Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Bogota

For one person, living costs are similar in Cartago and in Bogota: $1,281 and $1,323 a month, rent and utilities included.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,281 per month in Cartago vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $1,281
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $1,972 per month in Cartago vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $1,972
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $2,663 per month in Cartago vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $2,663
Bogota $2,897

Cartago is about 3% cheaper than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cartago and Bogota are more affordable than the global median – Cartago 5% lower, Bogota 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 COP 24.0K

$7.65 COP 24.3K

-0.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 COP 118.0K

$41.44 COP 131.4K

-10.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$10.38 COP 32.9K

-18.40%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 4,868

$2.53 COP 8,011

-39.13%

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

$1.28 COP 4,050

$1.35 COP 4,277

-5.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,626

$0.87 COP 2,752

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 COP 9,838

$2.06 COP 6,542

50.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$3.98 COP 12.6K

-8.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 COP 5,072

$1.65 COP 5,240

-3.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 COP 5,954

$2.40 COP 7,618

-21.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$1.69 COP 5,345

-11.83%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,305

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-17.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 COP 20.9K

$7.89 COP 25.0K

-16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 COP 22.5K

$7.30 COP 23.1K

-2.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 COP 31.5K

$9.87 COP 31.3K

0.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 COP 11.3K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

-0.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,187

$1.84 COP 5,822

-28.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,513

$1.90 COP 6,012

-8.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,168

$1.74 COP 5,517

-6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,508

$1.41 COP 4,484

0.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,743

$1.37 COP 4,332

9.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,432

$1.30 COP 4,131

-16.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,250

$1.15 COP 3,643

-10.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 COP 11.7K

$4.32 COP 13.7K

-14.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 COP 41.6K

$12.76 COP 40.5K

2.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,741

$1.43 COP 4,542

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 COP 7,770

$2.83 COP 8,986

-13.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 COP 3,234

$1.08 COP 3,434

-5.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 COP 2,516

$2.38 COP 7,550

-66.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,207

$2.34 COP 7,411

-2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$9.20 COP 29.2K

-8.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,198

$1.33 COP 4,213

-0.75%

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

$28.0K COP 88.9M

$23.5K COP 74.4M

19.39%

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

$34.6K COP 109.9M

$35.6K COP 113.0M

-2.80%

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

$110 COP 348.3K

$125 COP 397.8K

-12.44%

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

$13.23 COP 42.0K

$16.29 COP 51.6K

-18.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 COP 95.9K

$30.21 COP 95.8K

0.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 COP 134.2K

$34.11 COP 108.2K

24.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 COP 26.1K

$7.84 COP 24.8K

5.10%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

$501 COP 1.6M

39.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,430 COP 20.4M

$7,450 COP 23.6M

-13.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 COP 246.6K

$82.8 COP 262.6K

-6.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 COP 174.8K

$47.40 COP 150.3K

16.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 COP 401.8K

$142 COP 449.4K

-10.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 350.6K

$106 COP 337.4K

3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$803 COP 2.5M

-19.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 COP 1.6M

$452 COP 1.4M

12.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 COP 3.3M

$1,244 COP 3.9M

-16.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 COP 3.1M

$974 COP 3.1M

-0.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 COP 6.3M

$2,816 COP 8.9M

-29.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.7M

$2,354 COP 7.5M

-23.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

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 Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$509 39.7%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 11.2% $57

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$241 18.8%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 8.2% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$167 13%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 2.2% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$153 12%

Bogota

$172 13% 12.2% $19

Eating Out

Cartago

$136 10.6%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 10.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$59 4.6%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 15.3% $9

Getting Around

Cartago

$16 * 1.3%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 326% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $645 in Cartago 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37.00 in Cartago versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $241 vs $261 – making Cartago the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartago

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

05:48 5:48 AM

Same time as Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,365

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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Cartago Bogota 200 km

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Cartago
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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

Cartago vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 3%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,921 per month in Cartago 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 Cartago, 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 $37.00 in Cartago and $41.00 in Bogota. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% 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 Cartago, where all-in costs run around $1,281, than in Bogota at $1,323. In Cartago it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cartago. 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.