DINERO - COSTS IN COLOMBIA

MONEY

The Colombian currency is the Peso $... Paper money is available in denominations of 1.000, 2.000, 5.000, 10.000, 20.000 and 50.000 pesos. They are all the same size. Coins come in denominations of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 pesos. Coins vary in size according to their value. Credit cards are also accepted in the majority of commercial establishments.

BANK HOURS

Banks and Corporations: Hours depend on the bank. Normally banks are open from Monday to Thursday: 9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m, and re-open at 4:00 pm. Some banks have continuous hours from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm or extended day and nighttime hours and Saturdays. The last day of the month, banks are only open until 12:00 noon. During holidays there are restricted hours.

Money Exchange -- Monday to Friday 9: 00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Saturdays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Automatic Tellers : They are an excellent option because they operate 24 hours/day. Some have English as a language option. The transactions that are permitted are: consult your balance, withdrawals, transfers, and cash advances. Do not enter an automatic teller with strangers or let anybody know your pin number. Most automatic tellers are located in strategic, safer places (eg busy streets and malls).
Some tellers like Cirrus, Visa and Master Card allow you to make international transactions with your debit or credit card.

Debit Card : In general, all the big stores, shops, supermarkets, hotels, and restaurants accept debit cards.

Credit Cards : The majority of hotels, restaurants, and commercial establishments accept credit cards, in particular Visa and Master Card. Only more exclusive places acdept American Express and Diners Club.

Traveler's Checks : Traveler's checks that are most accepted in Colombia are American Express and Citicorp. They are accepted in the most exclusive hotels; however, it's not common to use them in commercial transactions. To exchange traveler's checks, you get a better exchange rate using checks than cash.

Changing Dollars: Not all banks change dollars, and there are limits to the hours in which they do (usually in the morning before 11:00 am). The banks also have limits to the quantity of money you exchange. It's usually easier to go to money exchangers instead of banks, as they have fewer limits and extended hours to exchange money. We recommend you change your dollars in bigger cities, as in smaller cities the exchange rate will be lower.

WARNING! Do not exchange your money on the street.

COSTS

FOOD Economic: US$1-3 Medium: US$3-7 Luxury: US$7 +

LODGING Economic: US$5-10 Medium: US$10-20 Luxury: US$20 +

Colombia is not an expensive country. Those of you who are traveling on a tight budget can get by with $12 US/day. If you want to stay in more comfortable hotels and eat in restaurants, budget US $20 - US $30/day. Finally, those who have no budget concerns and want to live it up might spent between US$90 and US$ 120/day, though it's not unheard of to spend US $1.500 in a night.

 

 

 

 

More information and reservations:

Tel. (57)(6) 3349883 - 3349916 Pereira
Carrera 14 # 13-69 Pereira - Colombia
turiscolombia@andes.com

Prices listed on the Website do not include tax or hotel insurance.

 

	Web www.turiscolombia.andes.com