Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,387 a month against $2,299 in Des Moines, IA, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,299

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,299 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $1,387 in Bogota, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $2,299
Bogota $1,387

A couple spends around $3,459 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,151 in Bogota, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $3,459
Bogota $2,151

A family of three spends $4,618 per month in Des Moines, IA vs $2,915 in Bogota, rent included.

Des Moines, IA $4,618
Bogota $2,915

Des Moines, IA costs about 66% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Des Moines, IA and Bogota sit above the global median – Des Moines, IA by 70%, Bogota by 3%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 $19.89

$7.94 COP 25.7K

150.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$42.83 COP 138.4K

137.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.81 COP 34.9K

9.16%

Cappuccino

$6.54 $6.54

$2.47 COP 7,988

164.78%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$1.34 COP 4,343

121.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.85 COP 2,734

190.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.39 COP 7,727

111.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.83 COP 15.6K

16.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.63 COP 5,267

-47.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.33 COP 7,510

29.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$1.81 COP 5,838

79.01%

Eggs

$3.88 $3.88

$3.52 COP 11.4K

10.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$7.84 COP 25.3K

19.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.22 $17.22

$7.62 COP 24.6K

125.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$10.66 COP 34.4K

77.39%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$3.49 COP 11.3K

50.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.76 COP 5,691

-13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.92 COP 6,186

156.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.89 COP 6,117

96.30%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.41 COP 4,554

205.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.43 COP 4,617

56.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.26 COP 4,075

119.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.15 COP 3,730

164.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.13 $10.13

$4.43 COP 14.3K

128.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$12.31 COP 39.8K

20.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.48 COP 4,784

13.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.22 COP 10.4K

-9.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.08 COP 3,484

58.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.8 $57.8

$50.2 COP 162.1K

15.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.02 COP 6,539

-1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.54 COP 8,215

-50.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.83 $19.83

$7.49 COP 24.2K

164.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.28 COP 4,136

-21.09%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-21.07%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$34.9K COP 112.6M

-26.68%

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

$191 $191

$127 COP 411.1K

50.16%

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

$52.9 $52.9

$16.31 COP 52.7K

224.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.2 $77.2

$30.21 COP 97.6K

155.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.80 $33.80

$33.56 COP 108.4K

0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.24 $20.24

$15.03 COP 48.5K

34.66%

Cinema Ticket

$9.86 $9.86

$7.62 COP 24.6K

29.40%

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

$1,313 $1,313

$557 COP 1.8M

135.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$13.1K COP 42.2M

11.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.0 $77.0

$85.1 COP 274.7K

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 $56.1

$48.17 COP 155.6K

16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$139 COP 448.7K

-26.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$108 COP 347.2K

54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 $1,218

$730 COP 2.4M

66.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 $918

$504 COP 1.6M

82.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 $2,058

$1,438 COP 4.6M

43.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,422 $1,422

$963 COP 3.1M

47.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$2,946 COP 9.5M

-17.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,262 $2,262

$2,250 COP 7.3M

0.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,788 $3,788

$811 COP 2.6M

367.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

12.81

-48.71%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bogota: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$918 40%

Bogota

$504 36.4% 45.1% $414

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$421 18.3%

Bogota

$264 19% 37.2% $157

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$331 14.4%

Bogota

$156 11.3% 52.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$321 14%

Bogota

$174 12.5% 45.9% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$181 7.9%

Bogota

$171 12.3% 5.4% $9.8

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.2%

Bogota

$69 5% 5% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$54 2.3%

Bogota

$49 3.5% 8.9% $4.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,218 in Des Moines, IA 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 in Des Moines, IA are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $102 in Des Moines, IA versus $43 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $421 vs $264 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

00:55 12:55 AM

01:55 1:55 AM

1 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Des Moines, IA Bogota 4,550 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, IA
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

Des Moines, IA vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Des Moines, IA is pricier by about 66%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,448 per month in Des Moines, IA 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 $1,218 in Des Moines, IA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,299 in Des Moines, IA and $1,387 in Bogota. That makes Bogota about 40% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 13% 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.

If budget matters most, go with Bogota. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Des Moines, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.