Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,380 a month against $1,436 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $670 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,380

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Cartagena

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

A single person spends $1,380 per month in Bogota vs $1,436 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bogota $1,380
Cartagena $1,436

A couple spends around $2,167 per month in Bogota vs $2,531 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bogota $2,167
Cartagena $2,531

A family of three spends $2,953 per month in Bogota vs $3,626 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bogota $2,953
Cartagena $3,626

Bogota is about 4% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 COP 25.2K

$5.80 COP 18.7K

34.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.50 COP 137.2K

$139 COP 448.6K

-69.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 COP 33.2K

$10.04 COP 32.4K

2.49%

Cappuccino

$2.60 COP 8,396

$4.36 COP 14.1K

-40.37%

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

$1.30 COP 4,193

$2.55 COP 8,246

-49.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,939

$2.36 COP 7,630

-61.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 COP 6,514

$3.24 COP 10.5K

-37.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 COP 13.0K

$4.92 COP 15.9K

-18.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 COP 5,412

$1.92 COP 6,212

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 COP 8,156

$2.86 COP 9,240

-11.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,457

$1.49 COP 4,795

13.42%

Eggs

$3.51 COP 11.3K

$5.02 COP 16.2K

-30.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 COP 26.6K

$13.24 COP 42.7K

-37.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 COP 24.1K

$17.33 COP 56.0K

-56.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 COP 11.5K

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,934

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,445

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,947

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,584

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,473

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 COP 4,174

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,684

$2.05 COP 6,623

-44.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 COP 14.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 COP 40.4K

$14.43 COP 46.6K

-13.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,738

$1.41 COP 4,540

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 COP 10.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,529

$1.24 COP 4,008

-12.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 COP 162.7K

$66.1 COP 213.4K

-23.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 COP 7,710

$4.74 COP 15.3K

-49.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 COP 7,887

$3.75 COP 12.1K

-34.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 COP 30.8K

$9.54 COP 30.8K

0.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,389

$1.34 COP 4,332

1.49%

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

$34.8K COP 112.5M

$34.2K COP 110.3M

2.00%

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

$34.8K COP 112.3M

$35.0K COP 113.0M

-0.66%

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

$125 COP 402.8K

$79.2 COP 255.8K

57.45%

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

$16.34 COP 52.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 COP 96.9K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 COP 108.7K

$56.3 COP 181.8K

-40.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 COP 49.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 COP 24.9K

$7.98 COP 25.8K

-3.26%

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

$555 COP 1.8M

$625 COP 2.0M

-11.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,491 COP 24.2M

$5,818 COP 18.8M

28.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 267.3K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 COP 156.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 COP 465.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 COP 2.4M

$1,374 COP 4.4M

-45.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 COP 1.6M

$755 COP 2.4M

-33.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 COP 4.6M

$2,402 COP 7.8M

-40.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 COP 3.3M

$1,602 COP 5.2M

-37.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 COP 9.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 COP 7.2M

$955 COP 3.1M

133.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 COP 2.6M

$466 COP 1.5M

72.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

-14.60%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 24, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$502 36.4%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$265 19.2%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$172 12.5%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$171 12.4%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Bogota

$152 11%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$49 3.6%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Bogota versus $1,374 in Cartagena. 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 73% higher in Bogota, 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 $43 in Bogota versus $139 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $265 in Bogota vs $261 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

18:52 6:52 PM

Same time as Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bogota Cartagena 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
Cartagena

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 Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartagena is pricier by about 4%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,070 per month in Bogota and $2,154 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bogota, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $1,374 in Cartagena.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Bogota and $139 in Cartagena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 24% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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