Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 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

$1,614

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/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 $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,310 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Bogota $1,310

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,073 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Bogota $2,073

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,836 in Bogota, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Bogota $2,836

Medellin costs about 21% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Bogota is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

$7.65 COP 24.4K

3.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.0K

$41.44 COP 132.1K

11.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.3K

$10.38 COP 33.1K

-8.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,918

$2.53 COP 8,054

22.92%

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

$1.83 COP 5,830

$1.35 COP 4,299

35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,383

$0.87 COP 2,766

58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,723

$2.06 COP 6,577

48.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$3.98 COP 12.7K

38.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,624

$1.65 COP 5,268

-12.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,535

$2.40 COP 7,659

-1.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,357

$1.69 COP 5,373

-0.59%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,125

$3.54 COP 11.3K

-19.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

$7.89 COP 25.2K

29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

$7.30 COP 23.3K

30.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

$9.87 COP 31.5K

42.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,767

$1.84 COP 5,853

-18.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,928

$1.90 COP 6,044

14.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,348

$1.74 COP 5,546

32.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,146

$1.41 COP 4,508

36.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,223

$1.37 COP 4,355

19.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,590

$1.30 COP 4,153

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,975

$1.15 COP 3,662

8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$4.32 COP 13.8K

-7.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

$12.76 COP 40.7K

4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,412

$1.43 COP 4,567

18.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,565

$2.83 COP 9,033

-16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,847

$1.08 COP 3,452

12.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.8K

$50.8 COP 161.9K

50.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,202

$2.38 COP 7,590

-44.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,810

$2.34 COP 7,450

-8.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

$9.20 COP 29.3K

-7.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,136

$1.33 COP 4,235

-2.26%

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

$28.0K COP 89.2M

$23.5K COP 74.8M

19.23%

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

$35.4K COP 112.9M

$35.6K COP 113.6M

-0.64%

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

$172 COP 548.5K

$125 COP 399.9K

37.18%

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

$13.37 COP 42.6K

$16.29 COP 51.9K

-17.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.6K

$30.21 COP 96.3K

-4.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.2K

$34.11 COP 108.7K

32.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.3K

$15.37 COP 49.0K

10.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$7.84 COP 25.0K

-19.90%

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

$770 COP 2.5M

$501 COP 1.6M

53.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$7,450 COP 23.7M

20.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 275.4K

$82.8 COP 264.0K

4.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.1K

$47.40 COP 151.1K

20.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 435.2K

$142 COP 451.8K

-3.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.1K

$106 COP 339.2K

-7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$803 COP 2.6M

31.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$452 COP 1.4M

36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,244 COP 4.0M

52.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$974 COP 3.1M

5.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,816 COP 9.0M

44.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,354 COP 7.5M

-28.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$813 COP 2.6M

-19.71%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 26.6% $164

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 11.5% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Bogota

$172 13% 19.7% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 0.1% $0.2

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 11% $19

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 25.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 13.9% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $781 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 27% 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: $288 vs $256 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

05:21 5:21 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 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 21%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,966 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 $1,589 in Medellin and $1,310 in Bogota. That's a gap of about 21%.

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 $1,310, than in Medellin at $1,589. 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.