Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salento and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $804 a month against $1,241 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$804

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $804 in Salento versus $1,241 in Cali.

Salento $804
Cali $1,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,215 in Salento versus $1,856 in Cali.

Salento $1,215
Cali $1,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,625 in Salento versus $2,470 in Cali.

Salento $1,625
Cali $2,470

Living in Salento costs roughly 35% less than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Salento 41% lower, Cali 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.06 COP 12.8K

$5.33 COP 16.8K

-23.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.24 COP 73.1K

$57.5 COP 180.8K

-59.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 COP 23.3K

$6.19 COP 19.5K

19.55%

Cappuccino

$1.49 COP 4,685

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-53.14%

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

$0.87 COP 2,730

$2.37 COP 7,446

-63.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 1,791

$2.20 COP 6,932

-74.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 COP 3,768

$3.47 COP 10.9K

-65.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 COP 6,761

$3.68 COP 11.6K

-41.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,344

$1.67 COP 5,255

-36.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 3,932

$1.82 COP 5,736

-31.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,707

$1.67 COP 5,265

-29.34%

Eggs

$2.11 COP 6,633

$3.08 COP 9,698

-31.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 COP 14.5K

$8.78 COP 27.6K

-47.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.25 COP 16.5K

$9.45 COP 29.7K

-44.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 COP 23.0K

$10.89 COP 34.3K

-32.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 COP 7,754

$3.89 COP 12.2K

-36.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,399

$1.21 COP 3,793

-10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,137

$1.35 COP 4,257

-2.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,362

$2.09 COP 6,566

-48.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,481

$1.69 COP 5,327

-34.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,679

$1.62 COP 5,091

-27.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 2,767

$1.02 COP 3,197

-13.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,207

$0.85 COP 2,682

-17.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 COP 7,663

$4.54 COP 14.3K

-46.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 COP 30.9K

$17.12 COP 53.9K

-42.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,401

$1.58 COP 4,960

-31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,347

$1.97 COP 6,191

-13.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,284

$1.13 COP 3,549

-35.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.19 COP 95.0K

$67.3 COP 211.8K

-55.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 4,621

$1.19 COP 3,733

23.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,630

$0.57 COP 1,801

214.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.97 COP 18.8K

$3.39 COP 10.7K

76.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,176

$1.35 COP 4,258

-25.19%

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

$17.9K COP 56.4M

$34.7K COP 109.3M

-48.37%

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

$25.5K COP 80.2M

$34.4K COP 108.2M

-25.90%

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

$83.5 COP 262.7K

$102 COP 319.7K

-17.82%

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

$9.03 COP 28.4K

$15.18 COP 47.7K

-40.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 COP 70.6K

$27.67 COP 87.1K

-18.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.20 COP 73.0K

$31.03 COP 97.6K

-25.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 COP 32.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.01 COP 12.6K

$5.11 COP 16.1K

-21.53%

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

$242 COP 762.6K

$404 COP 1.3M

-40.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,915 COP 18.6M

$11.5K COP 36.3M

-48.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 182.9K

$83.3 COP 261.9K

-30.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 101.3K

$43.25 COP 136.1K

-25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 COP 265.1K

$116 COP 364.9K

-27.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 COP 231.3K

$100 COP 314.8K

-26.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 COP 855.8K

$713 COP 2.2M

-61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$241 COP 757.7K

$412 COP 1.3M

-41.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$532 COP 1.7M

$1,466 COP 4.6M

-63.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 COP 1.3M

$542 COP 1.7M

-23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,444 COP 4.5M

$1,750 COP 5.5M

-17.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,057 COP 3.3M

$1,488 COP 4.7M

-28.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

13.88

-5.91%

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

Last update for Salento: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salento

$241 29.9%

Cali

$412 33.2% 70.9% $171

Groceries & Markets

Salento

$174 21.6%

Cali

$271 21.9% 56.3% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salento

$115 14.3%

Cali

$144 11.6% 25.6% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Salento

$112 13.9%

Cali

$154 12.4% 38.1% $43

Eating Out

Salento

$89 11%

Cali

$142 11.5% 60.8% $54

Getting Around

Salento

$44 5.4%

Cali

$76 6.1% 74.4% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Salento

$31 3.9%

Cali

$41 3.3% 32.1% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Salento and $713 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Salento vs $57 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $271 per month, with Salento cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Salento

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

06:55 6:55 AM

Same time as Salento

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,748

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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

Salento vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,207 in Salento and $1,862 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: $272 in Salento versus $713 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $242 in Salento versus $404 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Cali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $804 in Salento versus $1,241 in Cali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Cali. The gap between the two cities makes Salento the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.