Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $890 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$890

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in San Juan

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $890 in San Juan, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
San Juan $890

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $1,389 in San Juan, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
San Juan $1,389

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $1,888 in San Juan, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
San Juan $1,888

Bogota costs about 49% more than San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bogota and San Juan are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, San Juan 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$6.76 ARS 10.3K

13.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.4K

$39.31 ARS 59.7K

5.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 32.9K

$12.08 ARS 18.3K

-14.07%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,011

$2.59 ARS 3,938

-2.32%

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

$1.35 COP 4,277

$2.11 ARS 3,202

-36.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,752

$1.82 ARS 2,761

-52.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,542

$3.91 ARS 5,930

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$4.48 ARS 6,799

-11.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,240

$1.38 ARS 2,101

19.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,618

$1.45 ARS 2,195

65.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,345

$1.40 ARS 2,124

20.71%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$1.44 ARS 2,184

145.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.0K

$2.84 ARS 4,305

177.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.1K

$6.23 ARS 9,448

17.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$10.90 ARS 16.5K

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$1.40 ARS 2,129

155.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$1.39 ARS 2,108

32.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,012

$1.34 ARS 2,037

41.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,517

$1.45 ARS 2,193

20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,484

$1.40 ARS 2,128

0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,332

$1.38 ARS 2,098

-0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,131

$1.40 ARS 2,129

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,643

$1.44 ARS 2,183

-20.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$2.71 ARS 4,117

59.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.5K

$4.90 ARS 7,433

160.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,542

$1.41 ARS 2,136

1.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,986

$1.44 ARS 2,178

96.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

$0.96 ARS 1,460

12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,550

$1.98 ARS 3,006

20.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

$0.99 ARS 1,495

136.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

$4.84 ARS 7,351

90.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,213

$1.17 ARS 1,782

13.68%

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

$23.5K COP 74.4M

$26.7K ARS 40.6M

-12.18%

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

$35.6K COP 113.0M

$33.6K ARS 51.1M

5.92%

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

$125 COP 397.8K

$144 ARS 218.7K

-12.95%

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

$16.29 COP 51.6K

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

62.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 95.8K

$17.82 ARS 27.0K

69.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.2K

$30.42 ARS 46.2K

12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.8K

$6.93 ARS 10.5K

13.13%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$172 ARS 260.5K

192.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

$4,122 ARS 6.3M

80.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.6K

$107 ARS 162.3K

-22.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.3K

$42.58 ARS 64.6K

11.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 449.4K

$58.1 ARS 88.1K

144.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 337.4K

$35.86 ARS 54.4K

196.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$249 ARS 378.2K

222.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$198 ARS 301.1K

127.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 3.9M

$492 ARS 747.1K

152.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$400 ARS 607.2K

143.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 8.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

$700 ARS 1.1M

16.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

-76.28%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$452 34.1%

San Juan

$198 22.3% 56.1% $253

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

San Juan

$190 21.3% 27.3% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

San Juan

$172 19.3% 0% $0

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

San Juan

$110 12.3% 35.7% $61

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

San Juan

$166 18.6% 10.6% $16

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

San Juan

$11 * 1.2% 84.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

San Juan

$44 5% 11.1% $5.5

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Bogota versus $249 in San Juan. 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 16% higher in Bogota, 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 $39.00 in San Juan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $190 – making San Juan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇦🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

2 h ahead of Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

522,029

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota San Juan 4,070 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 49%, 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 $1,335 in San Juan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $39.00 in San Juan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 38% more in Bogota, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan, where all-in costs run around $890, than in Bogota at $1,323. In San Juan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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.

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