Short answer: On the ground in Colombia, plan on roughly COP 135,000–310,000 (about $42–96) per person per day on a hostel-and-set-lunch budget, COP 350,000–900,000 ($108–278) in a mid-range hotel shared by two with taxis and a tour most days, and from about COP 1,200,000 ($370) for luxury hotels, private transfers and boat trips. A week therefore costs about $290–670, $755–1,945 or from about $2,600 per person, before international and domestic flights. For a reality check, non-resident visitors who flew in spent an average of $103 a day and $1,623 per trip in early 2025, over about 16 nights, according to Colombia’s statistics office, DANE.
Colombia is one of the best-value countries in South America, with a huge range of trips in one country: colonial Cartagena, the Caribbean beaches of Tayrona, the coffee farms around Salento, and big, lively cities in Bogotá and Medellín. A set lunch costs a few dollars, city transit about a dollar a ride, and foreign tourists can stay in hotels without paying the 19% VAT. The big costs are domestic flights, Cartagena hotels, island and boat trips, and the Colombian holiday peaks. This guide breaks it all down with figures from official sources, so you can build a realistic budget for your own trip to Colombia. The official reference rate (TRM) was about COP 3,240 to the US dollar in early October 2026; dollar figures here are rounded at that rate, and our Money exchange tool has today’s rate.
Colombia daily costs at a glance
These example days are built from the prices further down this page: one person, one city day in Bogotá, Medellín or Cartagena. They leave out flights, long-distance buses and park fees.
| Per person, per day | Budget | Mid-range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Hostel dorm bed: COP 45,000–120,000 | Half of a mid-range double at COP 250,000–800,000: COP 125,000–400,000 | Half of a luxury room from about COP 900,000: from COP 450,000 |
| Food | Street snacks, a set lunch and a simple dinner: COP 60,000–100,000 | A set lunch, coffee and half of a COP 200,000–500,000 dinner for two: COP 135,000–285,000 | Restaurant meals with drinks: about COP 400,000 |
| Transport | TransMilenio or Metro rides and one taxi: COP 10,000–30,000 | App taxis: COP 30,000–60,000 | Private driver or transfers: about COP 150,000 |
| Sights | Free walking, a museum or a short tour: COP 20,000–60,000 | One guided tour or day trip: COP 60,000–150,000 | Private tours or boat trips: from about COP 200,000 |
| Total | About COP 135,000–310,000 ($42–96) | About COP 350,000–900,000 ($108–278) | From about COP 1,200,000 ($370) |
Transit fares and park fees are official 2026 prices; room, meal, taxi and tour figures are the typical ranges used in our Colombia city guides. Treat them as typical ranges, not quotes. Cartagena sits at the top of each range, and smaller places such as Salento at the bottom.
What visitors actually spend in Colombia
DANE’s International Visitors Survey interviews travelers at the main international airports (Bogotá, Medellín-Rionegro, Cali and Cartagena) and the Cartagena cruise terminal. In January–March 2025, non-residents who arrived by air spent an average of $1,623 per trip and $103.20 per day, and stayed 15.9 nights on average. Visitors on vacation spent more than average: $1,752.90 per trip, or about $164 a night, while those visiting family and friends spent about $54 a night. More than half of all trips (54.7%) were vacations.
Spending also depends on where you go. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism put the average daily spend of international tourists in 2025 at $102.30 in Bogotá, $119.90 in Antioquia (the department around Medellín) and $211.50 in Bolívar, the department of Cartagena. On our Travel costs by country scale, which compares hotel, restaurant and transport prices with the United States (US = 100), Colombia scores 50. In plain words, typical travel prices are about half of US levels, cheaper than Costa Rica (67) or Mexico (69) and close to Ecuador (49).
