Contrary to what you might think – Medellín is pronounced with a soft j sound – medejin.
It is neither too cold nor too warm. Medellin's average temperature floats between the average low of 63°F (17°C) and 83°F (28.5°C) with minimal variation. Please note it will be colder in areas of higher altitude.
Colombia uses the Colombian Peso (COP), which roughly translates to one U.S. dollar equaling around 4,000 COP. You can get cash from ATMs at most banks throughout the city.
When you ask for the bill in Colombia (la cuenta por favor) the server will ask you “servicio incluido?” Meaning, service included. You should always say yes to this! They will add 10% service to the bill which will likely show up as “propina” or “Incluido el servico” on your bill. You know how in the USA when you get the bill there is an empty line for you to add a tip? That does not exist in Colombia! If you are at a small family-owned restaurant it is likely that no tip is included in your bill so make sure to leave a couple thousand pesos behind. Most places will bring a mobile POS, along with asking for a tip, they will ask if Credit or Savings and if you want to pay in installments. Just be aware those are the additional questions asked when paying up! You will see tons of street vendors in Colombia selling things like fresh-squeezed juice, arepas, empanadas, tinto (coffee), obleas (wafter-waffle things with arequipe in the middle) and so much more. It is not customary to tip the food vendor, but I usually will round up to the nearest peso. Tipping your taxi driver isn’t customary in Colombia. However, I usually round up to the closest peso or throw in an extra 1,000 COP if the driver was especially friendly. Any extra is always appreciated and we’re talking 30-50 cents here, as cab rides are usually under 10,000 COP if you’re not going too far within the city.
Medellín's past is exactly that – a thing of the past. The locals don't want hear about the cartels.