Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Bucaramanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucaramanga: $1,250 a month against $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

72

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Bucaramanga
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Bucaramanga Living Index

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Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,473

/mo nomad

Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,250

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barranquilla and in Bucaramanga

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

A single person spends $1,473 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,250 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Barranquilla $1,473
Bucaramanga $1,250

A couple spends around $2,280 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,888 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Barranquilla $2,280
Bucaramanga $1,888

A family of three spends $3,087 per month in Barranquilla vs $2,526 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Barranquilla $3,087
Bucaramanga $2,526

Barranquilla costs about 18% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Barranquilla sits 9% above the global median, while Bucaramanga is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 COP 29.4K

$5.43 COP 17.2K

70.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 COP 198.5K

$31.40 COP 99.5K

99.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 COP 44.5K

$9.52 COP 30.2K

47.27%

Cappuccino

$2.73 COP 8,664

$2.19 COP 6,930

24.66%

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

$1.33 COP 4,230

$1.39 COP 4,404

-4.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,016

$1.04 COP 3,311

22.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 COP 10.1K

$1.70 COP 5,392

87.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 COP 24.2K

$2.54 COP 8,048

200.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 COP 2,897

$1.48 COP 4,701

-38.51%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 COP 3,866

$1.45 COP 4,588

-15.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,823

$3.06 COP 9,711

-50.33%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,836

$3.07 COP 9,723

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 COP 16.2K

$7.65 COP 24.3K

-33.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.67 COP 56.0K

$14.31 COP 45.4K

23.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 COP 21.5K

$17.20 COP 54.5K

-60.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,823

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-39.27%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,031

$1.36 COP 4,311

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 COP 2,047

$2.04 COP 6,465

-68.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,804

$2.75 COP 8,715

-33.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 COP 3,931

$1.40 COP 4,440

-11.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,055

$1.73 COP 5,500

-44.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 COP 3,911

$0.95 COP 3,021

29.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 COP 3,052

$0.92 COP 2,930

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 COP 16.3K

$3.81 COP 12.1K

35.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 COP 39.6K

$12.44 COP 39.4K

0.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 COP 4,855

$1.42 COP 4,493

7.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 COP 15.1K

$1.55 COP 4,929

207.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,753

$1.14 COP 3,630

3.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.7 COP 237.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 COP 10.9K

$2.83 COP 8,979

20.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 COP 9,743

$1.98 COP 6,290

55.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 COP 49.0K

$7.75 COP 24.6K

99.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,178

$1.34 COP 4,242

-1.49%

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

$22.3K COP 70.8M

$27.0K COP 85.7M

-17.35%

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

$29.3K COP 93.0M

$32.7K COP 103.6M

-10.24%

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

$149 COP 473.8K

$172 COP 544.9K

-13.03%

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

$14.84 COP 47.0K

$10.24 COP 32.5K

44.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.41 COP 102.8K

$25.57 COP 81.1K

26.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 COP 108.8K

$37.87 COP 120.1K

-9.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.87 COP 101.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 COP 14.5K

$6.21 COP 19.7K

-26.41%

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

$317 COP 1.0M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,749 COP 15.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$114 COP 362.0K

$52.1 COP 165.2K

119.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 COP 151.2K

$56.5 COP 179.2K

-15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$189 COP 600.2K

$118 COP 373.3K

60.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$252 COP 797.8K

$92.5 COP 293.3K

172.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 COP 2.5M

$470 COP 1.5M

65.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 COP 1.6M

$329 COP 1.0M

50.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 COP 2.5M

$917 COP 2.9M

-12.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 COP 2.8M

$565 COP 1.8M

55.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,843 COP 5.8M

$1,083 COP 3.4M

70.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$641 COP 2.0M

$1,570 COP 5.0M

-59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 COP 1.6M

$574 COP 1.8M

-11.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

-19.35%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barranquilla

$495 33.6%

Bucaramanga

$329 26.4% 33.4% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Barranquilla

$271 18.4%

Bucaramanga

$143 11.5% 47.1% $128

Groceries & Markets

Barranquilla

$253 17.2%

Bucaramanga

$305 24.4% 20.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barranquilla

$197 13.4%

Bucaramanga

$208 16.6% 5.6% $11

Eating Out

Barranquilla

$191 12.9%

Bucaramanga

$122 9.7% 36.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Barranquilla

$43 3%

Bucaramanga

$50 4% 15.7% $6.8

Getting Around

Barranquilla

$24 * 1.6%

Bucaramanga

$92 7.4% 292% $69

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $777 in Barranquilla versus $470 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 13% 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 $63.0 in Barranquilla versus $31.00 in Bucaramanga. Groceries tell a different story – $253 in Barranquilla vs $305 in Bucaramanga – so Barranquilla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Bucaramanga

🕒 Local time

15:51 3:51 PM

Same time as Barranquilla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,327,209

581,130

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Barranquilla Bucaramanga 470 km

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Barranquilla
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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

Barranquilla vs Bucaramanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 18% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,209 per month in Barranquilla and $1,874 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,473 in Barranquilla and $1,250 in Bucaramanga. That's a gap of about 18%.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Barranquilla – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bucaramanga, where all-in costs run around $1,250, than in Barranquilla at $1,473. In Bucaramanga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucaramanga costs $1,250 versus $1,473 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.