Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Bucaramanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Bucaramanga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $850 per month in Barranquilla vs $771 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,351 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,161 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,852 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,552 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Barranquilla costs about 10% more than Bucaramanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Barranquilla and Bucaramanga are more affordable than the global median – Barranquilla 36% lower, Bucaramanga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.79 COP 15.6K

$3.12 COP 10.2K

53.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.41 COP 102.1K

$19.08 COP 62.0K

64.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.31 COP 23.8K

$6.72 COP 21.8K

8.78%

Cappuccino

$1.76 COP 5,718

$1.37 COP 4,440

28.47%

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

$0.85 COP 2,761

$0.77 COP 2,489

10.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,096

$0.54 COP 1,770

18.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 COP 4,378

$1.35 COP 4,405

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 COP 6,132

$2.08 COP 6,760

-9.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,216

$1.19 COP 3,856

-16.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,107

$1.12 COP 3,629

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,477

$1.26 COP 4,083

-15.08%

Eggs

$2.06 COP 6,709

$2.16 COP 7,016

-4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.70 COP 15.3K

$4.22 COP 13.7K

11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.19 COP 16.9K

$5.73 COP 18.6K

-9.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.15 COP 23.3K

$7.37 COP 24.0K

-2.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 COP 9,330

$2.49 COP 8,092

15.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,394

$1.17 COP 3,817

15.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,919

$0.90 COP 2,913

67.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.82 COP 2,676

$0.91 COP 2,973

-9.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 COP 3,084

$1.24 COP 4,034

-23.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,653

$0.97 COP 3,151

47.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.86 COP 2,795

$0.90 COP 2,940

-4.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,868

$0.79 COP 2,578

-27.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.73 COP 8,890

$1.69 COP 5,492

61.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 COP 36.6K

$9.36 COP 30.4K

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,963

$0.83 COP 2,693

9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 COP 4,346

$1.55 COP 5,053

-13.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 COP 2,319

$0.68 COP 2,198

4.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.39 COP 105.3K

$39.38 COP 128.0K

-17.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 COP 6,236

$1.67 COP 5,445

14.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 COP 9,614

$1.59 COP 5,185

86.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 COP 16.1K

$5.95 COP 19.4K

-16.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,262

$0.93 COP 3,027

7.53%

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

$14.9K COP 48.3M

$19.7K COP 64.0M

-24.49%

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

$22.4K COP 72.8M

$28.0K COP 91.1M

-20.07%

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

$139 COP 451.9K

$73.5 COP 239.0K

89.02%

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

$8.09 COP 26.3K

$8.58 COP 27.9K

-5.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.84 COP 71.0K

$20.61 COP 67.0K

5.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.43 COP 69.7K

$23.14 COP 75.2K

-7.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 COP 47.7K

$15.68 COP 51.0K

-6.51%

Cinema Ticket

$4.20 COP 13.6K

$3.98 COP 12.9K

5.53%

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

$61.7 COP 200.7K

$237 COP 771.8K

-73.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,834 COP 6.0M

$2,500 COP 8.1M

-26.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 COP 201.5K

$64.2 COP 208.7K

-3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 COP 174.8K

$33.04 COP 107.4K

62.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 COP 260.1K

$83.1 COP 270.3K

-3.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 COP 233.3K

$38.65 COP 125.7K

85.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 765.8K

$291 COP 946.4K

-19.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 COP 713.8K

$239 COP 778.6K

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 COP 1.7M

$484 COP 1.6M

9.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$456 COP 1.5M

$378 COP 1.2M

20.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,791 COP 5.8M

$1,156 COP 3.8M

54.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$686 COP 2.2M

$1,536 COP 5.0M

-55.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.8M

$554 COP 1.8M

-1.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.25

-34.43%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: July 13, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $236 in Barranquilla versus $291 in Bucaramanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 2% higher in Bucaramanga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Barranquilla versus $19.00 in Bucaramanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $175 vs $173 – making Bucaramanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Barranquilla vs Bucaramanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 10% more than Bucaramanga, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,276 per month in Barranquilla and $1,157 in Bucaramanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucaramanga, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31.00 in Barranquilla and $19.00 in Bucaramanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $850 in Barranquilla and $771 in Bucaramanga. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $850 in Barranquilla and $771 in Bucaramanga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucaramanga costs $771 versus $850 in Barranquilla. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bucaramanga. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.