LatAm Expat & Nomad Daily Guide — Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Good morning. Your LatAm expat nomad daily guide opens on the detail of Colombia’s filed tax reform, Chile’s tax runway for remote workers, and Peru’s approaching handover.
Colombia’s reform would lower the wealth-tax threshold sharply, a change that reaches foreign residents taxed on their worldwide assets.
Key Points
- The wealth-tax cut. The threshold falls from 72,000 to 40,000 UVT, about US$620,000 of net worth.
- More payers. The change would roughly triple those liable, from about 32,000 to over 105,000.
- The foreigner angle. A 183-day tax resident is liable on worldwide net worth above the floor.
- Likely withdrawn. The bill has no majority and about 15 days of the term left.
- Chile’s runway. No nomad visa, but three years of foreign-income exemption, extendable to six.
- FX steady. The Brazilian real held at 5.11; rates below are the latest close.
00Status Changes Since Yesterday
| Story | Yesterday | Today | Next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colombia tax | Reform filed | Contents confirmed | Likely withdrawn after Aug 7 |
| Colombia venue | Motion filed | Not yet voted | Henríquez schedules the vote |
| Chile residency | Under-covered | The rules clarified | File before the three-year window |
| Peru election | Seven days out | Six days out | Inauguration Jul 28 |
| Oaxaca culture | Mezcal fair runs | Unchanged | Final Lunes del Cerro Jul 27 |
01Visas & Residency
| Where | What changed | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | The filed reform would cut the wealth-tax threshold from 72,000 to 40,000 UVT, about US$620,000, with rates from 0.5 to 5 percent. It reaches 183-day residents’ worldwide net worth, but is widely expected to be withdrawn. | Nothing changes before August 7; if your global net worth nears the floor, track the bill. |
| Chile | There is no digital-nomad visa; remote workers use the Residencia Temporal via SERMIG, filed from abroad. New arrivals are taxed only on Chilean income for three years, extendable to six. | File the residency from abroad, and apply to extend the tax exemption before it lapses. |
| Peru | The inauguration is July 28. The digital-nomad permit still cannot be filed, and naturalisation now takes five years. | Nothing changes at the border before July 28; watch the migration appointments. |
| Argentina | Health insurance is checked at entry, and officers can refuse a “tourist” judged to be settling. The Monotributo deadline is August 5. | Carry compliant insurance; recategorise if you bill local clients. |
| Mexico | Employer-sponsored work visas face tougher audits; the income route and visa-free tourism are unchanged. | Employer-sponsored applicants should expect more paperwork; retirees are unaffected. |
02Cost of Living & Money
These are the most recent rates against the dollar, with markets steady. Argentina’s Monotributo recategorisation deadline is August 5.
| Currency | Per US$ | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Brazilian real | 5.11 | firm |
| Mexican peso | 17.46 | little changed |
| Colombian peso | 3,368 | firm |
| Chilean peso | 924 | flat |
| Peruvian sol | 3.42 | steady |
| Argentine peso | 1,489 | official; blue ~1,515 |
| Uruguayan peso | 40.12 | firm |
Colombia’s reform targets about 21.8 trillion pesos in 2027, and beyond the wealth tax it would raise the tax on gambling winnings to 30 percent and lift the financial sector’s income-tax rate to 50 percent. It must pass a Congress the incoming government does not control.
| City | Furnished 1-BR | Comfortable month |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | US$800–1,500 (Roma Norte) | US$1,800–3,500 |
| Playa del Carmen | US$900–1,400 near the beach | US$1,700–3,600 |
| Mérida | US$500–800, bills often in | US$1,100–1,500 |
| Oaxaca | US$400–750 | US$1,600–2,400 |
| Medellín | US$500–1,200 (El Poblado) | US$1,200–1,800 |
| Bogotá | US$550–1,300 furnished | US$1,200–2,850 |
| Buenos Aires | US$800–1,300 (Palermo) | US$1,500–2,000 |
| São Paulo | US$950–1,900, condo fees in | US$1,800–2,500 |
| Rio de Janeiro | US$690–1,190 (Botafogo) | about US$2,000 |
| Florianópolis | US$700–1,400 | US$1,250–2,000 |
| Lima | US$600–900 (Barranco) | US$1,300–1,600 |
| Santiago | US$550–900 (Providencia) | US$1,200–2,000 |
| Montevideo | US$600–1,000 (Pocitos) | US$1,500–2,200 |
03What’s On
Today (Wednesday). Oaxaca’s Feria del Mezcal continues in the last days of the city’s biggest fortnight. The region’s calendar is quieter now the World Cup is over.
This week. The Guelaguetza’s final Lunes del Cerro falls on July 27, and the mezcal fair runs to July 28.
Later. Medellín’s Feria de las Flores opens at the end of the month, and Peru inaugurates its president on July 28.
04Art & Culture
Oaxaca’s Guelaguetza runs to its final Lunes del Cerro on July 27, with the Feria del Mezcal alongside to July 28. It is the tail of the region’s busiest cultural fortnight.
Medellín’s Feria de las Flores follows at the end of July, and Mexico City has Harry Styles on July 31. Southern-cone cities keep their winter programmes.
05Food & Coffee
Oaxaca remains the place to be, with mezcal tastings and festival food through the week. Book ahead while the city stays full.
Buenos Aires has settled back into its winter rhythm. On the Caribbean coast, sargassum keeps beach days pointed at the northern beaches and the cenotes.
06Community & Safety
Colombia. Bogotá is calm after Monday’s holiday, with politics confined to Congress. Expect noise around the transition through to the August 7 handover.
Mexico. Oaxaca stays at capacity for the festival, so book accommodation and transport ahead. Cities are otherwise calm.
Chile. Santiago is quiet, with residency processing slow after the 2022 immigration overhaul. Plan for a long timeline.
07What to Watch — July 22–August 7
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Colombia’s filed reform change for foreigners?
Its sharpest line cuts the wealth-tax threshold from 72,000 to 40,000 UVT, about US$620,000, reaching 183-day residents’ worldwide net worth.
Is the reform likely to pass?
No. It has no majority and about 15 days of the term left, and a former tax official expects it to be withdrawn.
Does Chile have a digital-nomad visa?
No. Remote workers use the Residencia Temporal via SERMIG, filed from abroad, and get three years of foreign-income exemption, extendable to six.
When is Peru’s handover?
July 28. Nothing changes for foreigners before then, and the digital-nomad permit still cannot be filed.
What are the latest exchange rates?
The dollar buys roughly 5.11 Brazilian reais, 17.46 Mexican pesos and 3,368 Colombian pesos. Argentina’s blue dollar sits near 1,515.