Accommodation costs
Colombia has a big hostel scene and plenty of boutique hotels, so every budget is covered. As typical ranges, the same ones we use in our city guides:
| Place | Hostel dorm bed | Mid-range double |
|---|---|---|
| Cartagena (Getsemaní / walled city) | COP 60,000–120,000 ($19–37) | COP 400,000–800,000 ($125–245) |
| Bogotá (La Candelaria / Chapinero) | COP 45,000–90,000 ($14–28) | COP 250,000–500,000 ($75–155) |
| Medellín (El Poblado / Laureles) | COP 45,000–90,000 ($14–28) | COP 250,000–450,000 ($75–140) |
| Santa Marta | COP 40,000–80,000 ($12–25) | COP 200,000–400,000 ($60–125) |
| Salento | COP 40,000–70,000 ($12–22) | COP 180,000–350,000 ($55–110) |
| San Andrés (posada nativa / hotel) | Posada nativa double COP 180,000–350,000 | COP 350,000–650,000 ($108–200) |
Good news on tax: hotel services provided to non-resident foreign visitors by hotels in the National Tourism Register are exempt from Colombia’s 19% VAT (IVA), according to the tax authority, DIAN. The hotel must record your non-resident status, so show your passport and the record of your entry into Colombia at check-in; online travel sites may show prices with VAT included, so ask. Rates peak from mid-December to mid-January, in Holy Week and in the June–July school holidays.
Food and drink costs
The best value meal in Colombia is the menú del día or almuerzo corriente, a set lunch of soup, a main plate with rice, beans or salad, and a drink, typically COP 18,000–30,000 ($5.50–9) in Bogotá and Medellín and COP 20,000–35,000 in Cartagena. Street snacks such as an arepa de huevo or an empanada cost about COP 4,000–8,000, a bandeja paisa in a traditional Medellín restaurant about COP 30,000–45,000, and a specialty coffee in Bogotá about COP 7,000–12,000. On the coast, a fish lunch with coconut rice costs about COP 30,000–50,000 in Santa Marta.
Dinner is where costs climb: a dinner for two in a Bogotá Zona G restaurant runs about COP 200,000–400,000, and in Cartagena’s old city COP 250,000–500,000. Tap water is safe to drink in Bogotá, which saves on bottled water there.
Getting around: city transit, buses and domestic flights
- Bogotá: a ride on TransMilenio, TransMiZonal or TransMiCable costs COP 3,550 ($1.10) in 2026, according to the city government. A taxi from El Dorado airport to the north of the city typically costs COP 40,000–60,000.
- Medellín: the Metro, with its Metrocable lines, costs about COP 4,400 ($1.35) for a single ride for occasional users in 2026, as reported when the new fares took effect in January.
- Taxis: use ride-hailing apps or called taxis rather than hailing one on the street. In Cartagena, taxis have no meters and airport fares are fixed by zone; agree the price first.
- Long-distance buses: cheap and frequent, though journeys through the Andes are long; the local bus from Salento to Armenia or Pereira costs about COP 6,000–12,000.
- Domestic flights: the fastest way to link the coast, Bogotá, Medellín and the coffee region. Fares vary with demand, so book ahead for holiday weeks.
For routes and realistic travel times, see our Colombia itinerary for 7, 10 and 14 days.
Park fees, tours and free things to do
The best-known fixed fee is for Tayrona National Natural Park, near Santa Marta. According to the national parks service, non-resident foreign visitors pay COP 81,000 ($25) in low season and COP 96,500 ($30) in high season (December 1 to January 31, June 1 to July 31, Holy Week and long weekends), or COP 43,500 ($13) all year for the Bahía Concha sector, plus mandatory accident insurance. Tickets are sold daily at the entrances, with no advance reservations, and the park closes three times a year for rest periods, so check the dates before you go.
Typical prices for popular trips, from our city guides:
- Rosario Islands day tour by speedboat from Cartagena: COP 200,000–400,000, plus park fees.
- Guided Comuna 13 tour in Medellín: COP 60,000–150,000; Guatapé day tour with boat ride: COP 150,000–300,000.
- Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral day tour from Bogotá: COP 200,000–350,000.
- Coffee farm tour with tasting near Salento: COP 30,000–80,000; the Cocora Valley walk crosses private farms that charge small fees in cash.
