Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Medellin

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
Medellin $3,190

Bogota is about 18% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-3.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 32.9K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

9.26%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,011

$3.11 COP 9,866

-18.65%

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

$1.35 COP 4,277

$1.83 COP 5,800

-26.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,752

$1.38 COP 4,360

-36.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,542

$3.05 COP 9,672

-32.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-27.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,240

$1.45 COP 4,600

13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,618

$2.36 COP 7,496

1.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,345

$1.68 COP 5,328

0.60%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$2.86 COP 9,077

23.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.0K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-22.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.1K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-23.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-29.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-12.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$1.50 COP 4,742

22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,012

$2.17 COP 6,891

-12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,517

$2.31 COP 7,310

-24.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,484

$1.93 COP 6,113

-26.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,332

$1.64 COP 5,196

-16.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,131

$1.13 COP 3,571

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,643

$1.25 COP 3,954

-8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$3.99 COP 12.6K

8.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.5K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-4.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,542

$1.70 COP 5,384

-15.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,986

$2.37 COP 7,525

19.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

$1.21 COP 3,827

-10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-33.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,550

$1.32 COP 4,179

80.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

$2.14 COP 6,774

9.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,213

$1.30 COP 4,114

2.31%

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

$23.5K COP 74.4M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-16.13%

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

$35.6K COP 113.0M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

0.65%

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

$125 COP 397.8K

$172 COP 545.6K

-27.10%

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

$16.29 COP 51.6K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

21.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 95.8K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

5.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.2K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-24.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-9.80%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.8K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

24.84%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$770 COP 2.4M

-34.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-17.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.6K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-4.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.3K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-17.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 449.4K

$137 COP 432.9K

3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 337.4K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-23.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$616 COP 2.0M

-26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 3.9M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-4.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 8.9M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-30.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

40.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

$652 COP 2.1M

24.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

10.94

17.09%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$452 34.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 36.3% $164

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 13% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 24.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 12.4% $19

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 34.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 16.1% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Bogota versus $1,055 in Medellin. 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 25% 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 $41.00 in Bogota versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $295 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

Same time as Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, 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 $2,421 in Medellin. 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 $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 22%.

Public transport costs about 51% 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 Medellin at $1,614. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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.

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