Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,323 a month against $1,684 in San Juan, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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San Juan

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,684

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan 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 San Juan and in Bogota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,684 per month in San Juan vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan $1,684
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $2,772 per month in San Juan vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan $2,772
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $3,861 per month in San Juan vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan $3,861
Bogota $2,897

San Juan costs about 27% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

San Juan sits 25% above the global median, while Bogota is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.36 ₡5,541

$7.65 COP 24.3K

61.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 ₡27.5K

$41.44 COP 131.4K

47.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.46 ₡5,139

$10.38 COP 32.9K

10.40%

Cappuccino

$4.42 ₡1,982

$2.53 COP 8,011

74.70%

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

$2.77 ₡1,240

$1.35 COP 4,277

105.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡870

$0.87 COP 2,752

122.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 ₡1,483

$2.06 COP 6,542

60.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 ₡1,996

$3.98 COP 12.6K

11.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.34 ₡1,052

$1.65 COP 5,240

41.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 ₡1,425

$2.40 COP 7,618

32.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,125

$1.69 COP 5,345

48.52%

Eggs

$3.46 ₡1,551

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-2.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.66 ₡4,782

$7.89 COP 25.0K

35.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 ₡4,633

$7.30 COP 23.1K

41.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 ₡6,233

$9.87 COP 31.3K

40.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 ₡2,230

$3.58 COP 11.4K

38.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 ₡714

$1.84 COP 5,822

-13.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 ₡2,079

$1.90 COP 6,012

144.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 ₡1,771

$1.74 COP 5,517

127.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,731

$1.41 COP 4,484

173.76%

Onion (1kg)

$3.75 ₡1,684

$1.37 COP 4,332

173.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 ₡479

$1.30 COP 4,131

-17.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 ₡1,379

$1.15 COP 3,643

167.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 ₡2,691

$4.32 COP 13.7K

38.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 ₡8,844

$12.76 COP 40.5K

54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 ₡1,236

$1.43 COP 4,542

93.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 ₡1,654

$2.83 COP 8,986

30.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$1.08 COP 3,434

26.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 ₡1,079

$2.38 COP 7,550

1.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 ₡693

$2.34 COP 7,411

-34.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.58 ₡3,849

$9.20 COP 29.2K

-6.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡695

$1.33 COP 4,213

16.54%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$23.5K COP 74.4M

-7.84%

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

$34.9K ₡15.6M

$35.6K COP 113.0M

-2.18%

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

$96.4 ₡43.2K

$125 COP 397.8K

-23.18%

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

$35.06 ₡15.7K

$16.29 COP 51.6K

115.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.3 ₡26.6K

$30.21 COP 95.8K

96.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 ₡30.0K

$34.11 COP 108.2K

96.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ₡3,362

$7.84 COP 24.8K

-4.34%

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

$1,001 ₡449.1K

$501 COP 1.6M

99.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K ₡7.6M

$7,450 COP 23.6M

126.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 ₡31.8K

$82.8 COP 262.6K

-14.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 ₡24.8K

$47.40 COP 150.3K

16.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 ₡56.6K

$142 COP 449.4K

-10.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.2K

$106 COP 337.4K

26.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$717 ₡321.3K

$803 COP 2.5M

-10.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$593 ₡266.1K

$452 COP 1.4M

31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,850 ₡829.6K

$1,244 COP 3.9M

48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,386 ₡621.4K

$974 COP 3.1M

42.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 COP 8.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,354 COP 7.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

12.81

-32.71%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 13, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$593 35.2%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 23.9% $142

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$398 23.6%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 34.5% $137

Eating Out

San Juan

$231 13.7%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 35% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$191 11.3%

Bogota

$172 13% 9.9% $19

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$174 10.3%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 2.1% $3.7

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$82 4.9%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 39.2% $32

Getting Around

San Juan

$16 * 0.9%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 343% $54

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $717 in San Juan versus $803 in Bogota. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Juan versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $398 vs $261 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Juan

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

08:39 8:39 AM

09:39 9:39 AM

1 h ahead of San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,000

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

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).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

San Juan Bogota 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

San Juan
Bogota

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

San Juan vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Juan is pricier by about 27%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,526 per month in San Juan and $1,985 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in San Juan and $41.00 in Bogota. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 53% more in San Juan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,323, than in San Juan at $1,684. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bogota. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.