Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucaramanga and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucaramanga: $1,221 a month against $1,391 in Buenaventura, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Bucaramanga
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Bucaramanga Living Index
66

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index

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Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,391

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucaramanga and in Buenaventura

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

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Bucaramanga vs $1,391 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,221
Buenaventura $1,391

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Bucaramanga vs $2,090 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,834
Buenaventura $2,090

A family of three spends $2,446 per month in Bucaramanga vs $2,790 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Bucaramanga $2,446
Buenaventura $2,790

Bucaramanga is about 12% cheaper than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucaramanga sits 10% below the global median, while Buenaventura is 3% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 COP 17.3K

$7.15 COP 23.2K

-25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.23 COP 101.3K

$47.85 COP 155.2K

-34.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 COP 29.9K

$9.63 COP 31.2K

-4.36%

Cappuccino

$2.11 COP 6,832

$2.63 COP 8,521

-19.77%

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

$1.40 COP 4,533

$1.37 COP 4,442

2.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,512

$1.07 COP 3,483

0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,462

$3.19 COP 10.3K

-47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 COP 7,966

$3.66 COP 11.9K

-32.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,652

$1.50 COP 4,862

-4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 COP 4,647

$2.46 COP 7,974

-41.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 COP 9,943

$1.73 COP 5,624

77.46%

Eggs

$3.10 COP 10.1K

$3.05 COP 9,876

1.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 COP 25.1K

$8.20 COP 26.6K

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.84 COP 44.9K

$9.63 COP 31.2K

43.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 COP 55.5K

$12.33 COP 40.0K

38.85%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 COP 11.4K

$3.66 COP 11.9K

-4.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,396

$1.47 COP 4,775

-7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,852

$1.93 COP 6,255

9.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 COP 8,790

$2.04 COP 6,609

32.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,557

$1.60 COP 5,196

-11.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,494

$1.47 COP 4,767

14.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 COP 2,951

$1.18 COP 3,827

-22.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 COP 2,986

$1.19 COP 3,875

-22.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 COP 13.4K

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 COP 40.3K

$13.45 COP 43.6K

-7.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 COP 4,228

$1.51 COP 4,880

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 COP 6,053

$2.29 COP 7,417

-18.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 COP 3,153

$1.12 COP 3,617

-13.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 COP 215.2K

$65.5 COP 212.3K

1.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 COP 5,470

$1.55 COP 5,025

9.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 COP 1,566

$2.12 COP 6,863

-77.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 COP 24.9K

$8.50 COP 27.5K

-9.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,182

$1.30 COP 4,225

-0.77%

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

$33.9K COP 110.0M

$34.3K COP 111.1M

-1.01%

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

$34.5K COP 111.9M

$34.2K COP 111.0M

0.79%

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

$170 COP 551.9K

$126 COP 409.8K

34.69%

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

$10.56 COP 34.2K

$13.41 COP 43.5K

-21.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.93 COP 84.1K

$28.93 COP 93.8K

-10.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 COP 122.0K

$38.30 COP 124.2K

-1.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.84 COP 103.2K

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 COP 28.8K

$7.10 COP 23.0K

25.21%

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

$594 COP 1.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K COP 41.0M

$8,415 COP 27.3M

50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 COP 167.0K

$85.3 COP 276.4K

-39.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 COP 183.6K

$53.1 COP 172.0K

6.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 COP 391.9K

$135 COP 436.4K

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 COP 308.4K

$101 COP 327.9K

-5.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 COP 1.3M

$709 COP 2.3M

-41.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 COP 1.0M

$489 COP 1.6M

-35.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 COP 3.1M

$1,416 COP 4.6M

-31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 COP 1.7M

$787 COP 2.6M

-34.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,189 COP 7.1M

$2,243 COP 7.3M

-2.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 COP 5.7M

$1,731 COP 5.6M

1.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

3.33%

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

Last update for Bucaramanga: November 1, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bucaramanga

$317 26%

Buenaventura

$489 35.2% 54.2% $172

Groceries & Markets

Bucaramanga

$302 24.8%

Buenaventura

$279 20.1% 7.6% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucaramanga

$207 16.9%

Buenaventura

$169 12.1% 18.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Bucaramanga

$146 12%

Buenaventura

$168 12.1% 15.4% $22

Eating Out

Bucaramanga

$119 9.7%

Buenaventura

$151 10.8% 26.7% $32

Getting Around

Bucaramanga

$74 6.1%

Buenaventura

$82 5.9% 10.4% $7.7

Sport & Entertainment

Bucaramanga

$55 4.5%

Buenaventura

$52 3.8% 5.2% $2.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Bucaramanga versus $709 in Buenaventura. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Bucaramanga versus $48 in Buenaventura. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Bucaramanga vs $279 in Buenaventura – so Buenaventura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🕒 Local time

18:15 6:15 PM

Same time as Bucaramanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

581,130

365,607

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bucaramanga Buenaventura 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bucaramanga
Buenaventura

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

Bucaramanga vs Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenaventura costs about 14% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,831 per month in Bucaramanga and $2,086 in Buenaventura. 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 $414 there versus $709 in Buenaventura.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,221 in Bucaramanga and $1,391 in Buenaventura. That makes Bucaramanga about 12% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 8% cheaper in Buenaventura – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,221 in Bucaramanga and $1,391 in Buenaventura. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Bucaramanga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Bucaramanga to $1,391 in Buenaventura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.