Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,324 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,324

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,324 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Bogota $1,324

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,127 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Bogota $2,127

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,931 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Bogota $2,931

Medellin costs about 23% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bogota is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$7.78 COP 24.7K

6.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$41.36 COP 131.1K

13.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$10.02 COP 31.8K

-7.78%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.48 COP 7,877

22.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.33 COP 4,215

35.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.89 COP 2,827

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.87 COP 5,931

73.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.92 COP 12.4K

41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.67 COP 5,284

-10.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.53 COP 8,019

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.71 COP 5,436

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.42 COP 10.9K

-13.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.84 COP 24.9K

30.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$7.33 COP 23.2K

32.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.69 COP 30.7K

43.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.59 COP 11.4K

15.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.79 COP 5,687

-14.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.99 COP 6,320

11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.73 COP 5,494

31.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.44 COP 4,577

38.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.45 COP 4,591

15.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.29 COP 4,104

-8.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.20 COP 3,795

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.36 COP 13.8K

-11.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$12.53 COP 39.7K

9.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.41 COP 4,455

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$2.81 COP 8,922

-14.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.10 COP 3,480

12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$50.7 COP 160.9K

54.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.40 COP 7,622

-46.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.32 COP 7,366

-7.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$9.34 COP 29.6K

-10.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.36 COP 4,299

-0.74%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$35.4K COP 112.1M

-1.70%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$35.3K COP 111.9M

-1.69%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$127 COP 402.4K

31.31%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$16.30 COP 51.7K

-16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$30.93 COP 98.1K

-5.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.46 COP 106.1K

34.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$15.35 COP 48.7K

11.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$8.00 COP 25.4K

-12.88%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$494 COP 1.6M

59.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,606 COP 24.1M

18.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$86.1 COP 273.1K

1.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$48.55 COP 153.9K

19.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$143 COP 454.4K

-3.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$106 COP 336.9K

-6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$801 COP 2.5M

28.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$448 COP 1.4M

38.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,274 COP 4.0M

47.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,001 COP 3.2M

0.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$2,847 COP 9.0M

40.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$2,319 COP 7.4M

-26.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$799 COP 2.5M

-16.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.81

-14.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Bogota

$448 33.9% 27.6% $171

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Bogota

$262 19.8% 12.2% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Bogota

$174 13.2% 16.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Bogota

$173 13.1% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Bogota

$148 11.2% 13.3% $23

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 27.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Bogota

$49 3.7% 16.2% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $801 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 20% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $262 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

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

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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

Medellin vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,986 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 $1,625 in Medellin and $1,324 in Bogota. That's a gap of about 23%.

Public transport costs about 54% 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 $1,324, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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.

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