Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,387 a month against $2,152 in Ames, IA, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Bogota

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ames, IA and in Bogota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,152 in Ames, IA versus $1,387 in Bogota.

Ames, IA $2,152
Bogota $1,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,214 in Ames, IA versus $2,151 in Bogota.

Ames, IA $3,214
Bogota $2,151

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,277 in Ames, IA versus $2,915 in Bogota.

Ames, IA $4,277
Bogota $2,915

Living in Ames, IA is roughly 55% more expensive than in Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Bogota 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$7.94 COP 25.7K

122.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.7 $52.7

$42.83 COP 138.4K

23.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$10.81 COP 34.9K

10.18%

Cappuccino

$4.86 $4.86

$2.47 COP 7,988

96.76%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.34 COP 4,343

95.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$0.85 COP 2,734

170.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.39 COP 7,727

69.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$4.83 COP 15.6K

47.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.63 COP 5,267

-44.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.33 COP 7,510

54.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.81 COP 5,838

80.11%

Eggs

$3.46 $3.46

$3.52 COP 11.4K

-1.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$7.84 COP 25.3K

32.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.64 $13.64

$7.62 COP 24.6K

79.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.55 $18.55

$10.66 COP 34.4K

74.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.82 $5.82

$3.49 COP 11.3K

66.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.76 COP 5,691

5.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$1.92 COP 6,186

237.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$1.89 COP 6,117

172.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.41 COP 4,554

204.26%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.43 COP 4,617

184.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.26 COP 4,075

84.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.15 COP 3,730

120.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.72 $9.72

$4.43 COP 14.3K

119.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.93 $15.93

$12.31 COP 39.8K

29.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.48 COP 4,784

95.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.22 COP 10.4K

58.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.08 COP 3,484

-10.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.51 $34.51

$50.2 COP 162.1K

-31.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.02 COP 6,539

148.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.54 COP 8,215

-31.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 $23.68

$7.49 COP 24.2K

216.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.28 COP 4,136

-29.69%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$25.5K $25.5K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-25.05%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.4K $26.4K

$34.9K COP 112.6M

-24.13%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$183 $183

$127 COP 411.1K

43.62%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$56.2 $56.2

$16.31 COP 52.7K

244.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$30.21 COP 97.6K

129.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.9 $67.9

$33.56 COP 108.4K

102.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.84 $19.84

$15.03 COP 48.5K

32.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 $14.93

$7.62 COP 24.6K

95.93%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,337 $1,337

$557 COP 1.8M

139.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K $10.2K

$13.1K COP 42.2M

-21.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 $55.8

$85.1 COP 274.7K

-34.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.45 $44.45

$48.17 COP 155.6K

-7.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$139 COP 448.7K

-36.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$108 COP 347.2K

0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,065 $1,065

$730 COP 2.4M

45.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 $834

$504 COP 1.6M

65.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,787 $1,787

$1,438 COP 4.6M

24.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 $1,445

$963 COP 3.1M

50.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,605 $2,605

$2,946 COP 9.5M

-11.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 $2,115

$2,250 COP 7.3M

-6.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,549 $3,549

$811 COP 2.6M

337.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

12.81

-49.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bogota: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$834 38.8%

Bogota

$504 36.4% 39.6% $330

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.3%

Bogota

$264 19% 39.5% $172

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$308 14.3%

Bogota

$174 12.5% 43.6% $135

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$290 13.5%

Bogota

$156 11.3% 46.2% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.2%

Bogota

$171 12.3% 27.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$98 4.5%

Bogota

$49 3.5% 50.1% $49

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$52 2.4%

Bogota

$69 5% 33% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,065 in Ames, IA and $730 in Bogota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 4.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $53 in Ames, IA vs $43 in Bogota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $264 per month, with Bogota cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

04:44 4:44 AM

1 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ames, IA Bogota 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Bogota

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ames, IA vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bogota wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Ames, IA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Bogota the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Ames, IA is about 4.4 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,065 in Ames, IA versus $730 in Bogota. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 31% less than in Bogota. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $1,337 in Ames, IA versus $557 in Bogota. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Bogota wins on affordability, Ames, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.