Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Bucaramanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenaventura and Bucaramanga

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $797 per month in Buenaventura vs $769 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,202 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,159 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,608 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,549 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Buenaventura costs about 4% more than Bucaramanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Buenaventura and Bucaramanga are more affordable than the global median – Buenaventura 41% lower, Bucaramanga 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.11 COP 14.7K

$3.21 COP 11.5K

28.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.58 COP 84.4K

$19.56 COP 70.0K

20.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 COP 25.3K

$6.80 COP 24.3K

3.97%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,545

$1.30 COP 4,656

19.23%

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

$0.92 COP 3,307

$0.71 COP 2,541

29.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 COP 2,014

$0.56 COP 1,994

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 4,139

$1.37 COP 4,917

-15.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 COP 7,656

$2.07 COP 7,422

3.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,781

$1.19 COP 4,245

-10.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 COP 4,400

$1.07 COP 3,842

14.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,105

$1.24 COP 4,455

-7.26%

Eggs

$2.15 COP 7,680

$2.26 COP 8,076

-4.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.38 COP 15.7K

$4.19 COP 15.0K

4.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 COP 18.8K

$5.64 COP 20.2K

-6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.18 COP 25.7K

$7.36 COP 26.3K

-2.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 COP 8,653

$2.53 COP 9,047

-4.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,831

$1.16 COP 4,166

-7.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,850

$0.84 COP 3,020

61.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.93 COP 3,338

$0.93 COP 3,319

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,178

$1.24 COP 4,444

-5.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,185

$1.02 COP 3,646

14.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 3,106

$0.96 COP 3,449

-9.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 COP 2,455

$0.79 COP 2,838

-12.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.31 COP 8,250

$1.72 COP 6,167

34.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.11 COP 32.6K

$8.61 COP 30.8K

5.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.79 COP 2,810

37.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 6,307

$1.48 COP 5,297

18.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,446

$0.69 COP 2,456

-1.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.84 COP 106.8K

$38.00 COP 136.0K

-21.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 COP 5,308

$1.76 COP 6,291

-15.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 COP 6,184

$1.55 COP 5,539

11.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 COP 21.1K

$6.06 COP 21.7K

-2.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 COP 3,643

$0.95 COP 3,395

7.37%

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

$17.6K COP 63.1M

$19.8K COP 70.9M

-11.01%

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

$25.7K COP 91.8M

$27.3K COP 97.8M

-6.12%

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

$82.1 COP 293.8K

$73.4 COP 262.7K

11.84%

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

$8.94 COP 32.0K

$8.72 COP 31.2K

2.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.34 COP 79.9K

$20.83 COP 74.6K

7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.31 COP 83.4K

$23.30 COP 83.4K

0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 COP 55.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.06 COP 14.5K

$3.78 COP 13.5K

7.41%

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

$237 COP 847.8K

$242 COP 867.4K

-2.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,929 COP 21.2M

$2,421 COP 8.7M

144.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.2K

$63.8 COP 228.4K

-7.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.13 COP 118.6K

$33.27 COP 119.1K

-0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.2 COP 297.8K

$84.1 COP 300.9K

-1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.6 COP 256.1K

$38.89 COP 139.2K

84.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$287 COP 1.0M

$291 COP 1.0M

-1.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 COP 847.6K

$238 COP 853.1K

-0.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$531 COP 1.9M

$479 COP 1.7M

10.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 COP 1.5M

$372 COP 1.3M

16.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,652 COP 5.9M

$1,071 COP 3.8M

54.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,366 COP 4.9M

$1,400 COP 5.0M

-2.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$550 COP 2.0M

$512 COP 1.8M

7.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.18

15.25

-13.57%

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

Last update for Buenaventura: April 21, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $287 in Buenaventura versus $291 in Bucaramanga. 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 7% higher in Buenaventura, 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 $24 in Buenaventura versus $20 in Bucaramanga. Groceries tell a different story – $170 in Buenaventura vs $170 in Bucaramanga – so Buenaventura wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Buenaventura vs Bucaramanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenaventura costs about 4% more than Bucaramanga, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,195 per month in Buenaventura and $1,154 in Bucaramanga. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24.00 in Buenaventura and $20.00 in Bucaramanga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $797 in Buenaventura and $769 in Bucaramanga. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $797 in Buenaventura and $769 in Bucaramanga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucaramanga costs $769 versus $797 in Buenaventura. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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