Best VPN for Colombia 2026: Tested in Medellin, Bogota & Cartagena

Colombia has cemented itself as one of the top digital nomad destinations in Latin America. Medellin alone draws an estimated 30,000+ remote workers at any given time, with Bogota, Cartagena, Santa Marta, and Cali attracting growing communities. The internet infrastructure is solid — Medellin coworking spaces deliver 100-200 Mbps, ETB fiber in Bogota reaches 300+ Mbps, and 4G coverage from Claro and Movistar blankets major cities. There is no government censorship, no website blocking, and VPNs are completely legal.

So why do you need a VPN in Colombia? Because Colombia’s cybersecurity risk is among the highest in the Americas, and you are spending hours every day on WiFi networks you do not control. Colombia consistently appears in the top 5 Latin American countries for cyberattacks, phishing campaigns, and network-based credential theft. The same cafes and coworking spaces that make Medellin an incredible place to work are also prime targets for data interception. Add in ISP throttling, US streaming restrictions, and the need to secure banking on shared networks, and a VPN becomes essential infrastructure for any serious traveler or remote worker.

Our #1 pick: NordVPN is the best VPN for Colombia in 2026 — fastest speeds to both US and Colombian servers, 100% streaming success rate, and the most reliable kill switch. Surfshark is the best budget option with unlimited devices, and Proton VPN leads on privacy. Here is the full breakdown after 280+ speed tests across three cities.

Our Top 3 VPNs for Colombia

Get NordVPN for Colombia — Our #1 Pick

Colombia’s Internet Landscape: Why VPNs Matter Here

Colombia’s internet infrastructure has advanced rapidly. Claro (America Movil), Movistar (Telefonica), Tigo, and ETB provide broadband across major cities, with fiber available in Bogota, Medellin, and increasingly in secondary cities. Mobile coverage from Claro and Movistar is strong in urban areas and along major highways. 5G deployment began in 2024 and is expanding in Bogota and Medellin.

The internet is open and unrestricted. Colombia does not block websites or monitor internet traffic for censorship purposes. The problems here are about security, not access:

The Cybersecurity Problem

Colombia’s cybercrime rates are among the highest in the Americas. According to Colombia’s national police and multiple cybersecurity reports, the country experiences 20,000+ registered cyberattacks annually — and the real number is likely multiples higher. Phishing, credential theft, and man-in-the-middle attacks on public WiFi are widespread.

We ran network security scans at 11 public WiFi locations across Medellin, Bogota, and Cartagena. At 4 of them, we identified concerning activity: ARP spoofing at a popular Laureles cafe in Medellin, a rogue access point mimicking a coworking space network in Bogota’s Chapinero neighborhood, and unencrypted traffic vulnerability at two Cartagena hotel WiFi networks. These are not theoretical risks — we observed active exploitation infrastructure at locations where thousands of nomads work daily.

A VPN encrypts all traffic between your device and the VPN server. Even if someone on the same network is intercepting packets, they see encrypted gibberish — not your passwords, banking sessions, or client communications.

The Streaming Problem

Colombia has its own Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime libraries — all different from the US versions. Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, and ESPN+ are entirely US-only services that do not work in Colombia without a VPN. If you are a US subscriber who wants to maintain access to your streaming accounts, a VPN connected to a US server (Miami is ideal — only ~45ms away) restores full access.

The ISP Throttling Problem

Colombian ISPs — Claro and Tigo in particular — throttle streaming traffic during peak evening hours (7-11 PM local time). We measured consistent speed drops on Netflix and YouTube streams during these hours on Claro connections in Medellin, with speeds recovering immediately when connected through a VPN. The VPN prevents the ISP from identifying your traffic type, bypassing the throttling entirely.

The Banking Security Problem

Managing finances on cafe WiFi without encryption is reckless in any country, but especially in Colombia where financial cybercrime is a documented and growing problem. Colombian banks have improved their security infrastructure, but the weak link is the WiFi network you connect through. A VPN eliminates that vulnerability.

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How We Tested VPNs in Colombia

Testing locations: Medellin (Laureles, El Poblado, Envigado), Bogota (Chapinero, Usaquen, La Candelaria), and Cartagena (Getsemani, Bocagrande).

Testing period: September 2025 through February 2026 — covering both high and low nomad season.

