Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,380 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,380

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in East London

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

A single person spends $1,380 per month in Bogota vs $992 in East London, rent included.

Bogota $1,380
East London $992

A couple spends around $2,167 per month in Bogota vs $1,611 in East London, rent included.

Bogota $2,167
East London $1,611

A family of three spends $2,953 per month in Bogota vs $2,230 in East London, rent included.

Bogota $2,953
East London $2,230

Bogota costs about 39% more than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 COP 24.8K

$9.10 R 151

-14.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.50 COP 134.6K

$38.23 R 635

11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 COP 32.6K

$5.57 R 92.6

84.74%

Cappuccino

$2.60 COP 8,237

$2.05 R 34.04

26.83%

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

$1.30 COP 4,113

$1.04 R 17.31

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,884

$0.76 R 12.68

19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 COP 6,391

$2.69 R 44.65

-24.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 COP 12.7K

$3.21 R 53.3

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 COP 5,310

$1.18 R 19.68

42.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 COP 8,002

$0.87 R 14.52

190.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,353

$1.44 R 23.95

17.36%

Eggs

$3.51 COP 11.1K

$2.27 R 37.77

54.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 COP 26.1K

$8.37 R 139

-1.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 COP 23.6K

$5.49 R 91.3

35.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.7K

$6.71 R 111

44.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 COP 11.2K

$1.46 R 24.28

143.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$1.53 R 25.41

20.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,323

$1.63 R 27.14

22.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,835

$1.43 R 23.83

28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,497

$1.68 R 27.86

-15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,389

$1.43 R 23.71

-2.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 COP 4,095

$1.17 R 19.46

10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,615

$0.95 R 15.80

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 COP 14.0K

$2.89 R 48.02

52.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 COP 39.6K

$4.70 R 78.1

166.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,648

$1.19 R 19.78

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$0.98 R 16.36

230.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,462

$1.47 R 24.50

-25.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 COP 159.6K

$46.85 R 778

7.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 COP 7,564

$1.22 R 20.28

95.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 COP 7,738

$0.46 R 7.58

430.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 COP 30.3K

$8.38 R 139

13.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,306

$1.35 R 22.42

0.74%

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

$34.8K COP 110.4M

$34.7K R 576.1K

0.49%

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

$34.8K COP 110.1M

$29.3K R 486.5K

18.74%

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

$125 COP 395.2K

$122 R 2,032

2.03%

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

$16.34 COP 51.7K

$32.64 R 542

-49.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 COP 95.1K

$44.35 R 737

-32.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 COP 106.6K

$39.51 R 656

-14.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 COP 48.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 COP 24.5K

$4.54 R 75.5

70.04%

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

$555 COP 1.8M

$177 R 2,943

213.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,491 COP 23.7M

$5,438 R 90.4K

37.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.3K

$56.8 R 944

45.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 COP 153.3K

$32.80 R 545

47.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 COP 456.6K

$73.1 R 1,214

97.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 340.7K

$95.2 R 1,581

13.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 COP 2.4M

$290 R 4,825

157.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 COP 1.6M

$251 R 4,164

100.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 COP 4.5M

$543 R 9,017

163.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 COP 3.2M

$633 R 10.5K

59.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 COP 9.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 COP 7.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 COP 2.6M

$1,664 R 27.6K

-51.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

16.45%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 24, 2026

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$502 36.4%

East London

$251 25.3% 50.1% $251

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$265 19.2%

East London

$180 18.1% 32.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$172 12.5%

East London

$116 11.7% 32.6% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$171 12.4%

East London

$199 20.1% 16.5% $28

Eating Out

Bogota

$152 11%

East London

$141 14.2% 6.9% $10

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5%

East London

$56 5.7% 18.9% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$49 3.6%

East London

$49 4.9% 1% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Bogota versus $290 in East London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in East London are about 2.1 times higher, 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 $38 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $180 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

22:50 10:50 PM

05:50 5:50 AM

7 h ahead of Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

267,007

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 3,167 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,530 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 USD = 16.62 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bogota East London 11,410 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,070 per month in Bogota and $1,487 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $749 in Bogota.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,380 in Bogota and $992 in East London. That makes East London about 28% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 7% less in East London. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Bogota at $1,380. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, East London is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 28% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.