Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,310 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,310

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/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 $1,310 per month in Bogota vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $1,310
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Bogota vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $2,073
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $2,836 per month in Bogota vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Bogota $2,836
Medellin $3,139

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 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 COP 24.5K

$8.01 COP 25.8K

-4.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.93 COP 131.8K

$46.55 COP 149.9K

-12.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 COP 32.1K

$9.43 COP 30.4K

5.62%

Cappuccino

$2.46 COP 7,933

$2.91 COP 9,374

-15.46%

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

$1.36 COP 4,394

$1.75 COP 5,643

-22.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 COP 2,631

$1.32 COP 4,263

-37.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 COP 6,472

$3.13 COP 10.1K

-35.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.4K

$5.55 COP 17.9K

-30.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,213

$1.41 COP 4,542

14.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,909

$2.44 COP 7,858

0.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,311

$1.63 COP 5,245

1.23%

Eggs

$3.45 COP 11.1K

$2.82 COP 9,084

22.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 COP 24.8K

$9.69 COP 31.2K

-20.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 COP 22.6K

$9.32 COP 30.0K

-24.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 COP 31.3K

$13.46 COP 43.3K

-27.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 COP 11.2K

$4.00 COP 12.9K

-13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,732

$1.48 COP 4,768

20.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,305

$2.12 COP 6,839

-7.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,637

$2.25 COP 7,253

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,507

$1.91 COP 6,155

-26.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,479

$1.62 COP 5,214

-14.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 COP 4,232

$1.15 COP 3,696

13.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,724

$1.26 COP 4,063

-7.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 COP 13.4K

$3.82 COP 12.3K

8.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 COP 39.4K

$13.11 COP 42.2K

-6.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$1.60 COP 5,136

-11.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 9,117

$2.26 COP 7,263

25.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$1.17 COP 3,770

-9.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 COP 156.7K

$75.0 COP 241.5K

-35.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 COP 7,335

$1.27 COP 4,098

79.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 COP 7,454

$2.05 COP 6,600

12.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 COP 29.8K

$8.20 COP 26.4K

12.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,042

$1.27 COP 4,088

-0.79%

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

$23.4K COP 75.3M

$26.8K COP 86.2M

-12.71%

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

$35.3K COP 113.7M

$34.4K COP 110.8M

2.61%

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

$121 COP 389.4K

$162 COP 522.3K

-25.44%

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

$15.63 COP 50.3K

$13.12 COP 42.3K

19.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 COP 93.4K

$28.09 COP 90.5K

3.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.55 COP 104.8K

$44.33 COP 142.7K

-26.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 COP 48.7K

$16.33 COP 52.6K

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 COP 24.3K

$6.09 COP 19.6K

23.97%

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

$465 COP 1.5M

$764 COP 2.5M

-39.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 COP 26.1M

$8,904 COP 28.7M

-8.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 COP 265.6K

$85.0 COP 273.6K

-2.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.69 COP 150.3K

$57.5 COP 185.1K

-18.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 457.4K

$132 COP 424.2K

7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 335.2K

$95.8 COP 308.3K

8.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 COP 2.5M

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-24.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 COP 1.4M

$604 COP 1.9M

-27.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 COP 4.1M

$1,802 COP 5.8M

-30.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$993 COP 3.2M

-1.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 COP 8.9M

$3,921 COP 12.6M

-29.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 COP 7.2M

$1,639 COP 5.3M

36.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$795 COP 2.6M

$626 COP 2.0M

26.99%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$440 34%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 37.4% $164

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$256 19.9%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 12.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$169 13.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 1.4% $2.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$166 12.8%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 22.9% $38

Eating Out

Bogota

$147 11.4%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 13.2% $19

Getting Around

Bogota

$67 5.2%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 36.6% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$48 3.7%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 18.6% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Bogota versus $1,028 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 27% 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 $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $288 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:09 9:09 PM

Same time as Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bogota vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,966 per month in Bogota and $2,384 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 $1,310 in Bogota and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 54% 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 $1,310, than in Medellin at $1,589. 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.