Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and San Salvador

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,310 a month against $1,666 in San Salvador, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
Learn more

Bogota Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in San Salvador
Learn more

San Salvador Living Index

Jump to prices

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,310

/mo nomad

San Salvador

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,310 per month in Bogota vs $1,666 in San Salvador, rent included.

Bogota $1,310
San Salvador $1,666

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Bogota vs $2,465 in San Salvador, rent included.

Bogota $2,073
San Salvador $2,465

A family of three spends $2,836 per month in Bogota vs $3,263 in San Salvador, rent included.

Bogota $2,836
San Salvador $3,263

Bogota is about 21% cheaper than San Salvador, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while San Salvador is 24% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 COP 24.5K

$6.72 $6.72

13.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.93 COP 131.8K

$45.39 $45.39

-9.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 COP 32.1K

$7.07 $7.07

40.88%

Cappuccino

$2.46 COP 7,933

$3.53 $3.53

-30.31%

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

$1.36 COP 4,394

$1.13 $1.13

20.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 COP 2,631

$0.85 $0.85

-3.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 COP 6,472

$2.04 $2.04

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.4K

$3.51 $3.51

9.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,213

$1.87 $1.87

-13.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,909

$2.89 $2.89

-14.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,311

$1.40 $1.40

17.86%

Eggs

$3.45 COP 11.1K

$3.09 $3.09

11.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 COP 24.8K

$7.88 $7.88

-2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 COP 22.6K

$6.93 $6.93

1.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 COP 31.3K

$10.05 $10.05

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 COP 11.2K

$5.08 $5.08

-31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,732

$1.39 $1.39

28.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,305

$2.53 $2.53

-22.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,637

$3.40 $3.40

-48.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,507

$2.87 $2.87

-51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,479

$3.28 $3.28

-57.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 COP 4,232

$0.97 $0.97

35.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,724

$0.97 $0.97

19.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 COP 13.4K

$4.07 $4.07

1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 COP 39.4K

$12.21 $12.21

0.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$2.19 $2.19

-35.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 9,117

$2.86 $2.86

-1.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$0.34 $0.34

211.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 COP 156.7K

$37.66 $37.66

29.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 COP 7,335

$6.04 $6.04

-62.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 COP 7,454

$3.03 $3.03

-23.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 COP 29.8K

$20.11 $20.11

-53.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,042

$1.29 $1.29

-2.33%

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

$23.4K COP 75.3M

$24.8K $24.8K

-5.57%

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

$35.3K COP 113.7M

$27.0K $27.0K

30.89%

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

$121 COP 389.4K

$130 $130

-7.30%

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

$15.63 COP 50.3K

$21.57 $21.57

-27.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 COP 93.4K

$43.03 $43.03

-32.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.55 COP 104.8K

$31.99 $31.99

1.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 COP 48.7K

$21.57 $21.57

-29.81%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 COP 24.3K

$5.06 $5.06

49.21%

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

$465 COP 1.5M

$165 $165

182.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 COP 26.1M

$4,640 $4,640

74.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 COP 265.6K

$68.2 $68.2

21.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.69 COP 150.3K

$46.79 $46.79

-0.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 457.4K

$120 $120

18.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 335.2K

$117 $117

-10.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 COP 2.5M

$906 $906

-13.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 COP 1.4M

$755 $755

-41.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 COP 4.1M

$1,804 $1,804

-30.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$1,343 $1,343

-27.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 COP 8.9M

$2,813 $2,813

-2.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 COP 7.2M

$1,845 $1,845

21.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$795 COP 2.6M

$372 $372

113.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

8.5

50.71%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 3, 2026

Last update for San Salvador: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$440 34%

San Salvador

$755 46.1% 71.6% $315

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$256 19.9%

San Salvador

$287 17.5% 11.8% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$169 13.1%

San Salvador

$158 9.7% 6.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$166 12.8%

San Salvador

$195 11.9% 17.8% $30

Eating Out

Bogota

$147 11.4%

San Salvador

$142 8.7% 3.1% $4.5

Getting Around

Bogota

$67 5.2%

San Salvador

$60 3.7% 9.8% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$48 3.7%

San Salvador

$42 2.6% 11.6% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Bogota versus $906 in San Salvador. 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 114% 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 $45.00 in San Salvador. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $287 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇸🇻 San Salvador

🕒 Local time

05:53 5:53 AM

04:53 4:53 AM

1 h behind Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

316,090 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,608 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

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

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota San Salvador 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
San Salvador

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 Salvador: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Salvador is pricier by about 27%, 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 $2,499 in San Salvador. 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 $1,666 in San Salvador. That's a gap of about 27%.

Public transport costs about 29% 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 San Salvador at $1,666. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Salvador 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 Salvador makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.