Networks tested:

• Coworking spaces: Selina Medellin, WeWork Bogota, Tinkko Medellin, Coworking Bananas Medellin
• Cafe WiFi at 11 locations across all three cities
• Hotel/Airbnb WiFi at 5 properties
• Claro 4G mobile data (Medellin and Bogota)
• Movistar 4G mobile data (Bogota)
• ETB fiber (home broadband baseline, Bogota)
• Claro fiber (home broadband baseline, Medellin)
• Airport WiFi (El Dorado Bogota, Jose Maria Cordova Medellin)

What we measured:

• Speed retention: Percentage of base speed maintained with VPN active
• Latency impact: Additional ping time added by VPN connection
• Streaming access: Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ US, Amazon Prime US, BBC iPlayer
• Connection stability: Duration before drops, reconnection speed
• ISP throttling bypass: Speed improvement when VPN masks traffic type
• Server proximity: Performance to US servers (Miami, Atlanta, Dallas) and Colombian servers

Testing protocol: 3 tests per VPN, per location, per time slot (morning, afternoon, evening). Baseline speed without VPN first, then each VPN tested sequentially. Speedtest by Ookla and Fast.com used for all measurements.

Total data points: 280+ individual speed and connection tests.

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1. NordVPN — Best VPN for Colombia Overall

Servers: 6,400+ globally | Countries: 111 | Devices: 10 | Price: $3.39/mo (2-year plan) | Protocol: NordLynx (WireGuard) | Colombia Speed Retention: 88-94%

NordVPN was our primary VPN throughout 5 months across Colombia. Its combination of fast speeds, reliable US streaming access, and strong WiFi encryption made it the obvious choice for a country where cybersecurity matters far more than censorship. With servers in both Colombia and the US — including Miami, only ~45ms from Bogota and Medellin — NordVPN delivered the best overall performance of any VPN we tested.

Why NordVPN Excels in Colombia

Colombia’s open internet means NordVPN’s NordLynx protocol operates at full efficiency — no obfuscation needed, just raw WireGuard speed. The geographic proximity to Miami is a massive advantage. Bogota to Miami is roughly 2,600 km — close enough that VPN connections to US servers feel almost local.

NordVPN operates servers in both Colombia and the US, providing flexibility: connect to a Colombian server for maximum speed and local IP, or connect to a US server for American streaming and banking access. We used Miami servers for streaming and US banking, and Colombian servers for general browsing and local service access.

Our Colombia Speed Test Results

Average speed retention: 91% — excellent across all cities.

Speed tests from Medellin (150 Mbps Claro fiber — Laureles apartment):

• Medellin → Colombia server (NordLynx): 142 Mbps down / 68 Mbps up
• Medellin → Miami server (NordLynx): 138 Mbps down / 62 Mbps up
• Medellin → Atlanta server (NordLynx): 130 Mbps down / 55 Mbps up
• Medellin → Dallas server (NordLynx): 125 Mbps down / 50 Mbps up
• Medellin → UK server (NordLynx): 78 Mbps down / 30 Mbps up

Speed tests from Bogota (200 Mbps ETB fiber — Chapinero coworking):

• Bogota → Colombia server: 188 Mbps down / 82 Mbps up
• Bogota → Miami server: 180 Mbps down / 75 Mbps up
• Bogota → Atlanta server: 172 Mbps down / 68 Mbps up

Speed tests from Cartagena (80 Mbps Claro — hotel WiFi):

• Cartagena → Miami server: 72 Mbps down / 32 Mbps up
• Cartagena → Atlanta server: 65 Mbps down / 28 Mbps up

Speed tests on Claro 4G (120 Mbps base — Medellin El Poblado):

• Claro 4G → Miami server: 108 Mbps down / 48 Mbps up
• Claro 4G → Colombia server: 112 Mbps down / 52 Mbps up

These are excellent results. On the 200 Mbps ETB fiber in Bogota, NordVPN through Miami maintained 180 Mbps — a 10% reduction that is barely noticeable. Even from Cartagena’s 80 Mbps hotel WiFi, the VPN preserved 72 Mbps through Miami, comfortably supporting 4K streaming and video conferencing simultaneously.

Latency: NordLynx added 6-10ms to Miami servers from Medellin and Bogota, 15-22ms to Atlanta, and 110-140ms to UK servers. The Miami latency is imperceptible during normal use.

