Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and La Paz

For one person, living is cheaper in La Paz: $497 a month against $1,060 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in La Paz
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La Paz Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

La Paz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$497

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in La Paz

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $497 in La Paz.

Cali $1,060
La Paz $497

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $755 in La Paz.

Cali $1,626
La Paz $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $1,012 in La Paz.

Cali $2,192
La Paz $1,012

Living in Cali is roughly 113% more expensive than in La Paz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, La Paz 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$2.09 BOB 24.23

250.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$9.26 BOB 108

303.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$4.06 BOB 47.08

104.93%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$1.72 BOB 19.97

-11.63%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$0.67 BOB 7.74

83.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$0.43 BOB 5.04

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$1.23 BOB 14.30

152.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$2.27 BOB 26.35

67.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$0.74 BOB 8.63

108.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$0.84 BOB 9.73

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$0.73 BOB 8.49

102.74%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$1.22 BOB 14.11

138.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$3.56 BOB 41.37

77.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$3.37 BOB 39.17

103.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$4.46 BOB 51.8

129.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$1.68 BOB 19.46

105.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$0.50 BOB 5.85

180.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$0.49 BOB 5.72

265.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$0.77 BOB 8.89

114.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$0.56 BOB 6.50

155.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$0.48 BOB 5.52

222.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$0.53 BOB 6.18

115.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$0.68 BOB 7.87

38.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$1.88 BOB 21.82

101.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$2.94 BOB 34.11

340.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.32 BOB 15.28

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$1.60 BOB 18.62

59.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$0.20 BOB 2.33

435.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

$16.66 BOB 193

81.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$1.03 BOB 11.97

-24.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 BOB 10.12

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.60 BOB 99.9

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$0.49 BOB 5.72

173.47%

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

$9,427 BOB 109.4K

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$11.9K BOB 137.7K

198.22%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$23.37 BOB 271

368.98%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$14.42 BOB 167

-10.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$18.78 BOB 218

60.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$15.76 BOB 183

82.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.62 BOB 112

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$4.11 BOB 47.71

104.38%

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

$126 BOB 1,468

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,288 BOB 15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$15.80 BOB 183

396.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$25.79 BOB 299

106.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$41.15 BOB 478

205.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$36.03 BOB 418

207.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$252 BOB 2,927

159.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$165 BOB 1,921

74.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$393 BOB 4,567

296.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$297 BOB 3,450

67.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,213 BOB 14.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$507 BOB 5,887

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

$247 BOB 2,870

136.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

7.94

45.84%

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

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Paz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

La Paz

$165 33.3% 42.6% $123

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

La Paz

$110 22.2% 53.8% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

La Paz

$53 10.8% 67.7% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

La Paz

$57 11.4% 62.9% $96

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

La Paz

$65 13% 51.5% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

La Paz

$24 4.8% 47.4% $22

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

La Paz

$23 4.6% 35.3% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Cali and $252 in La Paz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $37.00 in Cali vs $9.00 in La Paz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $110 per month, with La Paz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇧🇴 La Paz

🕒 Local time

02:48 2:48 AM

03:48 3:48 AM

1 h ahead of Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

715,900 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 BOB = 8.61 USD

100 BOB = 7.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BOB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 11.61 BOB (100 BOB = 8.61 USD). 1 EUR = 13.05 BOB (100 BOB = 7.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cali La Paz 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cali
La Paz

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 La Paz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Paz is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Cali, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $655 in Cali versus $252 in La Paz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in La Paz – a meal for two runs $9.00 versus $37.00 in Cali. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in La Paz runs roughly 82% less than in Cali. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $497 in La Paz versus $1,060 in Cali, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Paz but tight or insufficient in Cali. The gap between the two cities makes La Paz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, La Paz is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cali, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find La Paz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.