Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,713 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

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

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/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 $1,713 per month in Cartago vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $1,713
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $2,362 per month in Cartago vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $2,362
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $3,011 per month in Cartago vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

Cartago $3,011
Bogota $2,897

Cartago costs about 29% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cartago sits 27% above the global median, while Bogota is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$7.65 COP 24.3K

12.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$41.44 COP 131.8K

-16.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$10.38 COP 33.0K

-4.43%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$2.53 COP 8,036

79.45%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$1.35 COP 4,290

57.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$0.87 COP 2,760

56.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$2.06 COP 6,563

4.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$3.98 COP 12.6K

2.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$1.65 COP 5,257

44.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$2.40 COP 7,642

-1.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$1.69 COP 5,362

46.15%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$3.54 COP 11.2K

0.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$7.89 COP 25.1K

9.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$7.30 COP 23.2K

42.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$9.87 COP 31.4K

41.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$3.58 COP 11.4K

46.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.84 COP 5,840

-29.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$1.90 COP 6,031

136.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$1.74 COP 5,534

67.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$1.41 COP 4,498

58.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$1.37 COP 4,345

58.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.30 COP 4,144

-16.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$1.15 COP 3,654

89.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$4.32 COP 13.7K

40.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$12.76 COP 40.6K

18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$1.43 COP 4,557

102.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$2.83 COP 9,014

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$1.08 COP 3,444

26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$50.8 COP 161.6K

44.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$2.38 COP 7,573

-44.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$2.34 COP 7,434

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$9.20 COP 29.3K

-2.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$1.33 COP 4,226

13.53%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$23.5K COP 74.7M

-7.60%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$35.6K COP 113.4M

-1.47%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$125 COP 399.0K

-58.21%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$16.29 COP 51.8K

115.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$30.21 COP 96.1K

98.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$34.11 COP 108.5K

116.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$15.37 COP 48.9K

405.92%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$7.84 COP 24.9K

-7.27%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$501 COP 1.6M

9.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$7,450 COP 23.7M

5.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$82.8 COP 263.4K

-15.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$47.40 COP 150.8K

19.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$142 COP 450.8K

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$106 COP 338.4K

-17.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$803 COP 2.6M

14.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$452 COP 1.4M

55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$1,244 COP 4.0M

50.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$974 COP 3.1M

-25.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 9.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$813 COP 2.6M

65.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.81

-32.71%

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

$704 41.1%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 35.9% $253

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 25.1% $87

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 19.5% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 12.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Bogota

$172 13% 16.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 43.6% $39

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 21.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $923 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.

Salaries run about 65% higher in Cartago, 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 $35.00 in Cartago versus $41.00 in Bogota. Groceries tell a different story – $348 in Cartago vs $261 in Bogota – so Bogota wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

03:34 3:34 AM

04:34 4:34 AM

1 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cartago Bogota 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
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

Cartago vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cartago is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,570 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 Bogota, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,713 in Cartago and $1,323 in Bogota. That's a gap of about 29%.

Public transport costs about 44% less in Bogota. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,323, than in Cartago at $1,713. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartago it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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