Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and San Rafael

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,732 in San Rafael, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
Learn more

Bogota Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
Learn more

San Rafael Living Index

Jump to prices

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,732 in San Rafael, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
San Rafael $1,732

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $2,736 in San Rafael, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
San Rafael $2,736

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $3,739 in San Rafael, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
San Rafael $3,739

Bogota is about 24% cheaper than San Rafael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while San Rafael is 28% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

$12.25 ₡5,496

-37.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.4K

$61.7 ₡27.7K

-32.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 32.9K

$11.42 ₡5,119

-9.11%

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,011

$4.40 ₡1,973

-42.50%

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

$1.35 COP 4,277

$2.73 ₡1,225

-50.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,752

$1.87 ₡841

-53.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,542

$3.37 ₡1,510

-38.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$4.54 ₡2,038

-12.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,240

$2.33 ₡1,044

-29.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,618

$3.02 ₡1,352

-20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,345

$2.42 ₡1,084

-30.17%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$3.52 ₡1,580

0.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.0K

$10.51 ₡4,712

-24.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.1K

$10.25 ₡4,597

-28.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$14.22 ₡6,378

-30.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$5.09 ₡2,282

-29.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$1.57 ₡704

17.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,012

$4.68 ₡2,098

-59.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,517

$3.86 ₡1,730

-54.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,484

$3.88 ₡1,741

-63.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,332

$3.69 ₡1,653

-62.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,131

$1.09 ₡488

19.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,643

$3.13 ₡1,403

-63.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$6.11 ₡2,739

-29.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.5K

$20.14 ₡9,031

-36.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,542

$2.80 ₡1,254

-48.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,986

$3.58 ₡1,606

-20.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

$1.18 ₡527

-8.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,550

$2.51 ₡1,124

-5.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

$1.57 ₡703

49.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

$8.48 ₡3,803

8.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,213

$1.54 ₡692

-13.64%

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

$23.5K COP 74.4M

$22.3K ₡10.0M

5.16%

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

$35.6K COP 113.0M

$35.5K ₡15.9M

0.30%

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

$125 COP 397.8K

$93.5 ₡41.9K

34.20%

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

$16.29 COP 51.6K

$36.26 ₡16.3K

-55.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 95.8K

$58.4 ₡26.2K

-48.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.2K

$63.0 ₡28.3K

-45.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.8K

$7.50 ₡3,362

4.53%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$991 ₡444.6K

-49.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

$16.8K ₡7.5M

-55.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.6K

$70.5 ₡31.6K

17.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.3K

$55.6 ₡25.0K

-14.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 449.4K

$129 ₡58.0K

9.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 337.4K

$133 ₡59.5K

-19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$740 ₡332.0K

8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$649 ₡291.2K

-30.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 3.9M

$2,069 ₡927.9K

-39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$1,274 ₡571.5K

-23.57%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

8.62

48.61%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for San Rafael: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$452 34.1%

San Rafael

$649 37.5% 43.7% $198

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

San Rafael

$398 23% 52.6% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

San Rafael

$188 10.9% 9.4% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

San Rafael

$175 10.1% 2.6% $4.4

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

San Rafael

$229 13.2% 53.2% $80

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

San Rafael

$15 * 0.9% 78.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

San Rafael

$78 4.5% 56.7% $28

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 $740 in San Rafael. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota versus $62.0 in San Rafael. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $261 vs $398 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

08:02 8:02 AM

1 h behind Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

30,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota San Rafael 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
San Rafael

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 Rafael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Rafael is pricier by about 31%, 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 $2,599 in San Rafael. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $62.0 in San Rafael. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in San Rafael, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,323, than in San Rafael at $1,732. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Rafael 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, San Rafael makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.