Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,324 a month against $1,690 in Acosta, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bogota
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,324
/mo nomad
Acosta
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
$1,690
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Acosta

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,324 in Bogota versus $1,690 in Acosta.

  • Bogota $1,324
  • Acosta $1,690

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,127 in Bogota versus $2,672 in Acosta.

  • Bogota $2,127
  • Acosta $2,672

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,931 in Bogota versus $3,655 in Acosta.

  • Bogota $2,931
  • Acosta $3,655

Living in Bogota costs roughly 22% less than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bogota is 2% below, Acosta is 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.78 COP 24.7K
$12.09 ₡5,423
-35.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.36 COP 131.1K
$57.0 ₡25.6K
-27.44%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 COP 31.8K
$11.84 ₡5,309
-15.37%
Cappuccino
$2.48 COP 7,877
$4.34 ₡1,948
-42.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.33 COP 4,215
$2.65 ₡1,188
-49.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.89 COP 2,827
$1.91 ₡856
-53.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.87 COP 5,931
$3.37 ₡1,510
-44.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 COP 12.4K
$4.46 ₡1,998
-12.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.67 COP 5,284
$2.30 ₡1,033
-27.39%
White Bread (500g)
$2.53 COP 8,019
$2.86 ₡1,284
-11.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,436
$2.48 ₡1,112
-31.05%
Eggs
$3.42 COP 10.9K
$3.44 ₡1,542
-0.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.84 COP 24.9K
$10.67 ₡4,784
-26.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.33 COP 23.2K
$10.36 ₡4,644
-29.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.69 COP 30.7K
$14.09 ₡6,320
-31.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.59 COP 11.4K
$5.17 ₡2,320
-30.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.79 COP 5,687
$1.57 ₡705
14.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,320
$3.44 ₡1,543
-42.15%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.73 COP 5,494
$3.43 ₡1,539
-49.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.44 COP 4,577
$3.07 ₡1,379
-53.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.45 COP 4,591
$3.18 ₡1,425
-54.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.29 COP 4,104
$1.08 ₡486
19.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 COP 3,795
$2.64 ₡1,186
-54.55%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.36 COP 13.8K
$5.65 ₡2,532
-22.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.53 COP 39.7K
$16.42 ₡7,365
-23.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,455
$2.51 ₡1,126
-43.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 COP 8,922
$2.73 ₡1,226
2.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.10 COP 3,480
$1.30 ₡584
-15.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.7 COP 160.9K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.40 COP 7,622
$2.46 ₡1,104
-2.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.32 COP 7,366
$1.60 ₡719
45.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.34 COP 29.6K
$8.78 ₡3,938
6.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 COP 4,299
$1.57 ₡704
-13.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.1M
$22.0K ₡9.9M
60.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K COP 111.9M
$34.5K ₡15.5M
2.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$127 COP 402.4K
$96.5 ₡43.3K
31.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.30 COP 51.7K
$29.41 ₡13.2K
-44.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.93 COP 98.1K
$59.9 ₡26.9K
-48.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.46 COP 106.1K
$73.5 ₡33.0K
-54.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.35 COP 48.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.00 COP 25.4K
$7.54 ₡3,381
6.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$494 COP 1.6M
$857 ₡384.5K
-42.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,606 COP 24.1M
$17.0K ₡7.6M
-55.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.1 COP 273.1K
$70.3 ₡31.5K
22.47%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.55 COP 153.9K
$55.5 ₡24.9K
-12.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$143 COP 454.4K
$128 ₡57.3K
12.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 COP 336.9K
$134 ₡60.1K
-20.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$801 COP 2.5M
$790 ₡354.3K
1.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$448 COP 1.4M
$627 ₡281.1K
-28.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 COP 4.0M
$1,874 ₡840.2K
-32.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,001 COP 3.2M
$1,259 ₡564.7K
-20.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,847 COP 9.0M
$1,977 ₡886.4K
44.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,319 COP 7.4M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bogota
Acosta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$799 COP 2.5M
$1,467 ₡657.9K
-45.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.81
8.62
48.61%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 18, 2026

Last update for Acosta: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bogota
$448
Acosta
$627 39.8% $179
Groceries & Markets
Bogota
$262
Acosta
$370 41.5% $109
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
$174
Acosta
$186 6.7% $12
Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
$173
Acosta
$174 0.9% $1.5
Eating Out
Bogota
$148
Acosta
$228 54.1% $80
Getting Around
Bogota
$69
Acosta
$16 * 77.3% $53
Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
$49
Acosta
$89 79.1% $39

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $801 in Bogota and $790 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Acosta pays 84% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $41.00 in Bogota vs $57.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $370 per month, with Bogota cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Bogota
🇨🇷 Acosta
🕒 Local time
07:26 7:26 AM
06:26 6:26 AM
1 h behind Bogota
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,181,047 Capital
3,072
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bogota Acosta 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bogota
  • Acosta

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
Bogota vs Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bogota and in Acosta?
Bogota and Acosta differ by about 28% in total monthly costs ($1,324 vs $1,690 including rent). Bogota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 84% lower in Acosta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Bogota and in Acosta?
Rent for a central apartment: $801 in Bogota versus $790 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Acosta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Bogota or Acosta?
All in, you'll spend $1,324 per month in Bogota versus $1,690 in Acosta – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $1,324 in Bogota versus $1,690 in Acosta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bogota but tight or insufficient in Acosta. The gap between the two cities makes Bogota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bogota and Acosta?
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.
Is Bogota or Acosta safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bogota and Acosta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Bogota or Acosta?
Expats usually find Bogota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Acosta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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