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: $1,280 in Monteria versus $1,087 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,055 in Monteria versus $1,694 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Monteria versus $2,301 in Cali.

Living in Monteria is roughly 18% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Monteria 6% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 COP 15.4K

$7.59 COP 23.6K

-34.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.47 COP 131.9K

$38.62 COP 120.0K

9.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 COP 30.8K

$8.46 COP 26.3K

17.38%

Cappuccino

$3.54 COP 11.0K

$1.65 COP 5,131

114.55%

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

$1.89 COP 5,860

$1.27 COP 3,954

48.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 COP 5,623

$0.85 COP 2,626

112.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 COP 6,447

$3.28 COP 10.2K

-36.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 COP 15.3K

$3.85 COP 12.0K

28.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.89 COP 5,878

$1.66 COP 5,150

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 COP 9,046

$1.95 COP 6,051

49.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,567

$1.52 COP 4,724

-3.29%

Eggs

$5.02 COP 15.6K

$3.00 COP 9,334

67.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$6.48 COP 20.1K

23.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$7.22 COP 22.4K

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.76 COP 36.5K

$10.39 COP 32.3K

13.19%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 COP 11.7K

$3.67 COP 11.4K

2.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,281

$1.37 COP 4,265

0.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 COP 5,629

$1.83 COP 5,689

-1.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 COP 5,850

$1.77 COP 5,514

6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,513

$1.46 COP 4,536

-0.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,824

$1.54 COP 4,780

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 COP 3,270

$1.17 COP 3,642

-10.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,653

$1.05 COP 3,252

12.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 COP 12.6K

$3.79 COP 11.8K

7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 COP 45.8K

$13.24 COP 41.1K

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,346

$1.47 COP 4,578

-4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 COP 8,057

$2.51 COP 7,799

3.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 COP 3,188

$1.15 COP 3,587

-10.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.69 COP 95.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$0.88 COP 2,730

79.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.85 COP 12.0K

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.58 COP 29.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,244

$1.31 COP 4,075

4.58%

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

$24.1K COP 75.0M

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

$35.6K COP 110.6M

$36.1K COP 112.2M

-1.48%

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

$81.3 COP 252.7K

$114 COP 355.5K

-28.92%

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

$13.02 COP 40.4K

$13.68 COP 42.5K

-4.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.71 COP 98.5K

$31.26 COP 97.1K

1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.52 COP 122.8K

$29.82 COP 92.7K

32.53%

Cinema Ticket

$8.17 COP 25.4K

$8.36 COP 26.0K

-2.27%

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

$640 COP 2.0M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,997 COP 18.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.7 COP 303.5K

$79.7 COP 247.5K

22.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.2 COP 190.1K

$55.1 COP 171.2K

11.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 410.7K

$130 COP 403.6K

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 322.7K

$114 COP 355.6K

-9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.3M

$666 COP 2.1M

8.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$524 COP 1.6M

$306 COP 951.2K

71.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 COP 3.1M

$1,627 COP 5.1M

-38.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$901 COP 2.8M

$509 COP 1.6M

77.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,748 COP 5.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

29.53%

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

Last update for Monteria: September 12, 2026

Last update for Cali: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $724 in Monteria and $666 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Monteria vs $39.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $247 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

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

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,919 in Monteria and $1,630 in Cali to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $724 in Monteria versus $666 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Monteria. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $42.00 in Monteria. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Cali versus $1,280 in Monteria, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Monteria. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Monteria. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.