Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Buenaventura

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,193 a month against $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Buenaventura outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

58

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Buenaventura
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Buenaventura Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,193

/mo nomad

Buenaventura

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,308

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,193 per month in Cali vs $1,308 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Cali $1,193
Buenaventura $1,308

A couple spends around $1,823 per month in Cali vs $2,012 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Cali $1,823
Buenaventura $2,012

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Cali vs $2,716 in Buenaventura, rent included.

Cali $2,453
Buenaventura $2,716

Cali is about 9% cheaper than Buenaventura, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cali and Buenaventura are more affordable than the global median – Cali 12% lower, Buenaventura 3% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$7.61 COP 24.1K

-27.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.7 COP 179.8K

$42.62 COP 135.1K

33.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 COP 19.4K

$9.41 COP 29.8K

-34.96%

Cappuccino

$3.16 COP 10.0K

$2.59 COP 8,225

22.01%

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

$2.45 COP 7,777

$1.38 COP 4,370

77.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 COP 6,952

$0.89 COP 2,835

146.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 COP 10.9K

$3.14 COP 9,959

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 COP 11.2K

$3.73 COP 11.8K

-5.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,218

$1.43 COP 4,538

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 COP 5,463

$2.41 COP 7,642

-28.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,570

$1.63 COP 5,169

7.98%

Eggs

$3.17 COP 10.0K

$2.95 COP 9,353

7.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 COP 28.5K

$7.86 COP 24.9K

14.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.42 COP 29.9K

$9.62 COP 30.5K

-2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 COP 35.0K

$12.27 COP 38.9K

-10.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 COP 12.0K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

6.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 COP 3,768

$1.47 COP 4,665

-19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,295

$1.91 COP 6,047

-29.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,619

$1.80 COP 5,696

16.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 COP 5,550

$1.49 COP 4,737

17.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,418

$1.48 COP 4,694

15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 COP 3,199

$1.19 COP 3,758

-15.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,737

$1.20 COP 3,811

-28.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 COP 13.8K

$3.95 COP 12.5K

10.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.69 COP 52.9K

$13.14 COP 41.7K

27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,827

$1.41 COP 4,474

7.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 COP 6,219

$2.38 COP 7,555

-17.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,444

$1.09 COP 3,450

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 COP 205.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 COP 3,818

$1.60 COP 5,079

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 COP 1,789

$2.04 COP 6,457

-72.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 COP 11.0K

$9.02 COP 28.6K

-61.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,295

$1.29 COP 4,080

4.65%

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$24.7K COP 78.5M

42.90%

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

$34.8K COP 110.5M

$35.4K COP 112.2M

-1.50%

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

$101 COP 319.5K

$126 COP 399.9K

-20.10%

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

$15.47 COP 49.1K

$13.14 COP 41.7K

17.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.81 COP 88.2K

$29.17 COP 92.5K

-4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.57 COP 103.3K

$38.15 COP 120.9K

-14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.15 COP 32.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.97 COP 15.8K

$6.50 COP 20.6K

-23.54%

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

$404 COP 1.3M

$630 COP 2.0M

-35.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K COP 36.5M

$7,516 COP 23.8M

53.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.8 COP 265.7K

$84.9 COP 269.2K

-1.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.92 COP 142.4K

$54.4 COP 172.5K

-17.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 COP 357.5K

$139 COP 440.5K

-18.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.7K

$103 COP 328.1K

-4.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 COP 2.0M

$653 COP 2.1M

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$367 COP 1.2M

$475 COP 1.5M

-22.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,531 COP 4.9M

$997 COP 3.2M

53.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 COP 1.7M

$875 COP 2.8M

-39.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,369 COP 4.3M

$1,966 COP 6.2M

-30.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,215 COP 3.9M

$1,628 COP 5.2M

-25.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

11.58

19.86%

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

Last update for Cali: October 20, 2026

Last update for Buenaventura: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$367 30.8%

Buenaventura

$475 36.3% 29.5% $108

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$270 22.7%

Buenaventura

$273 20.9% 1% $2.8

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$153 12.8%

Buenaventura

$172 13.1% 12.1% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$144 12.1%

Buenaventura

$168 12.9% 16.9% $24

Eating Out

Cali

$143 12%

Buenaventura

$153 11.7% 6.6% $9.4

Getting Around

Cali

$73 6.1%

Buenaventura

$16 * 1.2% 78% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$43 3.6%

Buenaventura

$51 3.9% 20.3% $8.6

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $626 in Cali versus $653 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 $57.0 in Cali versus $43.00 in Buenaventura. Groceries tell a different story – $270 in Cali vs $273 in Buenaventura – so Cali wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Buenaventura

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

365,607

💱 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 Buenaventura 77 km

From you

Cali
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

Cali vs Buenaventura: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,193 in Cali, $1,308 in Buenaventura – roughly 10% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,790 per month in Cali and $1,962 in Buenaventura. 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57.0 in Cali and $43.00 in Buenaventura. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 1% more in Buenaventura, 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 $1,193, than in Buenaventura at $1,308. In Cali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Buenaventura it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cali has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,193 in Cali to $1,308 in Buenaventura. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cali. 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.