Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,387 a month against $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,387

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,387 per month in Bogota vs $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Bogota $1,387
Des Moines, IA $2,299

A couple spends around $2,151 per month in Bogota vs $3,459 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Bogota $2,151
Des Moines, IA $3,459

A family of three spends $2,915 per month in Bogota vs $4,618 in Des Moines, IA, rent included.

Bogota $2,915
Des Moines, IA $4,618

Bogota is about 40% cheaper than Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Bogota and Des Moines, IA sit above the global median – Bogota by 3%, Des Moines, IA by 70%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.94 COP 25.7K

$19.89 $19.89

-60.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.83 COP 138.4K

$102 $102

-57.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 COP 34.9K

$11.80 $11.80

-8.39%

Cappuccino

$2.47 COP 7,988

$6.54 $6.54

-62.23%

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

$1.34 COP 4,343

$2.97 $2.97

-54.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,734

$2.47 $2.47

-65.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 COP 7,727

$5.05 $5.05

-52.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 COP 15.6K

$5.65 $5.65

-14.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 COP 5,267

$0.86 $0.86

89.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.33 COP 7,510

$3.01 $3.01

-22.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 COP 5,838

$3.24 $3.24

-44.14%

Eggs

$3.52 COP 11.4K

$3.88 $3.88

-9.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 COP 25.3K

$9.40 $9.40

-16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.62 COP 24.6K

$17.22 $17.22

-55.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 COP 34.4K

$18.91 $18.91

-43.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 COP 11.3K

$5.25 $5.25

-33.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,691

$1.52 $1.52

15.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,186

$4.92 $4.92

-60.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 COP 6,117

$3.71 $3.71

-49.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$4.31 $4.31

-67.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,617

$2.24 $2.24

-36.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 COP 4,075

$2.76 $2.76

-54.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,730

$3.04 $3.04

-62.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 COP 14.3K

$10.13 $10.13

-56.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.31 COP 39.8K

$14.81 $14.81

-16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 4,784

$1.68 $1.68

-11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 COP 10.4K

$2.93 $2.93

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,484

$1.71 $1.71

-36.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 COP 162.1K

$57.8 $57.8

-13.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 COP 6,539

$1.99 $1.99

1.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 COP 8,215

$1.25 $1.25

103.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.49 COP 24.2K

$19.83 $19.83

-62.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.01 $1.01

26.73%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.9K $26.9K

26.69%

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

$34.9K COP 112.6M

$25.6K $25.6K

36.39%

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

$127 COP 411.1K

$191 $191

-33.40%

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

$16.31 COP 52.7K

$52.9 $52.9

-69.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 97.6K

$77.2 $77.2

-60.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.56 COP 108.4K

$33.80 $33.80

-0.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 COP 48.5K

$20.24 $20.24

-25.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.62 COP 24.6K

$9.86 $9.86

-22.72%

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

$557 COP 1.8M

$1,313 $1,313

-57.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.1K COP 42.2M

$14.6K $14.6K

-10.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 COP 274.7K

$77.0 $77.0

10.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.17 COP 155.6K

$56.1 $56.1

-14.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 448.7K

$103 $103

35.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$166 $166

-35.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$1,218 $1,218

-40.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$504 COP 1.6M

$918 $918

-45.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,438 COP 4.6M

$2,058 $2,058

-30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$963 COP 3.1M

$1,422 $1,422

-32.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,946 COP 9.5M

$2,418 $2,418

21.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,250 COP 7.3M

$2,262 $2,262

-0.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$811 COP 2.6M

$3,788 $3,788

-78.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

6.57

94.98%

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

Last update for Bogota: November 3, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$504 36.4%

Des Moines, IA

$918 40% 82.2% $414

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$264 19%

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3% 59.3% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$174 12.5%

Des Moines, IA

$321 14% 84.9% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$171 12.3%

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9% 5.7% $9.8

Eating Out

Bogota

$156 11.3%

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4% 112% $175

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2% 5.3% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$49 3.5%

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3% 9.7% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $730 in Bogota versus $1,218 in Des Moines, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Des Moines, IA are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Bogota versus $102 in Des Moines, IA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $264 vs $421 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota Des Moines, IA 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
Des Moines, IA

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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,080 per month in Bogota and $3,448 in Des Moines, IA. 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 $730 there versus $1,218 in Des Moines, IA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,387 in Bogota and $2,299 in Des Moines, IA. That makes Bogota about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 13% 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.

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