I remember before I came to Bogotá wondering about how expensive it would be and how far I could go with what I’d be earning. I searched the internet frantically for information but found it to be unreliable or out of date. With this in mind, I’d like to share with you a little information about the cost of living in Bogotá. If you’re after the cost of living in Medellín, Barranquilla, Cali or another of Colombia’s bigger cities, just take a little off the costs here. All prices are in Colombian pesos with US Dollars in brackets.
Basic living
Basic room/shared apartment: $300,000 – $500,000 ($170 – $280)
Own apartment/large shared apartment: $800,000 – $1.5m ($450 – $845)
Weekly shopping (just food): $100,000 ($56)
Transport
Average taxi ride: $8,000 ($4.50)
Transmilenio: $1,700 ($0.95)
Bus: $1,400 ($1,450 at night) ($0.80)
Bus to different city: $60,000 ($34)
Plane to different city: $175,000 ($98)
Entertainment
Cheap lunch: $4,000 – $8,000 ($2.25 – $4.50)
Expensive lunch: $15,000 ($8.50)
Cheap dinner: $8,000 – $14,000 ($4.50 – $7.90)
Expensive dinner: $20,000 – $30,000 ($11.25 – $17)
Entry to club: $10,000 – $20,000 (usually with a drink) ($5.60 – $11.25)
Cinema: $14,000 ($7.90)
Drink
Tinto: $1,500 ($0.85)
Cappuccino: $2,500 ($1.40)
Soda: $2,000 ($1.10)
Beer in shop: $1,500 – $2,000 ($0.85 – $1.10)
Beer in club: $3,000 – $8,000 ($1.70 – $4.50)
Pint of beer in pub: $9,000 ($5)
Spirit & Mixer: $7,000 ($3.90)
Medium bottle of rum (shop): $12,000 ($6.75)
Medium bottle of rum (club): $50,000 ($28)
Medium bottle of aguardiente (shop): $9,000 ($5)
Medium bottle of aguardiente (club): $40,000 ($22.50)
Obviously prices vary depending on where you are, but as a rough guide you’ll find most things to be around the prices quoted here. Life in general is much cheaper than it is in Europe or the States, but there is the potential to spend just as much as you would there if you opt for the high-end options all the time. Equally, if you want to save money it’s easy to get by on very little. Essentially you’ll find that, compared with other South American countries such as Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, Colombia is relatively expensive. If you’re accustomed to prices in Europe or the US, however, prepare to enjoy yourself.
Paul
