Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Cartago

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,713 in Cartago, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
Cartago $1,713

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $2,362 in Cartago, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
Cartago $2,362

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $3,011 in Cartago, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
Cartago $3,011

Bogota is about 23% cheaper than Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while Cartago is 27% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$8.64 ₡3,882

-11.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.8K

$34.53 ₡15.5K

20.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 33.0K

$9.92 ₡4,458

4.64%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,036

$4.54 ₡2,040

-44.27%

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

$1.35 COP 4,290

$2.13 ₡957

-36.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,760

$1.36 ₡611

-36.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,563

$2.15 ₡966

-4.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$4.06 ₡1,823

-1.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,257

$2.39 ₡1,075

-30.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,642

$2.37 ₡1,067

1.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,362

$2.47 ₡1,112

-31.58%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$3.57 ₡1,604

-0.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.1K

$8.61 ₡3,868

-8.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.2K

$10.38 ₡4,664

-29.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.4K

$13.94 ₡6,265

-29.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$5.24 ₡2,356

-31.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,840

$1.29 ₡580

42.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,031

$4.49 ₡2,018

-57.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$2.91 ₡1,309

-40.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,498

$2.24 ₡1,006

-37.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,345

$2.17 ₡973

-36.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,144

$1.09 ₡488

19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,654

$2.18 ₡979

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$6.07 ₡2,728

-28.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.6K

$15.16 ₡6,810

-15.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,557

$2.89 ₡1,298

-50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 9,014

$2.03 ₡914

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,444

$1.37 ₡614

-21.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.6K

$73.2 ₡32.9K

-30.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,573

$1.33 ₡600

78.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,434

$1.56 ₡703

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.3K

$8.95 ₡4,023

2.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,226

$1.51 ₡679

-11.92%

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

$23.5K COP 74.7M

$21.7K ₡9.7M

8.22%

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

$35.6K COP 113.4M

$35.1K ₡15.8M

1.49%

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

$125 COP 399.0K

$52.4 ₡23.6K

139.27%

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

$16.29 COP 51.8K

$35.12 ₡15.8K

-53.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 96.1K

$59.9 ₡26.9K

-49.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.5K

$73.8 ₡33.1K

-53.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.9K

$77.8 ₡34.9K

-80.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.9K

$7.27 ₡3,268

7.84%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$549 ₡246.6K

-8.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.7M

$7,878 ₡3.5M

-5.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 263.4K

$70.1 ₡31.5K

18.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.8K

$56.5 ₡25.4K

-16.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 450.8K

$121 ₡54.5K

16.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 338.4K

$87.7 ₡39.4K

21.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.6M

$923 ₡415.0K

-13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$704 ₡316.5K

-35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 4.0M

$1,869 ₡839.7K

-33.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$724 ₡325.4K

34.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 9.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

$1,344 ₡604.0K

-39.56%

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 11, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$452 34.1%

Cartago

$704 41.1% 55.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

Cartago

$348 20.3% 33.5% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

Cartago

$147 8.6% 14.3% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

Cartago

$151 8.8% 11.3% $19

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

Cartago

$186 10.9% 24.3% $36

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

Cartago

$88 5.1% 26.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

Cartago

$88 5.2% 77.4% $39

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Bogota versus $923 in Cartago. 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 65% higher in Cartago, 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 $35.00 in Cartago. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Bogota vs $348 in Cartago – so Bogota wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇷 Cartago

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

04:21 4:21 AM

1 h behind Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

110,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota Cartago 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Bogota and $2,570 in Cartago. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,323 in Bogota and $1,713 in Cartago. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,323, than in Cartago at $1,713. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bogota. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartago makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.