Bogotá: the vibe
Videos from people who went, played right here, with what viewers said underneath. Not part of the score.
The verdict
Mixed · 62Mixed but leaning positive: locals and long-term residents love the city's people, food and energy despite traffic, altitude, rain and loneliness; critics call it grey and unwelcoming.
- friendly people
- food scene
- energy and culture
- good weather when not raining
- hiking and outdoor access
- airport and events
- traffic
- altitude
- rain and grey weather
- pollution and bus exhaust
- loneliness and closed-off locals
- bank and notary bureaucracy
- cost relative to other cities
- Locals agree the traffic and altitude are real drawbacks
- Long-term residents still love the city despite its flaws
- Expats say making friends takes effort but is possible
- Neighborhood choice matters a lot for comfort and services
- Rain and grey skies are a recurring turn-off for visitors
Read from 8 videos, 40 comments and 0 posts on 2026-11-08; the summary is written by a language model and can misread sarcasm.
THE HARSH TRUTH ABOUT LIVING IN BOGOTÁ
Matt Griffith - The Americano · 51K views · 2026
What viewers said
“I am Colombian, I live in Bogotá and the description of my city is perfect and truth. Good video”
♥ 36 likes
“As an Australian living in Colombia, beware of alitude & pollution in Bogota. I can't survive the bus exhaust. Try the countryside, it's nicer. As for traffic, if you can't walk, don't go”
♥ 59 likes
“I’ve never thought about our food seasoning. I feel food here in Colombia is healthier than in other places, people sometimes complain candies are not that sweet but that’s actually something good. But we have a lot of recipes, you should v”
♥ 57 likes
“As a Colombian living abroad, I could say the same about making friends. I live in Norway and if you already aren't a part of a friend circle, you won't have friends. I guess it is more a problem of being an adult than being in a certain co”
♥ 27 likes
“Colombian here. Lived all my life in Bogotá. Everything this guy said is true. About the food...well...I feel that's subjective, but everything else, 100% accurate.”
♥ 7 likes
“Some of this reality check even apply to us colombians who moved to Bogota.”
♥ 46 likes
“As a colombian I agree with all that you said. You know our city very well!”
♥ 16 likes
“YES traffic is terrible. But I still LOVE this city. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Temperature is wonderful. People are kind. Energy is fantastic. I think the food is decent. Just add a bit of salt and hot sauce and you are good. Keep the tourist away Mr”
♥ 36 likes
“For those curious about the thing with banks and notaries, it's because there are is a lot of fraud and scams. One way to combat that is to have people go in person.”
♥ 26 likes
“I'm a native. Born and raised in Bogota. Left as a child, did my growing up in the USA and go back to visit friend and families. This is the most honest and straight forward video, thank you for sharing. People don't understand how much of ”
♥ 5 likes
Found with a YouTube search for the city and “digital nomad”, fetched 2026-11-07; titles, descriptions and comments belong to their authors and link to the originals.