Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barranquilla and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,473

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barranquilla and in Cali

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 Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,473 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,060 in Cali, rent included.

Barranquilla $1,473
Cali $1,060

A couple spends around $2,280 per month in Barranquilla vs $1,626 in Cali, rent included.

Barranquilla $2,280
Cali $1,626

A family of three spends $3,087 per month in Barranquilla vs $2,192 in Cali, rent included.

Barranquilla $3,087
Cali $2,192

Barranquilla costs about 39% more than Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Barranquilla sits 9% above the global median, while Cali is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.26 COP 29.4K

$7.32 COP 23.2K

26.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 COP 198.5K

$37.35 COP 118.4K

67.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.02 COP 44.5K

$8.32 COP 26.4K

68.51%

Cappuccino

$2.73 COP 8,664

$1.52 COP 4,832

79.61%

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

$1.33 COP 4,230

$1.23 COP 3,885

8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,016

$0.86 COP 2,728

47.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 COP 10.1K

$3.11 COP 9,872

2.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.63 COP 24.2K

$3.80 COP 12.1K

100.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 COP 2,897

$1.54 COP 4,891

-40.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 COP 3,866

$1.96 COP 6,203

-37.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,823

$1.48 COP 4,701

2.70%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 6,836

$2.91 COP 9,242

-25.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 COP 16.2K

$6.31 COP 20.0K

-19.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.67 COP 56.0K

$6.85 COP 21.7K

157.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.79 COP 21.5K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-33.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,823

$3.45 COP 10.9K

-37.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,031

$1.40 COP 4,433

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.65 COP 2,047

$1.79 COP 5,668

-63.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,804

$1.65 COP 5,223

10.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 COP 3,931

$1.43 COP 4,539

-13.29%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 COP 3,055

$1.55 COP 4,917

-38.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 COP 3,911

$1.14 COP 3,613

7.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 COP 3,052

$0.94 COP 2,983

2.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.15 COP 16.3K

$3.79 COP 12.0K

35.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.50 COP 39.6K

$12.94 COP 41.0K

-3.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 COP 4,855

$1.43 COP 4,539

6.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.76 COP 15.1K

$2.55 COP 8,079

86.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,753

$1.07 COP 3,387

10.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.42 COP 10.9K

$0.78 COP 2,488

338.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 COP 9,743

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 COP 49.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,178

$1.34 COP 4,245

-1.49%

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

$22.3K COP 70.8M

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

$29.3K COP 93.0M

$35.4K COP 112.1M

-17.10%

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

$149 COP 473.8K

$110 COP 347.5K

36.36%

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

$14.84 COP 47.0K

$12.96 COP 41.1K

14.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.41 COP 102.8K

$30.06 COP 95.3K

7.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.30 COP 108.8K

$28.81 COP 91.3K

19.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.57 COP 14.5K

$8.40 COP 26.6K

-45.60%

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

$78.4 COP 248.5K

45.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.68 COP 151.2K

$53.2 COP 168.8K

-10.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$189 COP 600.2K

$126 COP 398.3K

50.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$252 COP 797.8K

$111 COP 351.4K

127.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 COP 2.5M

$655 COP 2.1M

18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 COP 1.6M

$288 COP 914.6K

71.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 COP 2.5M

$1,558 COP 4.9M

-48.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 COP 2.8M

$498 COP 1.6M

76.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,843 COP 5.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$641 COP 2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$506 COP 1.6M

$585 COP 1.9M

-13.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

-13.64%

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

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barranquilla

$495 33.6%

Cali

$288 27.2% 41.7% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Barranquilla

$271 18.4%

Cali

$166 15.6% 38.9% $106

Groceries & Markets

Barranquilla

$253 17.2%

Cali

$239 22.5% 5.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barranquilla

$197 13.4%

Cali

$153 14.4% 22.4% $44

Eating Out

Barranquilla

$191 12.9%

Cali

$133 12.6% 30% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Barranquilla

$43 3%

Cali

$46 4.3% 5% $2.2

Getting Around

Barranquilla

$24 * 1.6%

Cali

$35 * 3.3% 50.3% $12

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 $655 in Cali. 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 16% higher in Cali, 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 $37.00 in Cali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $239 – making Cali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

15:29 3:29 PM

Same time as Barranquilla

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,327,209

2,568,609

💱 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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Between locations

Barranquilla Cali 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

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Barranquilla
Cali

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 39% more than Cali, 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 $1,590 in Cali. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cali, 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 $1,060 in Cali. That's a gap of about 39%.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Barranquilla, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cali, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Barranquilla at $1,473. In Cali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cali costs $1,060 versus $1,473 in Barranquilla. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cali. 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.