ISP throttling bypass: During evening peak hours (7-11 PM) on Claro in Medellin, we measured Netflix streaming speeds of 25-40 Mbps without VPN. With NordVPN connected to Miami, the same stream pulled 125 Mbps. A 3-5x improvement confirming Claro throttles streaming traffic.

Stability: Two unexpected disconnections over 5 months — once on El Dorado airport WiFi in Bogota, once during a power fluctuation at a Cartagena cafe. NordVPN’s kill switch prevented data exposure during both drops, and reconnection was immediate (under 4 seconds).

Streaming from Colombia with NordVPN

• Netflix US: Unblocked — every attempt, full American library
• Hulu: Unblocked — US servers (unavailable in Colombia natively)
• HBO Max US: Unblocked — full US library
• Disney+ US: Unblocked — US catalog (differs from LATAM)
• Amazon Prime US: Unblocked — US library
• BBC iPlayer: Unblocked — UK servers
• ESPN+: Unblocked — US servers
• Peacock: Unblocked — US servers

Perfect 100% streaming success rate across all services.

Get NordVPN for Colombia →

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2. Surfshark — Best Budget VPN for Colombia

Servers: 3,200+ globally | Countries: 100+ | Devices: Unlimited | Price: $2.19/mo (2-year plan) | Protocol: WireGuard | Colombia Speed Retention: 82-90%

Surfshark is the budget champion and the ideal VPN for nomad couples, groups, or anyone sharing an apartment in Medellin. The unlimited device policy means one subscription covers every device in the household — laptops, phones, tablets, streaming sticks, everything. At $2.19/month on a 2-year plan, it costs less than a cafe con leche.

Why Surfshark Works Well in Colombia

The unlimited device limit is Surfshark’s defining advantage in Colombia’s nomad scene, where shared apartments and coliving spaces are the norm. Three nomads in a Laureles apartment can share one Surfshark account across all their devices without worrying about connection limits.

Speed: Surfshark delivered 82-90% speed retention using WireGuard across our Colombian testing. Slightly slower than NordVPN, but comfortably fast enough for all use cases. On a 150 Mbps Claro connection in Medellin, Surfshark through Miami delivered 128 Mbps — excellent for streaming, video calls, and heavy browsing.

CleanWeb: Surfshark’s built-in ad and tracker blocker is particularly useful in Colombia, where many local websites are loaded with aggressive advertising and tracking scripts. CleanWeb blocks these at the VPN level, improving page load times and reducing bandwidth consumption on limited WiFi connections.

Streaming: 100% success rate on Netflix US, Hulu, HBO Max, and Disney+ US. Surfshark matched NordVPN’s streaming performance across all platforms we tested.

Our Colombia Speed Test Results

Speed tests from Medellin (150 Mbps Claro fiber):

• Medellin → Colombia server (WireGuard): 135 Mbps down / 60 Mbps up
• Medellin → Miami server (WireGuard): 128 Mbps down / 55 Mbps up
• Medellin → Atlanta server (WireGuard): 118 Mbps down / 48 Mbps up

Speed tests from Bogota (200 Mbps ETB fiber):

• Bogota → Miami server: 175 Mbps down / 70 Mbps up
• Bogota → Atlanta server: 162 Mbps down / 62 Mbps up

Speed tests from Cartagena (80 Mbps Claro):

• Cartagena → Miami server: 65 Mbps down / 28 Mbps up

Stability: Slightly more frequent disconnections than NordVPN — 4 drops over 5 months, all on unstable cafe WiFi. Reconnection took 4-6 seconds. Kill switch performed reliably (must be manually enabled in settings).

Get Surfshark — Unlimited Devices for $2.19/mo

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3. Proton VPN — Best Privacy VPN for Colombia

Servers: 4,800+ globally | Countries: 110+ | Devices: 10 | Price: $4.49/mo (2-year plan) | Protocol: WireGuard / Stealth | Colombia Speed Retention: 72-85%

Proton VPN is the privacy-first choice for travelers in Colombia who handle sensitive data — journalists, researchers, lawyers, and anyone whose work demands the highest level of confidentiality. Swiss jurisdiction, Secure Core routing, open-source apps, and a permanent kill switch make Proton VPN the most private consumer VPN available.

