Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and St John

For one person, living is cheaper in St John: $315 a month against $1,310 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities 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

$1,310

/mo nomad

St John

🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands

$315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota and in St John

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

A single person spends $1,310 per month in Bogota vs $315 in St John, rent included.

Bogota $1,310
St John $315

A couple spends around $2,073 per month in Bogota vs $928 in St John, rent included.

Bogota $2,073
St John $928

A family of three spends $2,836 per month in Bogota vs $1,540 in St John, rent included.

Bogota $2,836
St John $1,540

Bogota costs about 316% more than St John, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bogota and St John are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 2% lower, St John 77% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.62 COP 24.3K

$20.15 $20.15

-62.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.93 COP 130.4K

$174 $174

-76.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.96 COP 31.7K

Cappuccino

$2.46 COP 7,851

$7.10 $7.10

-65.35%

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

$1.36 COP 4,348

$3.02 $3.02

-54.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 COP 2,603

$2.05 $2.05

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 COP 6,405

$8.16 $8.16

-75.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.3K

$8.05 $8.05

-52.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 COP 5,160

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 COP 7,828

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,256

Eggs

$3.45 COP 11.0K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.69 COP 24.5K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 COP 22.4K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 COP 31.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.47 COP 11.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,673

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,240

Tomato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,579

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,460

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,433

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 COP 4,188

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,685

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 COP 13.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$12.24 COP 39.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,528

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 9,022

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 COP 3,391

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.65 COP 155.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 COP 7,259

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.31 COP 7,377

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 COP 29.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,000

$1.57 $1.57

-19.75%

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

$23.4K COP 74.5M

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

$35.3K COP 112.5M

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

$121 COP 385.4K

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

$15.63 COP 49.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.00 COP 92.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.55 COP 103.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 COP 48.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 COP 24.0K

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

$465 COP 1.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,119 COP 25.9M

$13.4K $13.4K

-39.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.5 COP 262.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.69 COP 148.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$142 COP 452.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 331.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 COP 2.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$440 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,258 COP 4.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$974 COP 3.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 COP 8.8M

$12.9K $12.9K

-78.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 COP 7.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$795 COP 2.5M

$5,080 $5,080

-84.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

7.05

81.70%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 3, 2026

Last update for St John: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$440 34%

St John

–

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$256 19.9%

St John

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$169 13.1%

St John

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$166 12.8%

St John

–

Eating Out

Bogota

$147 11.4%

St John

–

Getting Around

Bogota

$67 5.2%

St John

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$48 3.7%

St John

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 539% higher in St John, 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 $174 in St John. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇻🇮 St John

🕒 Local time

03:22 3:22 AM

04:22 4:22 AM

1 h ahead of Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

2,743

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 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 St John 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
St John

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 St John: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 316%, 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 $472 in St John. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,310 in Bogota and $315 in St John. That's a gap of about 316%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $174 in St John. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in St John, where all-in costs run around $315, than in Bogota at $1,310. In St John it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St John – 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 St John. 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.