Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Monteria and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Monteria versus $751 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,162 in Monteria versus $1,205 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,572 in Monteria versus $1,659 in Cali.

Monthly costs are close between Monteria and Cali; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 44% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 COP 17.3K

$3.73 COP 13.0K

32.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.49 COP 109.9K

$28.95 COP 101.0K

8.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.15 COP 25.0K

$7.06 COP 24.6K

1.27%

Cappuccino

$1.77 COP 6,175

$1.56 COP 5,438

13.46%

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

$0.87 COP 3,054

$0.88 COP 3,063

-1.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,233

$0.60 COP 2,111

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 COP 4,533

$1.05 COP 3,672

23.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,879

$2.52 COP 8,800

-21.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,199

$1.28 COP 4,482

-28.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 COP 4,601

$1.46 COP 5,090

-9.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,545

$1.21 COP 4,221

-15.70%

Eggs

$1.49 COP 5,202

$2.47 COP 8,621

-39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 COP 16.1K

$4.20 COP 14.7K

10.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.87 COP 10.0K

$5.53 COP 19.3K

-48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.83 COP 13.4K

$7.85 COP 27.4K

-51.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,657

$2.42 COP 8,430

-21.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 COP 1,637

$0.95 COP 3,324

-50.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,499

$1.19 COP 4,163

-15.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 COP 2,725

$1.30 COP 4,542

-40.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,090

$0.81 COP 2,837

9.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,478

$1.06 COP 3,684

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 3,068

$0.76 COP 2,650

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,612

$0.70 COP 2,431

-34.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 COP 9,576

$2.85 COP 9,948

-3.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.05 COP 35.1K

$11.57 COP 40.4K

-13.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,943

$1.07 COP 3,739

-21.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,459

$1.95 COP 6,812

-34.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,397

$0.72 COP 2,521

-4.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.41 COP 106.1K

$20.01 COP 69.8K

51.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 COP 6,847

$1.58 COP 5,521

24.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.81 COP 9,821

$1.91 COP 6,674

47.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.31 COP 15.0K

$9.72 COP 33.9K

-55.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 3,260

$0.92 COP 3,194

1.09%

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

$14.0K COP 49.0M

$21.5K COP 75.2M

-34.78%

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

$22.5K COP 78.5M

$30.4K COP 105.9M

-25.87%

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

$95.7 COP 334.0K

$81.2 COP 283.4K

17.83%

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

$7.43 COP 25.9K

$8.63 COP 30.1K

-13.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.99 COP 66.3K

$24.09 COP 84.1K

-21.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.46 COP 81.9K

$19.55 COP 68.2K

20.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.72 COP 33.9K

$14.36 COP 50.1K

-32.31%

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 COP 13.4K

$4.94 COP 17.3K

-22.06%

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

$168 COP 587.1K

$227 COP 790.8K

-25.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,852 COP 6.5M

$5,871 COP 20.5M

-68.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 207.8K

$63.7 COP 222.3K

-6.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.22 COP 67.1K

$44.88 COP 156.6K

-57.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.2 COP 210.0K

$75.8 COP 264.5K

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.34 COP 126.8K

$89.7 COP 313.1K

-59.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$286 COP 998.0K

$242 COP 846.1K

17.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 COP 845.5K

$186 COP 649.9K

30.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 COP 1.9M

$608 COP 2.1M

-11.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$433 COP 1.5M

$397 COP 1.4M

9.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 COP 5.5M

$1,114 COP 3.9M

40.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,245 COP 4.3M

$920 COP 3.2M

35.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$358 COP 1.2M

$512 COP 1.8M

-30.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

-13.64%

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

Last update for Monteria: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $286 in Monteria and $242 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 43% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $31.00 in Monteria vs $29.00 in Cali. Groceries flip the comparison at $133 vs $183, with Monteria cheaper for home cooking.

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

Monteria vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Cali earns 43% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $286 in Monteria versus $242 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $168 in Monteria versus $227 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $31.00 in Monteria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cali gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Monteria, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Cali wins on affordability, Monteria on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.