Colombia is on UTC-5 all year, so developers in Bogota and Medellin get 7 to 8 hours of workday overlap with US Eastern and 6 to 7 with US Pacific. Bogota and Medellin anchor the talent. Colombia matches US Eastern time in winter and US Central time in summer, which suits teams that need live pairing across the day.
- Tech hubs
- Bogota, Medellin
- Time zone
- Colombia uses UTC-5 all year and does not observe daylight saving time.
- English
- Colombia scored 480 on the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, ranking 76th of 123 countries against a global average of 488. That national score covers the whole population, and developers are a self-selected group, so test English directly in your interviews. Plugg screens candidates for advanced-level English communication.
- Universities
- Major engineering programs include the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Universidad de los Andes, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Universidad EAFIT in Medellin and the Universidad de Antioquia.
Time-zone overlap with the US
| US time zone | US standard time (about Nov to Mar) | US daylight time (about Mar to Nov) |
|---|---|---|
| US Eastern | 8 hours (same time) | 7 hours (1 hour behind) |
| US Central | 8 hours (1 hour ahead) | 8 hours (same time) |
| US Mountain | 7 hours (2 hours ahead) | 8 hours (1 hour ahead) |
| US Pacific | 6 hours (3 hours ahead) | 7 hours (2 hours ahead) |
Overlap assumes a developer workday of 9am to 6pm local time and a US workday of 9am to 5pm local time.
Developer costs in Colombia
These are Latin America benchmarks from Plugg, not Colombia-only quotes. Country-level rates move with city, seniority and demand, so use the table as a planning range and request rates for your role.
| Role (Senior) | US monthly median cost | Latin America monthly median cost | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| React developers | $22,000 | $7,000 | $15,000 |
| Python developers | $15,200 | $6,200 | $9,000 |
| Backend developers | $15,200 | $6,200 | $9,000 |
| Node.js developers | $22,000 | $7,000 | $15,000 |
| DevOps engineers | $19,000 | $7,500 | $11,500 |
| Data engineers | $24,000 | $8,500 | $15,500 |
| QA engineers | $14,000 | $5,000 | $9,000 |
How we calculated these numbers
What the figures are. Monthly cost for a senior-level hire, in US dollars. The US column is what the employer pays each month for a US hire, and the Latin America column is what a comparable hire in Latin America costs each month. The figures come from Plugg Technologies.
Difference. We subtract the Latin America figure from the US figure. Multiply it by 12 for a rough yearly saving.
These figures are illustrative, based on typical senior-level ranges, and are not a quote. Your actual number depends on the role, seniority, stack and country. Request developer rates for a real number.
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Request Developer RatesColombia gives a US team a close working day and two well-known engineering cities. This page covers the time zone, English, talent hubs, hiring rules and costs, and links to the roles you can hire there.
Why hire developers in Colombia
- A close working day. Colombia is on UTC-5 all year and does not observe daylight saving time. That matches US Eastern time in winter and US Central time in summer, so stand-ups, code reviews and pairing happen live without anyone working an odd shift.
- Two clear hubs. Bogota is the capital and the larger market, with the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, the Universidad de los Andes and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Medellin has Universidad EAFIT and the Universidad de Antioquia and is known for its startup community.
- A published cost reference. Plugg has written about what it costs to build a development team in Colombia, and the numbers are in the sources below. The Latin America cost figures used on this site are Plugg's own benchmarks.
Talent strengths
Colombia has solid engineering depth in web and mobile development, backend work and QA, and Medellin in particular has built a reputation around startups and product companies. Plugg places developers in Colombia, so ask what it can source in your stack and seniority.
Hiring considerations
Hiring directly in Colombia usually means a local entity, payroll registration and compliance with Colombian labor law. Ask Plugg whether it can employ and pay a developer there for your role before you plan around it.
Two rules are worth knowing in any structure. Colombian employees receive mandatory benefits on top of salary, including a service bonus (the prima), severance contributions (cesantias) and paid vacation, so total cost sits above base pay. Colombia also passed a major labor reform in 2025 (Law 2466) that moved the start of night work to 7pm and is raising surcharges for Sunday and holiday work in steps, so check how it applies if your developer will work outside standard hours. Confirm current rules with Colombian labor counsel for your situation.