Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan del Sur and Bogota

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan del Sur: $1,058 a month against $1,323 in Bogota, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

51

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

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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San Juan del Sur

🇳🇮 Nicaragua

$1,058

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,058 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,058
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $1,682 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $1,682
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $2,307 per month in San Juan del Sur vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

San Juan del Sur $2,307
Bogota $2,897

San Juan del Sur is about 20% cheaper than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both San Juan del Sur and Bogota are more affordable than the global median – San Juan del Sur 22% lower, Bogota 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.17 NIO 153

$7.65 COP 24.3K

-45.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.08 NIO 1,248

$41.44 COP 131.4K

-17.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 NIO 204

$10.38 COP 32.9K

-46.34%

Cappuccino

$2.56 NIO 93.7

$2.53 COP 8,011

1.19%

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

$0.86 NIO 31.37

$1.35 COP 4,277

-36.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 NIO 25.02

$0.87 COP 2,752

-21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.47 NIO 53.8

$2.06 COP 6,542

-28.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NIO 81.8

$3.98 COP 12.6K

-43.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 NIO 45.36

$1.65 COP 5,240

-24.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 NIO 55.9

$2.40 COP 7,618

-36.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 NIO 43.56

$1.69 COP 5,345

-29.59%

Eggs

$2.44 NIO 89.2

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-31.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.71 NIO 283

$7.89 COP 25.0K

-2.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.15 NIO 225

$7.30 COP 23.1K

-15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.84 NIO 287

$9.87 COP 31.3K

-20.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.10 NIO 150

$3.58 COP 11.4K

14.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.62 NIO 22.71

$1.84 COP 5,822

-66.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 NIO 67.3

$1.90 COP 6,012

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 NIO 89.9

$1.74 COP 5,517

40.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 NIO 114

$1.41 COP 4,484

120.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 NIO 79.9

$1.37 COP 4,332

59.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 NIO 38.54

$1.30 COP 4,131

-19.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 NIO 38.52

$1.15 COP 3,643

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.76 NIO 101

$4.32 COP 13.7K

-36.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.76 NIO 357

$12.76 COP 40.5K

-23.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 NIO 51.9

$1.43 COP 4,542

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 NIO 79.7

$2.83 COP 8,986

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.08 COP 3,434

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 NIO 58.0

$2.38 COP 7,550

-33.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 NIO 60.3

$2.34 COP 7,411

-29.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.87 NIO 252

$9.20 COP 29.2K

-25.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 NIO 49.13

$1.33 COP 4,213

0.75%

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

$22.8K NIO 836.8K

$23.5K COP 74.4M

-2.67%

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

$26.7K NIO 977.1K

$35.6K COP 113.0M

-25.15%

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

$60.8 NIO 2,225

$125 COP 397.8K

-51.57%

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

$10.32 NIO 378

$16.29 COP 51.6K

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.01 NIO 1,209

$30.21 COP 95.8K

9.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.51 NIO 1,118

$34.11 COP 108.2K

-10.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$9.23 NIO 338

$7.84 COP 24.8K

17.73%

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

$233 NIO 8,530

$501 COP 1.6M

-53.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,128 NIO 224.4K

$7,450 COP 23.6M

-17.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 NIO 2,237

$82.8 COP 262.6K

-26.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$66.1 NIO 2,421

$47.40 COP 150.3K

39.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 NIO 4,500

$142 COP 449.4K

-13.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 NIO 5,331

$106 COP 337.4K

36.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$423 NIO 15.5K

$803 COP 2.5M

-47.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 NIO 14.4K

$452 COP 1.4M

-12.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 NIO 34.1K

$1,244 COP 3.9M

-25.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$797 NIO 29.2K

$974 COP 3.1M

-18.13%

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)

$346 NIO 12.7K

$813 COP 2.6M

-57.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.92

12.81

-6.95%

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

Last update for San Juan del Sur: October 12, 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 del Sur

$393 37.2%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 14.9% $59

Groceries & Markets

San Juan del Sur

$225 21.3%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 16% $36

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan del Sur

$178 16.8%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 4.4% $7.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan del Sur

$104 9.8%

Bogota

$172 13% 65.2% $68

Eating Out

San Juan del Sur

$99 9.3%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 51.8% $51

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan del Sur

$49 4.6%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 1.7% $0.8

Getting Around

San Juan del Sur

$9.8 * 0.9%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 605% $59

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $423 in San Juan del Sur 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.

Salaries run about 135% higher in Bogota, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in San Juan del Sur versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $225 vs $261 – making San Juan del Sur the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇮 San Juan del Sur

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h ahead of San Juan del Sur

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,741

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Nicaraguan Córdoba NIO C$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NIO = 2.73 USD

100 NIO = 2.43 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NIO – Nicaraguan Córdoba Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇮 Nicaraguan Córdoba (C$)

Nicaraguan Córdoba exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 36.62 NIO (100 NIO = 2.73 USD). 1 EUR = 41.17 NIO (100 NIO = 2.43 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 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 NIO in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Juan del Sur Bogota 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 25%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,586 per month in San Juan del Sur 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 San Juan del Sur, 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 $34.00 in San Juan del Sur 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 16% more in Bogota, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan del Sur, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Bogota at $1,323. In San Juan del Sur it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Juan del Sur – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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