Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Sao Luis

For one person, living is cheaper in Sao Luis: $834 a month against $1,310 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index
41

Cost of Living Index in Sao Luis
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Sao Luis Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,310

/mo nomad

Sao Luis

🇧🇷 Brazil

$834

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in Sao Luis

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

A single person spends $1,310 per month in Bogota vs $834 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Bogota $1,310
Sao Luis $834

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Bogota vs $1,310 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Bogota $2,073
Sao Luis $1,310

A family of three spends $2,836 per month in Bogota vs $1,786 in Sao Luis, rent included.

Bogota $2,836
Sao Luis $1,786

Bogota costs about 57% more than Sao Luis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bogota and Sao Luis are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, Sao Luis 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 COP 24.3K

$6.60 R$32.93

15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.93 COP 130.4K

$39.74 R$198

2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 COP 31.7K

$6.82 R$34.03

46.04%

Cappuccino

$2.46 COP 7,851

$2.15 R$10.71

14.42%

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

$1.36 COP 4,348

$1.27 R$6.33

7.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 COP 2,603

$0.73 R$3.65

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 COP 6,405

$1.96 R$9.77

2.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.3K

$2.44 R$12.16

57.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.11 R$5.52

45.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,828

$1.93 R$9.64

27.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,256

$1.11 R$5.54

48.65%

Eggs

$3.45 COP 11.0K

$2.27 R$11.31

51.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 COP 24.5K

$10.14 R$50.6

-24.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 COP 22.4K

$4.28 R$21.36

64.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 COP 31.0K

$7.64 R$38.12

27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 COP 11.1K

$2.11 R$10.55

64.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,673

$1.39 R$6.95

28.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,240

$1.22 R$6.09

60.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,579

$1.73 R$8.64

1.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,460

$1.33 R$6.64

5.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,433

$1.34 R$6.67

3.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 COP 4,188

$0.90 R$4.47

45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,685

$0.73 R$3.62

58.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 COP 13.2K

$2.44 R$12.17

70.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 COP 39.0K

$8.21 R$41.00

49.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,528

$1.27 R$6.36

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 9,022

$2.32 R$11.60

21.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 COP 3,391

$0.85 R$4.27

24.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 COP 155.0K

$38.52 R$192

26.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 COP 7,259

$1.03 R$5.12

121.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 COP 7,377

$0.94 R$4.70

145.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 COP 29.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,000

$1.21 R$6.05

4.13%

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

$23.4K COP 74.5M

$24.2K R$120.6K

-3.27%

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

$35.3K COP 112.5M

$30.4K R$151.5K

16.29%

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

$121 COP 385.4K

$97.5 R$487

24.09%

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

$15.63 COP 49.8K

$18.02 R$90.0

-13.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 COP 92.4K

$21.42 R$107

35.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.55 COP 103.7K

$20.11 R$100

61.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 COP 48.2K

$15.27 R$76.2

-0.85%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 COP 24.0K

$6.84 R$34.14

10.38%

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

$465 COP 1.5M

$183 R$915

153.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 COP 25.9M

$2,911 R$14.5K

178.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 COP 262.8K

$64.7 R$323

27.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.69 COP 148.8K

$54.6 R$273

-14.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 452.7K

$75.1 R$375

89.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 331.7K

$59.0 R$294

76.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 COP 2.5M

$363 R$1,812

115.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 COP 1.4M

$187 R$935

134.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 COP 4.0M

$580 R$2,893

117.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

$330 R$1,648

194.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 COP 8.8M

$1,575 R$7,864

74.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 COP 7.1M

$721 R$3,598

210.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$795 COP 2.5M

$386 R$1,929

105.80%

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 3, 2026

Last update for Sao Luis: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$440 34%

Sao Luis

$187 22.3% 57.4% $253

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$256 19.9%

Sao Luis

$197 23.6% 23% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$169 13.1%

Sao Luis

$114 13.6% 32.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$166 12.8%

Sao Luis

$137 16.3% 17.3% $29

Eating Out

Bogota

$147 11.4%

Sao Luis

$122 14.5% 17.2% $25

Getting Around

Bogota

$67 5.2%

Sao Luis

$48 5.7% 28.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$48 3.7%

Sao Luis

$34 4% 29.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Bogota versus $363 in Sao Luis. 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 106% 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 $40.00 in Sao Luis. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $256 vs $197 – making Sao Luis the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇧🇷 Sao Luis

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

11:59 11:59 AM

2 h ahead of Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

1,037,775

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Brazilian Real BRL R$

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1 BRL = 0.2 USD

1 BRL = 0.179 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.99 BRL (1 BRL = 0.2 USD). 1 EUR = 5.59 BRL (1 BRL = 0.179 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bogota Sao Luis 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
Sao Luis

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 Sao Luis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 57%, 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 $1,251 in Sao Luis. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sao Luis, 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 $834 in Sao Luis. That's a gap of about 57%.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Sao Luis. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Sao Luis, where all-in costs run around $834, than in Bogota at $1,310. In Sao Luis it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sao Luis – 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 Sao Luis. 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.