivision, or agricultural use only. Check both before you assume the higher short-term yield range applies to a specific property.
What tax do I pay when I sell a Colombian rental property?
Capital gains on a property sale are taxed at 15 percent when the property was held for two years or more. Separately, annual property tax during ownership runs 0.3 to 1.2 percent of the cadastral value, set by the municipality where the property sits.
