Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota 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 Bogota and in Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,060 in Cali, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
Cali $1,060

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $1,626 in Cali, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
Cali $1,626

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $2,192 in Cali, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
Cali $2,192

Bogota costs about 25% more than Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bogota and Cali are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$7.32 COP 23.2K

4.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.4K

$37.35 COP 118.4K

10.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 32.9K

$8.32 COP 26.4K

24.76%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,011

$1.52 COP 4,832

66.45%

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

$1.35 COP 4,277

$1.23 COP 3,885

9.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,752

$0.86 COP 2,728

1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,542

$3.11 COP 9,872

-33.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$3.80 COP 12.1K

4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,240

$1.54 COP 4,891

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,618

$1.96 COP 6,203

22.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,345

$1.48 COP 4,701

14.19%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$2.91 COP 9,242

21.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.0K

$6.31 COP 20.0K

25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.1K

$6.85 COP 21.7K

6.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-3.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$3.45 COP 10.9K

3.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$1.40 COP 4,433

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,012

$1.79 COP 5,668

6.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,517

$1.65 COP 5,223

5.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,484

$1.43 COP 4,539

-1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,332

$1.55 COP 4,917

-11.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,131

$1.14 COP 3,613

14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,643

$0.94 COP 2,983

22.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$3.79 COP 12.0K

13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.5K

$12.94 COP 41.0K

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,542

$1.43 COP 4,539

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,986

$2.55 COP 8,079

10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

$1.07 COP 3,387

0.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

$30.29 COP 96.0K

67.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,550

$0.78 COP 2,488

205.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,213

$1.34 COP 4,245

-0.75%

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

0.79%

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

$125 COP 397.8K

$110 COP 347.5K

14.46%

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

$16.29 COP 51.6K

$12.96 COP 41.1K

25.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 95.8K

$30.06 COP 95.3K

0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.2K

$28.81 COP 91.3K

18.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.8K

$8.40 COP 26.6K

-6.67%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.6K

$78.4 COP 248.5K

5.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.3K

$53.2 COP 168.8K

-10.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 449.4K

$126 COP 398.3K

12.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 337.4K

$111 COP 351.4K

-4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$655 COP 2.1M

22.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$288 COP 914.6K

56.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 3.9M

$1,558 COP 4.9M

-20.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$498 COP 1.6M

95.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 8.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

$585 COP 1.9M

38.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

11.58

10.62%

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

Last update for Bogota: 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

Bogota

$452 34.1%

Cali

$288 27.2% 36.1% $163

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

Cali

$239 22.5% 8.4% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

Cali

$153 14.4% 11.2% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

Cali

$166 15.6% 2.7% $4.6

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

Cali

$133 12.6% 11% $16

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

Cali

$35 * 3.3% 48.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

Cali

$46 4.3% 8.4% $4.2

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 $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 39% higher in Bogota, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota versus $37.00 in Cali. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $239 – making Cali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

03:41 3:41 AM

Same time as Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

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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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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Bogota 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.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Cali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Bogota, 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 Bogota at $1,323. In Cali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cali. 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.