Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,387 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,520 per month in Cartagena vs $1,387 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartagena $1,520
Bogota $1,387

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Cartagena vs $2,151 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartagena $2,565
Bogota $2,151

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Cartagena vs $2,915 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartagena $3,610
Bogota $2,915

Cartagena costs about 10% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cartagena and Bogota sit above the global median – Cartagena by 12%, Bogota by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 COP 18.2K

$7.94 COP 25.6K

-29.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 COP 457.3K

$42.83 COP 138.2K

230.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$10.81 COP 34.9K

-5.74%

Cappuccino

$4.44 COP 14.3K

$2.47 COP 7,981

79.76%

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

$2.44 COP 7,873

$1.34 COP 4,339

82.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 COP 7,195

$0.85 COP 2,732

162.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.39 COP 7,720

33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 COP 16.3K

$4.83 COP 15.6K

4.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 COP 6,118

$1.63 COP 5,262

16.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 COP 8,966

$2.33 COP 7,503

19.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,613

$1.81 COP 5,832

-20.99%

Eggs

$4.96 COP 16.0K

$3.52 COP 11.4K

40.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 COP 43.3K

$7.84 COP 25.3K

71.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 COP 55.8K

$7.62 COP 24.6K

127.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 COP 34.4K

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 COP 11.3K

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 COP 5,686

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,180

Tomato (1kg)

$1.89 COP 6,111

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,550

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,612

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 COP 4,072

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 COP 6,636

$1.15 COP 3,727

79.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 COP 14.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 COP 45.5K

$12.31 COP 39.7K

14.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,501

$1.48 COP 4,779

-6.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 COP 10.4K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 4,026

$1.08 COP 3,480

15.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.0K

$50.2 COP 162.0K

33.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 COP 15.0K

$2.02 COP 6,533

130.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 COP 11.9K

$2.54 COP 8,207

45.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 COP 30.8K

$7.49 COP 24.2K

27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,339

$1.28 COP 4,132

4.69%

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

$33.9K COP 109.5M

$34.1K COP 109.9M

-0.40%

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

$35.0K COP 113.0M

$34.9K COP 112.5M

0.50%

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

$79.0 COP 254.8K

$127 COP 410.7K

-37.95%

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

$16.31 COP 52.6K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.21 COP 97.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 176.9K

$33.56 COP 108.3K

63.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.03 COP 48.5K

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 COP 26.1K

$7.62 COP 24.6K

6.30%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$557 COP 1.8M

12.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K COP 38.6M

$13.1K COP 42.2M

-8.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.1 COP 274.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.17 COP 155.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 448.3K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 346.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 COP 4.3M

$730 COP 2.4M

84.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 COP 2.7M

$504 COP 1.6M

67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

$1,438 COP 4.6M

71.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

$963 COP 3.1M

64.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,946 COP 9.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

$2,250 COP 7.3M

-59.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

$811 COP 2.6M

-42.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

17.10%

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

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Bogota: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$504 36.4%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$264 19%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$174 12.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$171 12.3%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$156 11.3%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$69 5%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Bogota

$49 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Cartagena versus $730 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 75% higher in Bogota, 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 $142 in Cartagena versus $43 in Bogota. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Cartagena vs $264 in Bogota – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

13:00 1:00 PM

Same time as Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cartagena Bogota 660 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Bogota

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

Cartagena vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartagena is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,279 per month in Cartagena and $2,080 in Bogota. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bogota, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $730 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $142 in Cartagena and $43 in Bogota. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 25% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

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