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§ Ledger · Cost of Living

BogotávsMedellín

At the monthly tier, Medellín runs 7% cheaper than Bogotá: $1,400 against $1,500.

Tier
Bogotá
Medellín
Medellín against Bogotá
Shoestringthe floor
$950
$900
−5%cheaper than Bogotá
Monthlythe headline
$1,500
$1,400
−7%cheaper than Bogotá
Comfortthe nicer flat
$1,900
$1,800
−5%cheaper than Bogotá
Bakedeverything in
$2,600
$2,400
−8%cheaper than Bogotá
Bogotá, ColombiaGo, but stay alert

Cheaper than Medellín, but you trade the eternal spring for grey, cool 14°C drizzle and 2,640 m of altitude.

+10% YoYOPEN THE BOGOTÁ DOSSIER →
Medellín, ColombiaGo, but stay alert

El Poblado rents have jumped hard with the nomad wave, Laureles and Envigado are the value play now.

+15% YoYOPEN THE MEDELLÍN DOSSIER →

Type a number and each tier reads as a share of it. Nothing is saved, nothing is sent, and we do not guess a figure for you.

Tier
Bogotá
Medellín
Shoestring
—
—
Monthly
—
—
Comfort
—
—
Baked
—
—
§ The receipts

Line by line, category by category.

Housing

PERCENTS ARE AGAINST THE SITE MEDIAN FOR THAT LINE
Bogotá · 12 lines
1BR apt · Chapinero / Zona G$763/mo−58% below median
1BR apt · Teusaquillo$604/mo−65% below median
Co-living room$400/mo−57% below median
2BR apt · Chapinero$1,430/mo
2BR apt · Teusaquillo$890/mo
2BR apt · Chicó Norte$2,066/mo
2BR apt · El Nogal$2,701/mo
2BR apt · El Virrey$2,114/mo
2BR apt · Los Rosales$2,352/mo
2BR apt · Santa Bárbara$1,526/mo
2BR apt · Usaquén$1,335/mo
2BR apt · Bogotá · citywide$715/mo
Medellín · 6 lines
1BR apt · El Poblado (center)$1,373/mo+4% above median
1BR apt · Laureles / Envigado$1,200/mo−5% below median
Co-living room$420/mo−55% below median
2BR apt · El Poblado$2,010/mo
2BR apt · Laureles$890/mo
2BR apt · Belén$842/mo

Food

PERCENTS ARE AGAINST THE SITE MEDIAN FOR THAT LINE
Bogotá · 4 lines
Set lunch (corrientazo)$3.50−62% below median
Restaurant dinner for 2 · mid$28−52% below median
Tinto / coffee$1−60% below median
Groceries · solo, monthly$250-300/mo−43% below median
Medellín · 4 lines
Set lunch (menú del día)$4−60% below median
Restaurant dinner for 2 · mid$30−50% below median
Cappuccino (El Poblado)$2.50−45% below median
Groceries · solo, monthly$220/mo−40% below median

Work

PERCENTS ARE AGAINST THE SITE MEDIAN FOR THAT LINE
Bogotá · 2 lines
Coworking day pass$9/day−52% below median
Coworking · monthly$140/mo−48% below median
Medellín · 2 lines
Coworking day pass$10/day−50% below median
Coworking · monthly$110/mo−45% below median

Transit

PERCENTS ARE AGAINST THE SITE MEDIAN FOR THAT LINE
Bogotá · 2 lines
TransMilenio ride$0.80−55% below median
Uber / DiDi across town$3.50−55% below median
Medellín · 2 lines
Metro ride$0.80−55% below median
Uber / DiDi across town$4−52% below median

Life

PERCENTS ARE AGAINST THE SITE MEDIAN FOR THAT LINE
Bogotá · 3 lines
Gym · mid$28/mo−52% below median
SIM / phone · 10GB$11/mo−60% below median
Spanish class · group, hr$8/hr−55% below median
Medellín · 3 lines
Gym · mid$30/mo−50% below median
SIM / phone · 10GB$12/mo−58% below median
Spanish class · group, hr$8/hr−55% below median

Sources: Nomad Insiders city audits. Bogotá last audited Jun 14, 2026; Medellín last audited Jun 13, 2026. Each line is a real receipt from the city file; the percent beside it compares that line with the median for the same line across every audited city.

§ More pairs

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← The full ledger, all 85 cities

Figures are Nomad Insiders audited snapshots in USD, last reviewed Jun 14, 2026. Rents move; treat anything older than a quarter as a floor, not a quote.