Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Neiva and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,241 in Neiva, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Neiva
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,241
/mo nomad
Cali
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,060
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Neiva and in Cali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Neiva and in Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Neiva versus $1,060 in Cali.

  • Neiva $1,241
  • Cali $1,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,034 in Neiva versus $1,626 in Cali.

  • Neiva $2,034
  • Cali $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,826 in Neiva versus $2,192 in Cali.

  • Neiva $2,826
  • Cali $2,192

Living in Neiva is roughly 17% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Neiva 8% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.72 COP 24.5K
$7.32 COP 23.2K
5.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.66 COP 132.1K
$37.35 COP 118.4K
11.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.26 COP 32.5K
$8.32 COP 26.4K
23.32%
Cappuccino
$2.61 COP 8,281
$1.52 COP 4,832
71.71%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.34 COP 4,245
$1.23 COP 3,885
8.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.91 COP 2,883
$0.86 COP 2,728
5.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.06 COP 6,533
$3.11 COP 9,872
-33.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 COP 12.6K
$3.80 COP 12.1K
4.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 COP 5,131
$1.54 COP 4,891
5.19%
White Bread (500g)
$2.45 COP 7,754
$1.96 COP 6,203
25.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,136
$1.48 COP 4,701
9.46%
Eggs
$3.54 COP 11.2K
$2.91 COP 9,242
21.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.18 COP 25.9K
$6.31 COP 20.0K
29.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.51 COP 23.8K
$6.85 COP 21.7K
9.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.91 COP 31.4K
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-3.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 COP 10.8K
$3.45 COP 10.9K
-1.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.85 COP 5,877
$1.40 COP 4,433
32.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,148
$1.79 COP 5,668
8.38%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,615
$1.65 COP 5,223
7.27%
Potato (1kg)
$1.42 COP 4,515
$1.43 COP 4,539
-0.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 COP 4,505
$1.55 COP 4,917
-8.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.33 COP 4,231
$1.14 COP 3,613
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 COP 3,759
$0.94 COP 2,983
26.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.30 COP 13.6K
$3.79 COP 12.0K
13.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.60 COP 39.9K
$12.94 COP 41.0K
-2.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 COP 4,575
$1.43 COP 4,539
0.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 COP 9,126
$2.55 COP 8,079
12.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Neiva
Cali
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 COP 3,325
$1.07 COP 3,387
-1.87%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$30.29 COP 96.0K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.39 COP 7,583
$0.78 COP 2,488
206.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.30 COP 7,297
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.66 COP 30.6K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,275
$1.34 COP 4,245
0.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.2K COP 73.7M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.3M
$35.4K COP 112.1M
-1.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$125 COP 397.4K
$110 COP 347.5K
14.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.32 COP 51.7K
$12.96 COP 41.1K
25.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.80 COP 94.5K
$30.06 COP 95.3K
-0.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.69 COP 122.7K
$28.81 COP 91.3K
34.29%
Cinema Ticket
$7.72 COP 24.5K
$8.40 COP 26.6K
-8.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$504 COP 1.6M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,398 COP 23.5M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$82.5 COP 261.7K
$78.4 COP 248.5K
5.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.05 COP 152.4K
$53.2 COP 168.8K
-9.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$144 COP 456.1K
$126 COP 398.3K
14.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 COP 334.0K
$111 COP 351.4K
-4.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Neiva
Cali
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$559 COP 1.8M
$655 COP 2.1M
-14.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$413 COP 1.3M
$288 COP 914.6K
43.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,112 COP 3.5M
$1,558 COP 4.9M
-28.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,002 COP 3.2M
$498 COP 1.6M
101.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,854 COP 5.9M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,770 COP 5.6M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Neiva
Cali
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$585 COP 1.9M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12
11.58
3.63%

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

Last update for Neiva: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Neiva
$413
Cali
$288 30.1% $124
Groceries & Markets
Neiva
$263
Cali
$239 9.1% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Neiva
$171
Cali
$153 11% $19
Clothing & Footwear
Neiva
$171
Cali
$166 3.1% $5.3
Eating Out
Neiva
$151
Cali
$133 11.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Neiva
$54
Cali
$46 15.8% $8.5
Getting Around
Neiva
$18 *
Cali
$35 * 95.4% $17

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Neiva and $655 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Neiva vs $37.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $239 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Neiva
🇨🇴 Cali
🕒 Local time
19:15 7:15 PM
19:15 7:15 PM
Same time as Neiva
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
357,392
2,568,609
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Neiva Cali 150 km
From you
  • Neiva
  • Cali

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
Neiva vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cali cheaper than Neiva?
Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $1,862 in Neiva and $1,590 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.
What is the rent difference between Neiva and Cali?
Rent for a central apartment: $559 in Neiva versus $655 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Neiva and in Cali?
Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Neiva. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is eating out cheaper in Neiva or in Cali?
Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $42.00 in Neiva. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Neiva or in Cali?
At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,241 in Neiva, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Neiva. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Neiva or Cali more family-friendly?
For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Neiva, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Neiva. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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