Why Proton VPN for Colombia

Secure Core: Proton VPN’s Secure Core routes your traffic through privacy-friendly countries (Switzerland, Iceland, Sweden) before it reaches the exit server. This means that even if the exit server in the US were compromised, your real IP would be hidden behind the Secure Core server. For anyone handling sensitive information in Colombia, this is a meaningful security upgrade.

Free tier: Proton VPN is the only premium VPN with a genuinely usable free tier — no data caps, no time limits, though limited to servers in the US, Netherlands, and Japan with slower speeds. This is a legitimate option for budget travelers who need basic WiFi encryption.

Our Colombia Speed Test Results

Speed tests from Medellin (150 Mbps Claro fiber):

• Medellin → US server (WireGuard): 118 Mbps down / 50 Mbps up
• Medellin → Secure Core (Switzerland → US): 85 Mbps down / 32 Mbps up

Speed tests from Bogota (200 Mbps ETB fiber):

• Bogota → US server (WireGuard): 155 Mbps down / 62 Mbps up
• Bogota → Secure Core: 102 Mbps down / 40 Mbps up

Proton VPN is 10-15% slower than NordVPN in standard mode and significantly slower with Secure Core active. However, even Secure Core speeds (85-102 Mbps) comfortably support 4K streaming, video conferencing, and intensive browsing.

Streaming: Proton VPN’s Plus plan unblocked Netflix US, Disney+ US, and Amazon Prime US in our testing. Hulu and HBO Max worked intermittently — 80% success rate versus NordVPN and Surfshark’s 100%.

Get Proton VPN — Best Privacy Protection

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Full Comparison: VPNs for Colombia

City-by-City VPN Guide

Medellin

Medellin is the heart of Colombia’s digital nomad scene. Laureles and El Poblado are packed with coworking spaces, cafes with WiFi, and Airbnbs marketed to remote workers. The internet is genuinely excellent — Claro and Tigo offer 100-300 Mbps fiber in most neighborhoods. The problem is not speed; it is the volume of shared networks and the cybersecurity risk that comes with them.

Our advice: Use a VPN on every cafe and coworking WiFi network. The popular spots in Laureles (Pergamino, Cafe Velvet, Al Alma) are packed with digital nomads — and packed networks are attractive targets. Connect to a Miami server for the best balance of speed and US service access.

Bogota

Bogota has the best internet infrastructure in Colombia. ETB and Claro fiber deliver 200-500 Mbps in Chapinero, Usaquen, and the northern business districts. The city’s coworking ecosystem is mature, with WeWork, Tinkko, and numerous independent spaces offering enterprise-grade WiFi.

Our advice: The faster base speeds in Bogota mean VPN overhead is less noticeable. A 10% speed reduction on a 300 Mbps connection still gives you 270 Mbps — more than enough for anything. Bogota’s proximity to Miami (slightly closer than Medellin) means low latency to US servers.

Cartagena

Cartagena’s internet is the weakest of the three cities. Infrastructure in the old city (Getsemani, Centro) is older, and speeds in cafes and smaller hotels typically range from 30-80 Mbps. Bocagrande and newer developments have better connectivity, but Cartagena is not a top-tier digital nomad destination for internet quality.

Our advice: On Cartagena’s slower connections, VPN speed reduction is more noticeable. Choose WireGuard/NordLynx protocol for minimum overhead. Connect to Miami (closest US server) for the best speeds. On connections under 30 Mbps, you may want to disconnect the VPN for bandwidth-intensive tasks like video calls — though we always recommend keeping it on for banking and email.

Bottom Line

Colombia is a world-class digital nomad destination with excellent internet and a vibrant remote work community. The cybersecurity landscape is the reason every traveler should use a VPN here — not censorship or internet restrictions.

NordVPN is our top pick for Colombia: fastest speeds, 100% streaming success, Colombian and US servers, and the most reliable kill switch. Surfshark is the budget choice with unlimited devices — ideal for couples and groups sharing a Medellin apartment. Proton VPN is for privacy maximalists who need Secure Core and Swiss jurisdiction.

For more on Colombia’s internet infrastructure, see our Colombia internet guide. For broader VPN comparisons, read our best VPN for travel roundup. And if you need an eSIM for Colombia, check our best eSIM for Colombia recommendations.

Get NordVPN for Colombia — Our #1 Pick