Which place is cheaper, Bogota or Medellin?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations. These travel costs come from the actual spending of real travelers.
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Should you visit Medellin or Bogota?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Medellin or Bogota? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Medellin or Bogota?
Medellin
In addition to big improvements in public safety, Medellin has witnessed a huge surge in urban development projects, including Colombia's first metro system and cable cars to service poorer neighborhoods located high on the mountain sides. There is an abundance of parks, libraries, museums and public spaces with many cultural events taking place. Many travelers also enjoy visiting the surrounding villages, where life is simple and landscapes and nature reserves are wonderful. Medellin has now become one of the "it" cities in the world, with tons of tourists visiting and foreigners settling and retiring here. Beautiful mountains, warm weather, friendly locals, and a vibrant culture are just a few of the reasons why you should visit Medellin.
Bogota
Sprawling across a high altitude in the Columbian Andes region, Bogota is the capital city of Columbia. It is a mix of the old and new with century-old plazas and churches shadowed by towering skyscrapers, museums representing the history, art, and culture of the region, as well as a mix of distinct neighborhoods from quaint and historic to trendy and contemporary.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Adventure Tours to Colombia, The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia, and The Best Luxury Tours to Colombia.
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Medellin Prices
Colombia PricesBogota Prices
Colombia Prices -
Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayMedellin $29Bogota $61
The average daily cost (per person) in Medellin is $29, while the average daily cost in Bogota is $61. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Medellin and Bogota in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personMedellin $4.64Bogota $26
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomMedellin $9.28Bogota $52
Compare Hotels in Medellin and Bogota
Looking for a hotel in Medellin or Bogota? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Medellin Hotel Prices and Bogota Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Medellin $4.05Bogota $8.57
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Medellin:
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Taxi$1.61
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Medellin
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Medellin:
- Transfer from or to Medellin's airport: $65
- Transfer from Medellin - Airport OR from Airport - Medellin: $49
- Transfer airport JMC - Medellin or vice versa - Private : $39
- Seamless Transfer: JMC (MDE) Airport ↔ El Peñol & Guatapé: $289
- Private tour transfer from Medellin to JMC airport, or: $25
- Private Transfer from Medellín City to José María Córdova (MDE) Airport: $69
- Private Transfer from MDE Airport to Hotels and City of Medellín: $49
- Private Transfer Jose Marie Cordova Airport to Medellin Bello: $100
- Private Transfer José María Cordova Airport in Medellín: $38
- Private Round Transfer to Guatape lakes and Penol rock!: $239
- Private Medellin MDE airport pick up transfer service one way: $35
- Private Arrival Transfer : From Airport to Medellín Hotels : $67
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Bogota
Some typical examples of transportation costs in Bogota are as follows:
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Taxi from Airport$7.39
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Taxi Ride$0.38
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2 Bus Passes$0.87
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Bogota
Also for Bogota, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Bogota Airport (BOG) to Bogota - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $36
- Bogota Airport BOG to Downtown Hotels Arrival Private Transfer: $23
- Bogota to or from Villavicencio Private Transfer: $94
- Downtown Hotels to Bogota Airport BOG Departure Private Transfer: $23
- El Dorado Airport Transfer: Direct to Your Hotel or Accommodation: $30
- Layover Bogotá Private Tour + Transfer in & Out (4 Hrs.) : $179
- Private Arrival Transfer : From Airport to Bogotá Hotels : $36
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: El Dorado Airport: $13
- Private Bogota Airport - Hotel Transfer: Safe, Fast, and Reliable: $21
- Private Bogota Airport drop-off Transfer: $59
- Private Hotel to Airport Transfer service in Bogota: $17
- Private One Way Transfer: Bogota Airport (BOG) from/to Bogota: $30
Is it cheaper to fly into Medellin or Bogota?
Prices for flights to both Bogota and Medellin change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayMedellin $16Bogota $23
Typical Food Prices in Medellin
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for food and meal costs in Medellin:
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Lunch$2.05
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Medellin
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Medellin.
