Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Saint John Island

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,310 a month against $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent and utilities included – about $58,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Bogota
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,310
/mo nomad
Saint John Island
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
$6,201
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,310 per month in Bogota vs $6,201 in Saint John Island, rent included.

  • Bogota $1,310
  • Saint John Island $6,201

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Bogota vs $8,382 in Saint John Island, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,073
  • Saint John Island $8,382

A family of three spends $2,836 per month in Bogota vs $10.6K in Saint John Island, rent included.

  • Bogota $2,836
  • Saint John Island $10.6K

Bogota is about 79% cheaper than Saint John Island, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while Saint John Island is 363% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.62 COP 24.3K
$69.9 $69.9
-89.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$40.93 COP 130.4K
$150 $150
-72.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 COP 31.7K
$15.14 $15.14
-34.21%
Cappuccino
$2.46 COP 7,851
$9.16 $9.16
-73.14%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.36 COP 4,348
$3.41 $3.41
-60.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.82 COP 2,603
$3.48 $3.48
-76.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.01 COP 6,405
$5.13 $5.13
-60.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.85 COP 12.3K
$6.87 $6.87
-43.96%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 COP 5,160
$3.15 $3.15
-48.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 COP 7,828
$7.96 $7.96
-69.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.65 COP 5,256
$12.02 $12.02
-86.27%
Eggs
$3.45 COP 11.0K
$12.07 $12.07
-71.42%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.69 COP 24.5K
$32.43 $32.43
-76.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.02 COP 22.4K
$33.00 $33.00
-78.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.72 COP 31.0K
$24.11 $24.11
-59.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.47 COP 11.1K
$21.82 $21.82
-84.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.78 COP 5,673
$3.91 $3.91
-54.48%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,240
$17.29 $17.29
-88.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.75 COP 5,579
$11.89 $11.89
-85.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.40 COP 4,460
$7.74 $7.74
-81.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.39 COP 4,433
$7.86 $7.86
-82.32%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 COP 4,188
$4.95 $4.95
-73.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 COP 3,685
$3.55 $3.55
-67.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.15 COP 13.2K
$8.86 $8.86
-53.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.24 COP 39.0K
$23.36 $23.36
-47.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,528
$4.58 $4.58
-69.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.83 COP 9,022
$6.17 $6.17
-54.13%
🚌 Getting Around
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.06 COP 3,391
$7.15 $7.15
-85.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.65 COP 155.0K
$149 $149
-67.27%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.28 COP 7,259
$30.31 $30.31
-92.48%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.31 COP 7,377
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.26 COP 29.5K
$50.2 $50.2
-81.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.26 COP 4,000
$1.56 $1.56
-19.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K COP 74.5M
$47.1K $47.1K
-50.41%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.3K COP 112.5M
$52.2K $52.2K
-32.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$121 COP 385.4K
$297 $297
-59.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.63 COP 49.8K
$98.4 $98.4
-84.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.00 COP 92.4K
$101 $101
-71.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.55 COP 103.7K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.14 COP 48.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.55 COP 24.0K
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 COP 1.5M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,119 COP 25.9M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.5 COP 262.8K
$80.4 $80.4
2.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.69 COP 148.8K
$49.69 $49.69
-6.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$142 COP 452.7K
$84.9 $84.9
67.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 COP 331.7K
$100 $100
3.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$781 COP 2.5M
$4,020 $4,020
-80.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$440 COP 1.4M
$3,511 $3,511
-87.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,258 COP 4.0M
$5,081 $5,081
-75.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$974 COP 3.1M
$4,566 $4,566
-78.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,755 COP 8.8M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,239 COP 7.1M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bogota
Saint John Island
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$795 COP 2.5M
$4,412 $4,412
-81.98%
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 3, 2026

Last update for Saint John Island: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Bogota
$440
Saint John Island
$3.5K 698% $3.1K
Groceries & Markets
Bogota
$256
Saint John Island
$987 285% $730
Clothing & Footwear
Bogota
$169
Saint John Island
$142 16% $27
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bogota
$166
Saint John Island
$496 200% $331
Eating Out
Bogota
$147
Saint John Island
$781 432% $634
Getting Around
Bogota
$67
Saint John Island
$208 * 211% $141
Sport & Entertainment
Bogota
$48
Saint John Island
- * 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Bogota versus $4,020 in Saint John Island. 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 455% higher in Saint John Island, 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 $150 in Saint John Island. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $987 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Bogota
🇻🇮 Saint John Island
🕒 Local time
09:20 9:20 AM
10:20 10:20 AM
1 h ahead of Bogota
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
8,181,047 Capital
4,170
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bogota Saint John Island 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bogota
  • Saint John Island

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 Saint John Island: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Saint John Island cheaper than Bogota?
Yes – Saint John Island is pricier by about 373%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,966 per month in Bogota and $9,302 in Saint John Island. 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 Bogota, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 206% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do food prices compare in Bogota and in Saint John Island?
Groceries cost about 285% more in Saint John Island, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Bogota or in Saint John Island?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,310, than in Saint John Island at $6,201. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Saint John Island it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Bogota or Saint John Island more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Bogota or Saint John Island?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Bogota. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Saint John Island makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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