Bogota vs San Jose: cost of living for digital nomads

Bogota, Colombia and San Jose, Costa Rica, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Bogota is about 32% cheaper than San Jose for a month of nomad living ($1,300 vs $1,900).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $580 in Bogota against $900 in San Jose.
  • San Jose scores higher on safety (7/10 vs 6/10).
  • Internet is faster in Bogota: 100 Mbps typical against 80 Mbps.
  • Bogota is temperate; San Jose is tropical.

Bogota wins 6 of the measured lines; San Jose wins 1.

LineBogotaSan Jose
Monthly total (USD)$1,300$1,900
Rent$580$900
Food$360$480
Transport$45$55
Coworking$110$140
Safety (out of 10)6/107/10
Internet (Mbps)10080
Climatetemperatetropical
City sizemetrometro
Settingmountaininland
Nomad score (out of 10)8/108/10

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Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.