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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $803 per month in Buenaventura vs $777 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,225 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,157 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,648 per month in Buenaventura vs $1,536 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Buenaventura costs about 3% more than Bucaramanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Buenaventura and Bucaramanga are more affordable than the global median – Buenaventura 40% lower, Bucaramanga 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 COP 14.2K

$3.24 COP 11.5K

22.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.67 COP 84.4K

$19.62 COP 70.0K

20.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 COP 26.6K

$6.81 COP 24.3K

9.69%

Cappuccino

$1.50 COP 5,349

$1.30 COP 4,646

15.38%

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

$0.86 COP 3,067

$0.74 COP 2,648

16.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 2,201

$0.56 COP 1,991

10.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.21 COP 4,312

$1.36 COP 4,867

-11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 COP 7,978

$2.03 COP 7,249

10.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 COP 3,814

$1.17 COP 4,172

-8.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,450

$1.11 COP 3,950

12.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 COP 4,082

$1.23 COP 4,397

-7.32%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,693

$2.23 COP 7,940

-3.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.4K

$4.22 COP 15.1K

2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.27 COP 18.8K

$5.65 COP 20.1K

-6.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.55 COP 26.9K

$7.37 COP 26.3K

2.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 COP 8,934

$2.47 COP 8,812

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,947

$1.19 COP 4,234

-6.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,625

$0.84 COP 3,007

54.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 COP 3,091

$0.87 COP 3,090

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,029

$1.23 COP 4,402

-8.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 3,999

$0.96 COP 3,423

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,130

$0.97 COP 3,475

-9.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,497

$0.78 COP 2,788

-10.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.30 COP 8,195

$1.67 COP 5,955

37.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.24 COP 36.5K

$8.26 COP 29.5K

23.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,055

$0.79 COP 2,824

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 6,102

$1.53 COP 5,458

11.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,609

$0.74 COP 2,653

-1.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.19 COP 107.7K

$38.53 COP 137.4K

-21.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,081

$1.68 COP 6,000

-15.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 COP 6,121

$1.58 COP 5,649

8.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 COP 21.3K

$6.03 COP 21.5K

-1.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 COP 3,583

$0.94 COP 3,368

6.38%

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

$17.7K COP 63.0M

$19.2K COP 68.3M

-7.80%

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

$25.6K COP 91.3M

$28.1K COP 100.2M

-8.88%

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

$83.1 COP 296.2K

$75.8 COP 270.5K

9.53%

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

$8.91 COP 31.8K

$8.69 COP 31.0K

2.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.83 COP 81.4K

$21.11 COP 75.3K

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.22 COP 82.8K

$23.74 COP 84.7K

-2.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 COP 55.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 COP 14.3K

$3.81 COP 13.6K

5.25%

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

$235 COP 836.4K

$242 COP 862.6K

-3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,923 COP 21.1M

$2,420 COP 8.6M

144.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 COP 208.9K

$65.2 COP 232.6K

-10.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.76 COP 116.8K

$32.84 COP 117.1K

-0.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 COP 300.2K

$82.1 COP 292.7K

2.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.4 COP 261.8K

$37.52 COP 133.8K

95.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 COP 1.0M

$292 COP 1.0M

-3.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 850.3K

$236 COP 839.9K

1.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$520 COP 1.9M

$475 COP 1.7M

9.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$425 COP 1.5M

$370 COP 1.3M

14.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,606 COP 5.7M

$1,073 COP 3.8M

49.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,236 COP 4.4M

$1,395 COP 5.0M

-11.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$553 COP 2.0M

$503 COP 1.8M

10.05%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $282 in Buenaventura versus $292 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 10% 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 $24.00 in Buenaventura versus $20.00 in Bucaramanga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $169 – making Bucaramanga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 3% 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 $1,204 per month in Buenaventura and $1,166 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 $803 in Buenaventura and $777 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 $803 in Buenaventura and $777 in Bucaramanga, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucaramanga costs $777 versus $803 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.