Expat Community > Colombia

ChrisMDE
Joined 2022
Posts: 338

Gringo tax

1 year ago

To the best of my knowledge, in my 4 years of living in Colombia I was never a victim. I thought it was just another urban myth. But I got a BIG slap in the face yesterday and can most definitely say it happens.

My eye doctor charged 380 mil for a routine visit. Last year, I paid 300 mil. In my experience, I have never paid more than 250 mil for a visit to a specialist or any doctor. I asked the doctor for an explanation. He did not hesitate to say that he charges more to Americans. I looked at him in disbelief. He justified it by saying it’s because of the language problem and some other half-baked reason. He speaks English, so perhaps it’s a premium. [All of my doctors speak English and no one charges extra, at least I don’t think so.]

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