Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucaramanga and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucaramanga: $1,245 a month against $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Bucaramanga
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Bucaramanga Living Index
74

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index

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Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,245

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,546

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucaramanga and in Barranquilla

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucaramanga and in Barranquilla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,245 per month in Bucaramanga vs $1,546 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,245
Barranquilla $1,546

A couple spends around $1,875 per month in Bucaramanga vs $2,298 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,875
Barranquilla $2,298

A family of three spends $2,505 per month in Bucaramanga vs $3,050 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Bucaramanga $2,505
Barranquilla $3,050

Bucaramanga is about 19% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Bucaramanga sits 8% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.62 COP 17.7K

$8.99 COP 28.3K

-37.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.93 COP 100.5K

$63.7 COP 200.4K

-49.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 COP 29.7K

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-30.92%

Cappuccino

$2.16 COP 6,782

$2.85 COP 8,972

-24.21%

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

$1.43 COP 4,508

$1.38 COP 4,327

3.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,423

$1.25 COP 3,921

-12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.73 COP 5,428

$3.06 COP 9,611

-43.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 COP 7,895

$7.74 COP 24.4K

-67.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,720

$0.85 COP 2,664

76.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 COP 4,430

$1.29 COP 4,052

9.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.19 COP 10.0K

$1.55 COP 4,891

105.81%

Eggs

$3.10 COP 9,741

$2.20 COP 6,923

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.10 COP 25.5K

$5.22 COP 16.4K

55.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.29 COP 44.9K

$17.73 COP 55.8K

-19.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.46 COP 54.9K

$7.05 COP 22.2K

147.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$2.15 COP 6,776

65.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,251

$0.98 COP 3,079

37.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,414

$0.64 COP 2,025

218.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 COP 8,671

$1.87 COP 5,883

47.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,434

$1.30 COP 4,075

8.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,526

$0.92 COP 2,908

91.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,063

$1.23 COP 3,858

-21.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 COP 3,078

$0.89 COP 2,812

10.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.72 COP 11.7K

$5.13 COP 16.1K

-27.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.35 COP 38.9K

$12.81 COP 40.3K

-3.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,433

$1.60 COP 5,045

-11.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 COP 4,929

$4.59 COP 14.4K

-65.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 COP 2,989

$1.19 COP 3,734

-20.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 COP 209.0K

$69.1 COP 217.5K

-3.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 COP 8,531

$3.42 COP 10.8K

-20.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 5,985

$3.17 COP 9,971

-40.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 COP 25.3K

$15.85 COP 49.9K

-49.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,229

$1.29 COP 4,052

3.88%

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

$34.7K COP 109.2M

$34.9K COP 109.9M

-0.65%

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

$34.4K COP 108.4M

$34.3K COP 107.9M

0.42%

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

$175 COP 550.5K

$151 COP 474.3K

16.07%

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

$10.36 COP 32.6K

$14.87 COP 46.8K

-30.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.28 COP 82.7K

$32.39 COP 101.9K

-18.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 COP 122.2K

$37.92 COP 119.3K

2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.97 COP 97.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.85 COP 27.8K

$5.49 COP 17.3K

61.20%

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

$311 COP 979.1K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,796 COP 15.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 COP 162.1K

$114 COP 359.7K

-54.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 COP 176.9K

$47.37 COP 149.0K

18.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 COP 372.4K

$186 COP 585.9K

-36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.5 COP 291.1K

$249 COP 783.2K

-62.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$425 COP 1.3M

$827 COP 2.6M

-48.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 COP 1.0M

$495 COP 1.6M

-35.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 COP 3.1M

$1,996 COP 6.3M

-50.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 COP 1.7M

$691 COP 2.2M

-22.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,216 COP 7.0M

$2,113 COP 6.6M

4.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,769 COP 5.6M

$1,005 COP 3.2M

75.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$586 COP 1.8M

$525 COP 1.7M

11.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

24.00%

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

Last update for Bucaramanga: October 24, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucaramanga

$320 25.7%

Barranquilla

$495 32% 54.6% $175

Groceries & Markets

Bucaramanga

$308 24.8%

Barranquilla

$255 16.5% 17.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucaramanga

$212 17%

Barranquilla

$198 12.8% 6.4% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Bucaramanga

$143 11.5%

Barranquilla

$269 17.4% 87.3% $125

Eating Out

Bucaramanga

$123 9.9%

Barranquilla

$188 12.2% 53.3% $66

Getting Around

Bucaramanga

$82 6.6%

Barranquilla

$93 6% 13% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Bucaramanga

$57 4.5%

Barranquilla

$49 3.2% 13.5% $7.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $425 in Bucaramanga versus $827 in Barranquilla. 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 12% higher in Bucaramanga, 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 $32 in Bucaramanga versus $64 in Barranquilla. Groceries tell a different story – $308 in Bucaramanga vs $255 in Barranquilla – so Barranquilla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

13:06 1:06 PM

Same time as Bucaramanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

581,130

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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

Bucaramanga vs Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 24% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,868 per month in Bucaramanga and $2,319 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucaramanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $425 there versus $827 in Barranquilla.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,245 in Bucaramanga and $1,546 in Barranquilla. That’s a gap of about 24%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32 in Bucaramanga and $64 in Barranquilla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,245 in Bucaramanga and $1,546 in Barranquilla. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.