- Lost City trek from Santa Marta, 4–6 days all-inclusive with a licensed operator: COP 1,800,000–2,600,000 ($555–800).
Free and cheap: walking the walls and plazas of Cartagena’s old city, Bogotá’s Sunday Ciclovía, when main roads close to cars, the street art of La Candelaria and Comuna 13, and the beaches near Santa Marta (see our beaches guide). Hikers will find trails across the Andes in our hiking guide, and our Top 10 places to visit in Colombia has more ideas.
Taxes and visitor fees
- VAT (IVA): 19%, included in shop and restaurant prices; hotel stays for non-resident foreigners are exempt, as above.
- Departure tax: usually included in your airline ticket, according to the UK government.
- San Andrés tourist card: every non-resident visitor buys one at the departure airport before flying to the island; the 2026 price was reported at COP 153,000 ($47), and children under seven and stays under 24 hours are exempt.
- Reciprocity fee for Canadians: Canadian citizens pay an entry fee, updated each year, according to the Canadian government; it does not apply to visitors flying straight to San Andrés.
- Park fees: national parks such as Tayrona charge entry, with higher rates for non-resident foreigners.
Tipping in Colombia
Restaurants usually suggest a 10% tip on the bill as a propina voluntaria. It is voluntary: you can accept it, change it or ask for it to be removed. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped, and guides on day tours appreciate a tip for good service. Our tip calculator does the math.
Money-saving tips for Colombia
- Claim the hotel VAT exemption. Show your passport and entry record at check-in, and check that the 19% is not on your bill.
- Eat the set lunch. The menú del día is the cheapest full meal of the day.
- Travel between Colombia’s holiday peaks. Late January to mid-March (outside Holy Week), late April to May and September to November bring the lowest prices. Our best time to visit Colombia guide has the month-by-month weather.
- Book domestic flights early, especially for the coast in December, January and Holy Week.
- Balance pricey and cheap places. Cartagena and San Andrés cost the most; Medellín, Santa Marta and Salento are better value.
- Use city transit. TransMilenio and the Medellín Metro cost about a dollar a ride.
Plan your trip: our free trip planner can build a day-by-day plan for Colombia from our guides to Cartagena, Medellín, Bogotá, Salento and Santa Marta. The Colombia itinerary shows how to combine them in one or two weeks, and the Money exchange tool turns pesos into your own currency.
Frequently asked questions
How much money do I need for a week in Colombia?
Using the example days above, seven days on the ground cost roughly COP 945,000–2,170,000 ($290–670) per person on a tight budget, COP 2,450,000–6,300,000 ($755–1,945) mid-range and from about COP 8,400,000 ($2,600) in comfort, before flights. DANE’s average of $103 a day puts a typical visitor’s week at about $720.
Is Colombia expensive?
No. On our travel cost scale Colombia scores 50 against 100 for the United States, so rooms, meals and transport cost about half of US prices. Cartagena is the exception: international tourists spend about twice as much a day in Bolívar, its department, as in Bogotá.
Do I need cash in Colombia?
Some. Cards are widely accepted in cities, but carry pesos in small notes for street food, buses, markets, park areas and small towns. ATMs are everywhere in cities; use machines inside banks or shopping centers during the day.
Do tourists pay VAT on hotels in Colombia?
Usually not. Hotel services for non-resident foreign visitors at hotels in the National Tourism Register are exempt from the 19% VAT, according to DIAN, as long as the hotel can document your non-resident status. Show your passport and entry record at check-in.
How much does Tayrona National Park cost?
For non-resident foreign visitors, COP 81,000 ($25) in low season and COP 96,500 ($30) in high season, or COP 43,500 ($13) for the Bahía Concha sector, plus mandatory accident insurance, according to the national parks service. Food and camping inside the park cost extra.
What is the cheapest month to visit Colombia?
Prices and crowds are lowest between Colombia’s own vacation seasons: late January to mid-March (outside Holy Week), late April to May, and September to November. Late January to March is also dry on the Caribbean coast, which makes it the best-value window for most trips.