Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in Bogota

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

A single person spends $1,060 per month in Cali vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

Cali $1,060
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $1,626 per month in Cali vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

Cali $1,626
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Cali vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

Cali $2,192
Bogota $2,897

Cali is about 20% cheaper than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cali and Bogota are more affordable than the global median – Cali 21% lower, Bogota 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$7.65 COP 24.3K

-4.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$41.44 COP 131.4K

-9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$10.38 COP 32.9K

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$2.53 COP 8,011

-39.92%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$1.35 COP 4,277

-8.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$0.87 COP 2,752

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$2.06 COP 6,542

50.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$3.98 COP 12.6K

-4.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$1.65 COP 5,240

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$2.40 COP 7,618

-18.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.69 COP 5,345

-12.43%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-17.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$7.89 COP 25.0K

-20.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$7.30 COP 23.1K

-6.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.87 COP 31.3K

3.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

-3.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.84 COP 5,822

-23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$1.90 COP 6,012

-5.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$1.74 COP 5,517

-5.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.41 COP 4,484

1.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.37 COP 4,332

13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.30 COP 4,131

-12.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$1.15 COP 3,643

-18.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$4.32 COP 13.7K

-12.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$12.76 COP 40.5K

1.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.43 COP 4,542

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$2.83 COP 8,986

-9.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$1.08 COP 3,434

-0.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$50.8 COP 161.1K

-40.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$2.38 COP 7,550

-67.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 COP 7,411

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.20 COP 29.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.33 COP 4,213

0.75%

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

$23.5K COP 74.4M

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$35.6K COP 113.0M

-0.78%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$125 COP 397.8K

-12.63%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$16.29 COP 51.6K

-20.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$30.21 COP 95.8K

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$34.11 COP 108.2K

-15.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$7.84 COP 24.8K

7.14%

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

$501 COP 1.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,450 COP 23.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$82.8 COP 262.6K

-5.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$47.40 COP 150.3K

12.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$142 COP 449.4K

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$106 COP 337.4K

4.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$803 COP 2.5M

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$452 COP 1.4M

-36.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$1,244 COP 3.9M

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$974 COP 3.1M

-48.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 8.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$813 COP 2.6M

-27.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

12.81

-9.60%

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

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 56.6% $163

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 9.2% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 2.8% $4.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Bogota

$172 13% 12.7% $19

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 9.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 95.8% $34

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 $803 in Bogota. 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 39% higher in Bogota, 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 $37.00 in Cali versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $239 vs $261 – making Cali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

06:28 6:28 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

8,181,047 Capital

💱 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
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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 Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,590 per month in Cali and $1,985 in Bogota. 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.

Public transport costs about 68% less in Cali. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 9% more in Bogota, 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 Bogota at $1,323. In Cali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cali – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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