- Medellín: Comuna 13 True Story and Street Food Tour: $11
- Medellín: Empanada Cooking Class by Local Chef in Comuna 13: $19
- Private Empanada Cooking Class in Guatape: $30
- A night in Medellín: food tour and bars in El Poblado!: $32
- Laureles Food Tour: $35
- Medellín: Comuna 13 Street Art and Street Food Tour: $38
- Food tour with 12 tastings in the best area of Medellin: $40
- Medellín: Guided Street Food Tour with Tastings (El Poblado): $56
- Private Night City Tour on Electric Bicycle + Gourmet Dinner: $59
- Cooking class: Street Food & Mojito making: $60
- Medellin Night E-Bike Tour with Gourmet Dinner Included: $60
- Community project cooking class and Medellin social transformation tour: $64
Typical Food Prices in Bogota
For Bogota, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast$1.54
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Hot Dog$0.90
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Bogota
For Bogota, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Viejo Bogota Food Tour with 12+ Tastings: $49
- PALOQUEMAO MARKET FOOD TOUR. EXOTIC FRUIT. LOCAL SNACKS. /Min 2 pax: $55
- Food Tour in La Candelaria Bogotá: $60
- Flavors of Colombia: Chapinero Street Food Tour: $73
- Food Tour in Historic Downtown with a Food Scholar and Tastings: $75
- Colombian Cooking Class in Bogota with a Local Chef: $102
- Tropical Abundance: Interactive Cooking Class in Bogota: $176
- Bogotá Food Tour. Exotic Fruits and local Cuisine.: $180
- Gastronomic Tour and Cooking Workshop: $213
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Medellin $12Bogota $13
Tours and Activities in Medellin
Here are a few actual costs in Medellin for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- Atv or quats Tour adventure Quads tour in MEDELLÍN : $90
- Comuna 13 + Medellin City Tour: $251
- Historical Tour in Pablo Escobar : $35
- Medellin City Private Tour: $85
- 2 Day Private Jardin Tour with Activities from Medellin: $260
- 2 Days Medellin autentic Coffee Farm Experience : $225
- 2 Hour Medellin Off Road ATV Experiences: $160
- 2-Hours Street Art Walking Tour in Medellin Comuna 13: $24
- 4-Hour Medellin, Envigado & Sabaneta Three County Tour: $79
- 4x4 ATV Adventure from Medellin with Scenic Views, Lunch & Pickup: $120
- 5-Hour Coffee and Pablo Express Mix Tour in Medellín: $140
- 9-Hour Full Day Tour of Pablo Escobar Including C13, Museum and Barrio PE: $245
Typical Entertainment Prices in Bogota
Below are a few sample prices from actual travelers for Bogota's activities, tours, and tickets:
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Beer$1.28
Tours and Activities in Bogota
For Bogota, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Theatron Party-Tour, 20 Clubs, Map, cocktail, bottle, After-party: $5.00
- Botanical Garden José Celestino Mutis Photo Tour in Bogota: $5.80
- Bogotá: La Macarena to Parque Nacional Walking Audio Tour: $5.99
- Traditional Bogotá: A Self-Guided Audio Tour: $5.99
- Colonial Bogotá: A Self-Guided Audio Tour of La Candelaria: $5.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - El Dorado Expedition, Part II: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - El Dorado Expedition, Part I : $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Paranormal Candelaria: $10
- Armed Conflict and Violence Tour in Bogotá, Colombia: $12
- Shared Tour Colombian Conflict: war, drug trafficking and peace: $13
- Bogota Shared Gastronomy Tour in the Historic Center: $13
- Shared Walking Tour of Bogotá's Historic Center Candelaria: $14
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayMedellin $7.04Bogota $13
Sample the Local Flavors in Medellin
Also in Medellin, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Pub Crawl in El Poblado with Drinks, Games and VIP: $7.50
- Medellin Pub Crawl in El Poblado with Drinks Games and VIP: $12
- Guided Medellin Pub Crawl: $18
- The Medellin Pub Crawl: $20
- Rooftop Bar Crawl with VIP Access & Hidden Clubs: $27
- Live the Nightlife Rooftop Pub Crawl : $49
- Medellín Nightlife: Rooftop Bar Crawl: $85
- Night Out Gay Bar Crawl in Medellin: $130
- NightOUT Medellin Gay Bar Crawl: $150
- Medellin LGBTQ Rooftop Bar Crawl: $150
- Medellín Pub Crawl Tour with Drinks: $175
Sample the Local Flavors in Bogota
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Bogota:
- Thursday Bar Crawl in Bogotá, Colombia: $25
- Saturday Night Bar Crawl in Bogotá, Colombia: $25
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Medellin and Bogota, we can see that Bogota is more expensive. And not only is Medellin much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Medellin would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Medellin and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Bogota would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Bogota than you might in Medellin.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Medellin Expensive? and Is Bogota Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Medellin or Bogota?
Bogota has a larger population, and is about 4 times larger than the population of Medellin. When comparing the sizes of Medellin and Bogota, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.