Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Santa Cruz

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,891 in Santa Cruz, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇦🇼 Aruba

$1,891

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Santa Cruz

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

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,891 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Bogota $1,323
Santa Cruz $1,891

A couple spends around $2,110 per month in Bogota vs $2,891 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Bogota $2,110
Santa Cruz $2,891

A family of three spends $2,897 per month in Bogota vs $3,890 in Santa Cruz, rent included.

Bogota $2,897
Santa Cruz $3,890

Bogota is about 30% cheaper than Santa Cruz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Bogota sits 2% below the global median, while Santa Cruz is 40% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.65 COP 24.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.44 COP 131.4K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 COP 32.9K

Cappuccino

$2.53 COP 8,011

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

$1.35 COP 4,277

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 2,752

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,542

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 COP 12.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,240

$2.09 AWG 3.74

-21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,618

$2.71 AWG 4.85

-11.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,345

$4.52 AWG 8.08

-62.61%

Eggs

$3.54 COP 11.2K

$4.64 AWG 8.31

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 COP 25.0K

$7.92 AWG 14.17

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 COP 23.1K

$7.65 AWG 13.69

-4.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.3K

$6.48 AWG 11.60

52.31%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 COP 11.4K

$4.54 AWG 8.13

-21.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,822

$4.36 AWG 7.81

-57.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 COP 6,012

$8.08 AWG 14.45

-76.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,517

$6.60 AWG 11.80

-73.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,484

$6.88 AWG 12.31

-79.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,332

$1.91 AWG 3.42

-28.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 COP 4,131

$3.03 AWG 5.43

-57.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,643

$4.37 AWG 7.82

-73.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.32 COP 13.7K

$10.45 AWG 18.70

-58.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 COP 40.5K

$19.07 AWG 34.12

-33.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,542

$2.56 AWG 4.57

-44.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,986

$3.10 AWG 5.55

-8.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

$1.92 AWG 3.43

-43.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

$157 AWG 281

-67.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 7,550

$19.50 AWG 34.89

-87.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

$19.79 AWG 35.41

-53.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,213

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

$23.5K COP 74.4M

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

$35.6K COP 113.0M

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

$125 COP 397.8K

$140 AWG 251

-10.52%

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

$16.29 COP 51.6K

$71.4 AWG 128

-77.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 95.8K

$207 AWG 371

-85.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.11 COP 108.2K

$70.2 AWG 126

-51.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

$46.90 AWG 83.9

-67.23%

Cinema Ticket

$7.84 COP 24.8K

$8.44 AWG 15.10

-7.11%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

$139 AWG 248

261.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 262.6K

$77.2 AWG 138

7.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.40 COP 150.3K

$111 AWG 198

-57.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 449.4K

$140 AWG 250

1.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 337.4K

$139 AWG 248

-23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,271 AWG 2,274

-36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$565 AWG 1,010

-20.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 COP 3.9M

$1,532 AWG 2,742

-18.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$1,389 AWG 2,485

-29.85%

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

$3,638 AWG 6,511

-77.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

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

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$452 34.1%

Santa Cruz

–

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$261 19.7%

Santa Cruz

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$172 13%

Santa Cruz

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$170 12.9%

Santa Cruz

–

Eating Out

Bogota

$150 11.3%

Santa Cruz

–

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5.2%

Santa Cruz

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$50 3.8%

Santa Cruz

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $803 in Bogota versus $1,271 in Santa Cruz. 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 348% higher in Santa Cruz, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇦🇼 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

00:00 12:00 AM

01:00 1:00 AM

1 h ahead of Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

15,236

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Aruban Florin AWG ƒ

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 AWG = 0.559 USD

1 AWG = 0.497 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AWG, 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).

Aruban Florin exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.79 AWG (1 AWG = 0.559 USD). 1 EUR = 2.01 AWG (1 AWG = 0.497 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bogota Santa Cruz 980 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Bogota and $2,837 in Santa Cruz. 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.

Public transport costs about 210% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz at $1,891. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Cruz 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.

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 Bogota. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Cruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.