Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bogota
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,323
/mo nomad
Calama
🇨🇱 Chile
$595
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Calama

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $595 in Calama, rent included.

  • Bogota $1,323
  • Calama $595

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $1,203 in Calama, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,110
  • Calama $1,203

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $1,812 in Calama, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,897
  • Calama $1,812

Bogota costs about 122% more than Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bogota and Calama are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, Calama 56% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.65 COP 24.3K
$6.95 CLP 6,841
10.07%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.44 COP 131.4K
$31.49 CLP 31.0K
31.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 COP 32.9K
-
-
Cappuccino
$2.53 COP 8,011
$2.05 CLP 2,018
23.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 COP 4,277
$0.93 CLP 916
45.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 COP 2,752
$0.94 CLP 929
-7.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 COP 6,542
$3.12 CLP 3,074
-33.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 COP 12.6K
$5.23 CLP 5,149
-23.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 COP 5,240
$1.10 CLP 1,087
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 COP 7,618
$0.84 CLP 825
185.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 COP 5,345
$2.62 CLP 2,575
-35.50%
Eggs
$3.54 COP 11.2K
$4.95 CLP 4,876
-28.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.89 COP 25.0K
$9.36 CLP 9,217
-15.71%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.30 COP 23.1K
$6.22 CLP 6,119
17.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.3K
$7.53 CLP 7,413
31.08%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 COP 11.4K
$1.26 CLP 1,242
184.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 COP 5,822
$1.05 CLP 1,029
75.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 COP 6,012
$1.55 CLP 1,523
22.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 COP 5,517
$1.10 CLP 1,081
58.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 COP 4,484
$0.90 CLP 884
56.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 COP 4,332
$0.93 CLP 916
47.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 COP 4,131
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 COP 3,643
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 COP 13.7K
$5.25 CLP 5,170
-17.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.76 COP 40.5K
$4.19 CLP 4,128
204.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 COP 4,542
$1.01 CLP 990
41.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 COP 8,986
$1.25 CLP 1,235
126.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Bogota
Calama
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 COP 3,434
$0.95 CLP 931
13.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$50.8 COP 161.1K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.38 COP 7,550
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.34 COP 7,411
$1.43 CLP 1,412
63.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.20 COP 29.2K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 COP 4,213
$1.44 CLP 1,415
-7.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K COP 74.4M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K COP 113.0M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 COP 397.8K
$40.05 CLP 39.4K
213.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.29 COP 51.6K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.21 COP 95.8K
$13.28 CLP 13.1K
127.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.11 COP 108.2K
$51.7 CLP 50.9K
-34.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.37 COP 48.7K
$20.74 CLP 20.4K
-25.89%
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 COP 24.8K
$4.69 CLP 4,617
67.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$501 COP 1.6M
$306 CLP 301.6K
63.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,450 COP 23.6M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.8 COP 262.6K
$36.08 CLP 35.5K
129.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.40 COP 150.3K
$28.38 CLP 27.9K
67.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 COP 449.4K
$45.82 CLP 45.1K
209.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 COP 337.4K
$61.8 CLP 60.9K
72.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bogota
Calama
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$803 COP 2.5M
$327 CLP 322.3K
145.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$452 COP 1.4M
$102 CLP 100.6K
342.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,244 COP 3.9M
$807 CLP 794.0K
54.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 COP 3.1M
$608 CLP 599.0K
60.07%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,816 COP 8.9M
$1,403 CLP 1.4M
100.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,354 COP 7.5M
$1,229 CLP 1.2M
91.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bogota
Calama
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$813 COP 2.6M
$1,110 CLP 1.1M
-26.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.81
5
156.20%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bogota
$452
Calama
$102 77.4% $350
Groceries & Markets
Bogota
$261
Calama
$176 * 32.4% $85
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
$172
Calama
$53 * 69% $119
Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
$170
Calama
$77 54.5% $93
Eating Out
Bogota
$150
Calama
$114 * 24.1% $36
Getting Around
Bogota
$69
Calama
$11 * 84.2% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
$50
Calama
$61 22.7% $11

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Bogota versus $327 in Calama. 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 37% higher in Calama, 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 $41.00 in Bogota versus $31.00 in Calama. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $176 – making Calama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Bogota
🇨🇱 Calama
🕒 Local time
17:30 5:30 PM
19:30 7:30 PM
2 h ahead of Bogota
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,181,047 Capital
157,575
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bogota Calama 3,070 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bogota
  • Calama

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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Calama cheaper than Bogota?
Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 122%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Bogota and $893 in Calama. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Calama, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Bogota or in Calama?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $31.00 in Calama. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Bogota and in Calama?
Groceries cost about 48% more in Bogota, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Bogota or in Calama?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Calama, where all-in costs run around $595, than in Bogota at $1,323. In Calama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bogota or Calama more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Calama – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Calama. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bogota makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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