Bogotá, Colombia
Can I live in Bogotá on $2,000/month?
Bogotá isn’t a very popular destination with expats and digital nomads. Most head to Medellín instead. Due to its popularity, Medellín has gotten pretty expensive in recent years. Bogotá is worth considering if you want to get off the tourist trail. It’s also quite a bit more affordable. It’s a great value destination. There is also great hiking nearby, great coffee and beer, and the locals are friendly.
A couple of neighborhoods worth considering include Chapinero and Chico. These areas are relatively secure and can be pretty walkable. You could get a decent apartment in one of these areas for under $600 per month. If you want to live in a more touristy area, you could live in La Candelaria.
One major drawback to living here is the traffic. It’s bad. It’s also not the safest city. It’s generally unsafe to walk around late at night. The weather is also a bit gloomy for some people. The daily high is usually in the 60s and it rains quite a bit. Personally, I enjoy the cooler weather.
I have family in Bogotá so I have spent quite a bit of time there over the years. It’s not the most beautiful city but it is comfortable. It’s a massive place with every modern comfort you could imagine available. It also has a bit of a gritty feel in places, which I enjoy.
Starting numbers checked . Every line below is editable. The estimates include often-forgotten costs like flights home and visas, plus what you lose moving money into COP. The calculator will show you your true monthly burn rate as well as your adjusted exchange rate.
01
Money in
If income varies, enter a typical month in the currency you think in.
Not in the list? Choose “Enter my own…” and type the 3-letter code (GEL, VND, COP…).
02
True FX
How you turn this money into something you can spend.
How you receive money
These are typical estimates. Open Adjust fees if yours are different.
Loading live rate…
After fees
1 USD = 3,053 COP
Mid-market is 3,075. You lose about 7.00 USD per $1,000 moved.
Adjust feesThese are typical estimates, not official numbers from the company›
Change these if your app or bank is different from the typical numbers.
03
Monthly costs
Start with these. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
Forgotten expenses
$483/mo
Expenses people often forget
›
Forgotten expenses
$483/mo
Expenses people often forget
Flights home, visas, a house helper. Turn off anything that isn’t you.
True monthly burn
$1,986
6,108,412 COP
Keep $14
Bogotá cost of living breakdown
The figures the calculator starts with plus some notes. Everything here is an estimate you should change for your situation.
| Expense | Starting estimate | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday costs | $1,310/mo | |
| Rent | $600/mo | $600 |
A decent studio or 1-bedroom apartment in a safe neighborhood starts at around 1.2 million COP (around $400). For a nicer apartment, expect to spend closer to 1.8-2.2 million COP (around $600-$750). You can find cheaper options, but they may or may not be safe. | ||
| Utilities | $60/mo | $60 |
| Food | $300/mo | $300 |
To me, Colombian food isn't too exciting. I do a lot of cooking at home. I spent around 150,000 COP (around $50) per week on food. I would go out to eat a few times per month. | ||
| Transport | $50/mo | $50 |
A ride on the TransMilenio or SITP bus costs 2,950 COP (around $1.00). | ||
| Phone & internet | $50/mo | $50 |
My phone bill was around 30,000 COP (around $10.00) per month for 10GB of data. | ||
| Health (local) | $100/mo | $100 |
For private health insurance for a foreigner, the price depends on your age. For a younger person in their 20s or 30s, expect to spend around $80-$100 per month. For someone in their 40s or 50s, expect to spend double that. | ||
| Entertainment | $150/mo | $150 |
| Easy to forget | $483/mo | |
| Flights homeHolidays, family visits | $1,200/yr | $100 |
Flights between the U.S. and Bogotá are relatively cheap. A round-trip ticket usually costs around $500-$650 from Los Angeles. | ||
| In-country tripsWeekends, nearby cities | $500/yr | $42 |
There are some great day trips and weekend trips you can take from Bogotá, including Chicaque Natural Park and the Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral. With a bit more time, you could visit the Coffee Triangle. | ||
| Visa / border runsPermits, overstays | $200/yr | $17 |
The digital nomad visa costs around $177 in fees. | ||
| Travel insurance | $50/mo | $50 |
| Phone, laptop, clothes | $600/yr | $50 |
Electronics are expensive in Colombia due to high taxes. Most imports have a 19% VAT (known as IVA in Colombia). There are also import duties that add 20% to 30%. | ||
| Laundry / cleaning help | $30/mo | $30 |
| Medical bufferClinics, meds insurance skips | $50/mo | $50 |
| Emergency fund | $100/mo | $100 |
| SubscriptionsStreaming, iCloud, software | $30/mo | $30 |
| Home SIM for 2FA | $15/mo | $15 |
| Bad-week buffer, 10% on top | $179 | |
| Cost of moving money in via Wise | $14 | |
| True monthly burn in Bogotá | $1,986 | |
That is about 6,108,412 COP a month at roughly 3,075 COP to 1 USD; the calculator above uses the live rate. On $2,000 a month you would keep $14, and $10,000 of savings would last 5.0 months with no income. 5 more expenses are switched off by default. Turn on the ones that apply to you.
Run the numbers somewhere else
Same calculator, different starting figures. Bogotá lands at $1,986 a month on the defaults above.
Cheaper than Bogotá
- Nairobi, Kenya$1,831/mo
- Kampala, Uganda$1,705/mo
More expensive than Bogotá
- Bangkok, Thailand$1,994/mo
- Istanbul, Turkey$2,125/mo
- Tijuana, Mexico$2,158/mo