What’s the daily travel cost for a solo traveler in Colombia? How much money do you need? The good news: Colombia is a very affordable destination for solo travelers, and the price-to-quality ratio for services is excellent!
Here is some initial orientation regarding travel costs and money in Colombia, plus top tips for traveling on a budget.
From a travel budget perspective Colombia is a great country for solo travelers since transport is cheap and even private rooms are affordable. If you cherish some amenities and like to take a tour every now and then, you could calculate a cost of roughly between 75-120 EUR or USD per day depending on your travel style. Of course, you can also spend more – or less – based on what suits your personal preferences and needs.
Bus: Bus transport across the country is cheap and the public transport network is great. An 8-hour bus ride from Bogota to Medellin may cost you around 20 EUR/USD. Good websites and apps to check bus connections in Colombia are Rome2Rio and Redbus Colombia.
Flight: There are also many cheap airlines in Colombia for inland flights with prices starting anywhere around 30 EUR/USD if you book well in advance. Check Google Flights, Skyscanner, Kayak, or Momondo for current offers. Find an overview of Colombian Budget Airlines in our article on How to get Around in Colombia
Taxi: Taxis and similar services (Uber, Cabify, Didi, InDriver) are also very affordable in Colombia. Prices may vary due to weather, time of the day and traffic.
The minimum taxi fare is approximately 7.400 COP.
The 15 km trip from Bogota airport to the central Chapinero neighborhood should cost around 50.000 COP (check USD/EUR) when there is low to medium traffic. Ask at the official taxi booth at the airport beforehand.
Outside of airports, booking transport via an app like Uber, Didi, Cabify, InDrive or Taxis Libres is the best option for safety and price transparency.
Don’t worry about the number displayed on the taxi meter: it’s a special unit. The conversion rate to calculate the actual cost in COP is indicated in the tables available inside the taxis. Some taximeters also alternate between the metering unit and the cost.
Tours and tour guides provide great value for money in Colombia.
Desayuno – Panadería: You can get complete, filling breakfast combos, including coffee or hot chocolate for around 15.000 COP (less than 4 USD or EUR) at local bakeries, so called panaderías.
Menú del día – Corrientazos (Budget Tip!): A “menú del día” (menu of the day) at a simple local restaurant (“corrientazo”) is available at lunch time (roughly between 11:30 AM and 5 PM) for less than 5 USD or EUR and includes a starter (soup or fresh fruit), a tasty main dish and a fresh juice or lemonade. Just head to the place where you see most locals (or ask the locals to recommend you “un buen corrientazo”).
Restaurants: Even less basic restaurants have great prices starting from somewhere around 10 EUR or USD for a main dish and a non-alcoholic drink. Of course, you can find also high-end restaurants in Colombia, especially in the big cities – and the food quality is amazing. In you are a foodie, you will love Bogotá’s gastronomy!
Local Markets (Budget Tip!): Local market are a great address to try the many exoctic fruits of Colombia at very cheap prices. The bigger local markets usually feature a restaurant area (often on the upper floor) where you can also get a menu del dia.
Colombia’s currency is the Colombian peso (COP, $). Check-out reliable online currency converters or apps for up-to-date exchange rates, for example XE Currency Converter.
Sometimes a K is used for abbreviating the thousands digits. The following are all alternatives for the same price: 20.000 COP, 20K, $ 20.000, $ 20K
Photo by Carlos Andrés Ruiz Palacio Colombian Pesos (mod.)
It’s easy to find ATMs for withdrawing money with international credit cards in Colombian cities. In remote areas it may be difficult, so make sure to withdraw enough money before traveling there.
When you get money at an ATM, there may be two types of fees: a fee from your credit or debit card issuer, and a fee from the Colombian bank. There are some credit and debit card issuers that offer international withdrawal without a fee, for example Free Mastercard Gold by Advanzia Bank and DKB Visa Card in Germany, or the US Charles Schwab Card.
ATM fees from Colombian banks typically vary roughly between 15.000 and almost 30.000 COP. Apart from the fee, you also need to consider the maximum withdrawal amount per transaction. Some banks only allow you to withdraw 300.000 COP at a time, whereas others allow up to 2.000.000 COP. It’s usually a good idea to reject the conversion rate offered at the ATM display. If you reject, the official conversion rate is applied which is normally much more convenient than the one proposed by the bank.
Which banks charge an ATM fee and how much may change rapidly in Colombia! It’s important to double-check when you are about to withdraw money. The ATM Fee Saver app for Android and iOS is a great way to stay up to date in this rather confusing world of Colombian ATM Fees.
You can change money in Colombia at authorized currency exchange offices, for example at the airport or in tourist areas. They typically offer competitive rates, however it makes sense to compare the rates and fees from several providers when changing money to make sure you get a good deal. You usually must show your passport to be able to exchange money in Colombia.
In Colombian restaurants, cafes and bars you are usually asked if you want to include a 10% service charge; an additional tip is not expected. You would normally accept this service charge unless there was really something wrong with the service. Tips in other places are not commonly expected, but if you do want to tip, 10-15% is a good orientation.
If you want to tip your tour guide, you may consider tipping 10-20% of the total tour cost. For free tours, tips are normally expected. The amount is up to you and depends on the length and your satisfaction with the tour. Read more in my article on Tours in Colombia.
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Last Update: May 8, 2025
Image Credit: Title image on top by Michael Barón (Unsplash), Shopping at a traditional market in Colombia (mod.)
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