Independent work
How much should you charge per hour?
Set your freelance rate in Colombia from the income you want to take home: it adds health, pension and ARL, your business costs and savings for the prima and cesantías you don’t get, then divides by the hours you can really bill.
Freelance rate calculator
Per hour
COP 52,000
Per day (8 h)
COP 417,000
Based on 114.3 billable hours a month.
- Bill per monthCOP 5,965,752
- Health 12.5% (IBC COP 2,386,301)−COP 298,288
- Pension 16%−COP 381,808
- ARL−COP 12,456
- Business costs−COP 400,000
- Benefits savings−COP 873,200
- You take homeCOP 4,000,000
COP 1,040,000
Estimate before income tax. Withholding on fees is an advance you recover in your tax return.
Rate table by income goal
| Take home / month | Bill / month | Per hour | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| COP 2,500,000 | COP 3,953,898 | COP 35,000 | COP 277,000 |
| COP 4,000,000 | COP 5,965,752 | COP 52,000 | COP 417,000 |
| COP 6,000,000 | COP 8,722,361 | COP 76,000 | COP 610,000 |
| COP 10,000,000 | COP 14,235,580 | COP 125,000 | COP 996,000 |
With COP 400,000 monthly costs, 40 h/week, 70% billable, 3 weeks off, ARL class I and benefit savings.
Get clients
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Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge per hour as a freelancer in Colombia?
Start from what you want to take home, add social security, business costs and savings for the benefits you don't get, and divide by the hours you can really bill. Example: to take home COP 4,000,000 a month with COP 400,000 in costs, you need to bill about COP 5,965,752 a month — around COP 52,000 per billable hour.
What social security does an independent worker pay?
Health 12.5%, pension 16% and ARL (0.522% for low risk) on a base (IBC) of 40% of monthly income, never below one minimum wage (COP 1,750,905) nor above 25. The calculator includes it automatically.
Why add savings for prima and cesantías?
An employee receives cesantías, their interest, prima and paid vacation — about 21.8% on top of salary. A freelancer receives none of that, so pricing it in lets you pay yourself during vacations, slow months or between contracts.
Is withholding tax (retención en la fuente) a cost?
No. Clients may withhold a percentage of your fees, but it is an advance on your annual income tax: you subtract it in your tax return. It affects your cash flow, not your rate, so the calculator leaves it out.
When do I have to charge VAT (IVA)?
If your gross income from taxed services exceeds 3,500 UVT a year (COP 183,309,000 in 2026) or you meet other conditions of art. 437 E.T., you become responsible for VAT and must add 19% on top of your rate. The calculator warns you when your projected billing crosses that line.
Hiring or looking for clients?
Post a job or your services profile for free and get contacts on WhatsApp.
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