Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Castro

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Bogota
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,323
/mo nomad
Castro
🇨🇱 Chile
$875
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Castro

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $875 in Castro, rent included.

  • Bogota $1,323
  • Castro $875

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $1,381 in Castro, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,110
  • Castro $1,381

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $1,887 in Castro, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,897
  • Castro $1,887

Bogota costs about 51% more than Castro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Bogota and Castro are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, Castro 35% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.65 COP 24.3K
$8.29 CLP 8,163
-7.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.44 COP 131.4K
$46.10 CLP 45.4K
-10.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.38 COP 32.9K
$5.66 CLP 5,568
83.39%
Cappuccino
$2.53 COP 8,011
$1.49 CLP 1,464
69.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.35 COP 4,277
$1.20 CLP 1,181
12.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 COP 2,752
$1.01 CLP 990
-13.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 COP 6,542
$5.15 CLP 5,066
-60.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.98 COP 12.6K
$7.29 CLP 7,173
-45.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 COP 5,240
$1.08 CLP 1,065
52.78%
White Bread (500g)
$2.40 COP 7,618
$3.51 CLP 3,451
-31.62%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.69 COP 5,345
$1.25 CLP 1,232
35.20%
Eggs
$3.54 COP 11.2K
$4.12 CLP 4,056
-14.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.89 COP 25.0K
$9.67 CLP 9,523
-18.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.30 COP 23.1K
$4.03 CLP 3,965
81.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.3K
$8.49 CLP 8,358
16.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 COP 11.4K
$1.40 CLP 1,373
155.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.84 COP 5,822
$2.30 CLP 2,268
-20.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.90 COP 6,012
$1.48 CLP 1,461
28.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.74 COP 5,517
$1.98 CLP 1,947
-12.12%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 COP 4,484
$1.13 CLP 1,109
24.78%
Onion (1kg)
$1.37 COP 4,332
-
-
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.30 COP 4,131
$1.52 CLP 1,494
-14.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 COP 3,643
$1.56 CLP 1,531
-26.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.32 COP 13.7K
$3.75 CLP 3,688
15.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.76 COP 40.5K
$7.78 CLP 7,662
64.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.43 COP 4,542
$1.00 CLP 987
43.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 COP 8,986
$3.13 CLP 3,085
-9.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Bogota
Castro
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.08 COP 3,434
$0.66 CLP 654
63.64%
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
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.20 COP 29.2K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.33 COP 4,213
$1.30 CLP 1,282
2.31%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.5K COP 74.4M
$15.5K CLP 15.2M
51.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.6K COP 113.0M
$18.2K CLP 17.9M
95.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 COP 397.8K
$131 CLP 128.8K
-4.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.29 COP 51.6K
-
-
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.21 COP 95.8K
$31.25 CLP 30.8K
-3.33%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.11 COP 108.2K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.37 COP 48.7K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.84 COP 24.8K
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$501 COP 1.6M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,450 COP 23.6M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.8 COP 262.6K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$47.40 COP 150.3K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 COP 449.4K
$81.0 CLP 79.7K
75.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$106 COP 337.4K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bogota
Castro
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$803 COP 2.5M
$355 CLP 349.2K
126.38%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$452 COP 1.4M
$290 CLP 285.5K
55.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,244 COP 3.9M
$1,002 CLP 986.6K
24.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 COP 3.1M
$576 CLP 566.8K
69.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,816 COP 8.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,354 COP 7.5M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bogota
Castro
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$813 COP 2.6M
$614 CLP 604.7K
32.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.81
7
83.00%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bogota
$452
Castro
$290 35.8% $162
Groceries & Markets
Bogota
$261
Castro
$234 * 10.4% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
$172
Castro
$162 * 5.7% $9.8
Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
$170
Castro
$36 * 78.6% $134
Eating Out
Bogota
$150
Castro
$150 0.3% $0.5
Getting Around
Bogota
$69
Castro
$2.7 * 96.2% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
$50
Castro
- * 100%

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 $355 in Castro. 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 32% 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 $46.00 in Castro. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Bogota vs $234 in Castro – so Castro wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Bogota
🇨🇱 Castro
🕒 Local time
00:03 12:03 AM
02:03 2:03 AM
2 h ahead of Bogota
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,181,047 Capital
33,417
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 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 Castro 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Bogota
  • Castro

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 Castro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Castro cheaper than Bogota?
Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 51%, 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 $1,313 in Castro. 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 Castro, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Bogota and in Castro?
Groceries cost about 12% 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 eating out cheaper in Bogota or in Castro?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $46.00 in Castro. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Bogota or in Castro?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Castro, where all-in costs run around $875, than in Bogota at $1,323. In Castro it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bogota or Castro more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Castro – 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 Castro. 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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