Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Barranquilla

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
72

Cost of Living Index in Barranquilla
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Barranquilla Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Barranquilla

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,473

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali 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 Cali and in Barranquilla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Cali vs $1,473 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Cali $1,060
Barranquilla $1,473

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Cali vs $2,280 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Cali $1,626
Barranquilla $2,280

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Cali vs $3,087 in Barranquilla, rent included.

Cali $2,192
Barranquilla $3,087

Cali is about 28% cheaper than Barranquilla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Cali sits 21% below the global median, while Barranquilla is 9% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$9.26 COP 29.4K

-20.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$62.6 COP 198.5K

-40.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$14.02 COP 44.5K

-40.66%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$2.73 COP 8,664

-44.32%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$1.33 COP 4,230

-7.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$1.27 COP 4,016

-32.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$3.19 COP 10.1K

-2.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$7.63 COP 24.2K

-50.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$0.91 COP 2,897

69.23%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$1.22 COP 3,866

60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.52 COP 4,823

-2.63%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.16 COP 6,836

34.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$5.11 COP 16.2K

23.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$17.67 COP 56.0K

-61.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$6.79 COP 21.5K

50.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$2.15 COP 6,823

60.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$0.96 COP 3,031

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$0.65 COP 2,047

175.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$1.83 COP 5,804

-9.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.24 COP 3,931

15.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$0.96 COP 3,055

61.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.23 COP 3,911

-7.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$0.96 COP 3,052

-2.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$5.15 COP 16.3K

-26.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$12.50 COP 39.6K

3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.53 COP 4,855

-6.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$4.76 COP 15.1K

-46.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$1.18 COP 3,753

-9.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$3.42 COP 10.9K

-77.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.07 COP 9,743

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.45 COP 49.0K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.32 COP 4,178

1.52%

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

$22.3K COP 70.8M

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$29.3K COP 93.0M

20.62%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$149 COP 473.8K

-26.66%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$14.84 COP 47.0K

-12.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$32.41 COP 102.8K

-7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$34.30 COP 108.8K

-16.01%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$4.57 COP 14.5K

83.81%

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

$317 COP 1.0M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,749 COP 15.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$114 COP 362.0K

-31.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$47.68 COP 151.2K

11.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$189 COP 600.2K

-33.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$252 COP 797.8K

-55.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$777 COP 2.5M

-15.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$495 COP 1.6M

-41.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$802 COP 2.5M

94.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$878 COP 2.8M

-43.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,843 COP 5.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$641 COP 2.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$506 COP 1.6M

15.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

15.80%

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

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Barranquilla: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Barranquilla

$495 33.6% 71.5% $206

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Barranquilla

$253 17.2% 5.8% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Barranquilla

$271 18.4% 63.8% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Barranquilla

$197 13.4% 28.9% $44

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Barranquilla

$191 12.9% 42.9% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Barranquilla

$43 3% 4.7% $2.2

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Barranquilla

$24 * 1.6% 33.4% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $655 in Cali versus $777 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 16% higher in Cali, 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 $37.00 in Cali versus $63.0 in Barranquilla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $253 – making Cali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Barranquilla

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

1,327,209

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Cali Barranquilla 860 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cali
Barranquilla

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

Cali vs Barranquilla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barranquilla costs about 39% more than Cali, 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 $1,590 per month in Cali and $2,209 in Barranquilla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cali, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,060 in Cali and $1,473 in Barranquilla. That's a gap of about 39%.

Groceries cost about 6% more in Barranquilla, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cali, where all-in costs run around $1,060, than in Barranquilla at $1,473. In Cali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Barranquilla it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cali costs $1,060 versus $1,473 in Barranquilla. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cali. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Barranquilla makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.