Colombia, Bogota

Country Full Name: Republic of Colombia.

Location: Colombia is in Northern South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama.

Country Climate: Tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands.

Country Terrain: Flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains.

Major Languages: Spanish.

Major Religions: Christianity.

Population: 48.3 million (2008 est.) 49.0 million (2009 est.).

Country Economy: The economy of Colombia is that of a free market economy with major commercial and investment ties to the United Nations. Transition from a highly regulated economy has been underway for more than a decade.

Currency: Colombian Peso (COP).

Inflation: 3.7% (2011 est.).

City: Bogota is the capital city of Colombia.

City Economy: Bogota is Colombia's largest economic center and most companies in Colombia have their headquarters in the city. Bogota is also a major center for the import and export of goods for Colombia and the Andean Community in Latin America.

The cost of living in Bogota in Colombia is high compared to other places. The overall cost of living is determined using the prices for defined quantities of the same goods and services across 13 Basket Groups. Bogota in Colombia is currently ranked 231 overall out of 950 places (rank 1 is most expensive: rank 950 is least expensive). The cost of living rank for each of the 13 Basket Groups is as follows:

Alcohol & Tobacco costs are very high compared to other places for items such as alcoholic beverages, alcohol at a bar, beer, locally produced spirit, whiskey, and wine (where alcohol is legally sold) as well as for tobacco products such as cigarettes. There are 4 places that are more expensive, and 945 places that are less expensive for alcohol and or tobacco.

Clothing costs are high compared to other places for items such as clothing and footwear products, business suits, casual clothing, childrens clothing and footwear, coats and hats, evening wear, shoe repairs, and underwear. There are 219 places that are more expensive, and 730 places that are less expensive for clothing.

Communication costs are very high compared to other places for various communication costs such as home telephone rental and call charges, internet connection and service provider fees, mobile / cellular phone contract, data, and calls. There are 25 places that are more expensive, and 924 places that are less expensive for communication.

Education costs are average compared to other places for items such as creche / pre-school fees, high school / college fees, primary school fees, and tertiary study fees. There are 530 places that are more expensive, and 419 places that are less expensive for education.

Furniture & Appliance costs are very high compared to other places for items such as furniture, household equipment and appliances, DVD player, fridge freezer, iron, kettle, toaster, microwave, light bulbs, television, vacuum cleaner, and washing machine. There are 104 places that are more expensive, and 845 places that are less expensive for furniture and appliances.

Grocery costs are low compared to other places for items such as food, non-alcoholic beverages and cleaning material items such as baby consumables, baked goods, baking, canned foods, cheese, cleaning products, dairy, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, meat, oil & vinegars, pet food, pre-prepared meals, sauces, seafood, snacks, soft drinks, spices & herbs . There are 624 places that are more expensive, and 325 places that are less expensive for groceries.

Healthcare costs are low compared to other places for general healthcare, medical and medical insurance, general practitioner consultation rates, hospital private ward daily rate, non-prescription medicine, and private medical insurance / medical aid contributions. There are 644 places that are more expensive, and 305 places that are less expensive for healthcare.

Household Accommodation costs are high compared to other places for items such as housing, water, electricity, household gas, household fuels, local rates and residential taxes, mortgage, house / flat rental, household electricity consumption, household gas / fuel consumption, household water consumption, and local property rates / taxes / levies. There are 206 places that are more expensive, and 743 places that are less expensive for household accommodation.

Miscellaneous costs are low compared to other places for items such as stationery, linen, general goods and services, domestic help, dry cleaning, linen, office supplies, newspapers and magazines, and postage stamps. There are 700 places that are more expensive, and 249 places that are less expensive for miscellaneous items.

Personal Care costs are average compared to other places for items such as personal care products and services, cosmetics, hair care, moisturizer / sun block, nappies, pain relief tablets, toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap / shampoo / conditioner. There are 559 places that are more expensive, and 390 places that are less expensive for personal care.

Recreation and Culture costs are very high compared to other places for items such as books, camera film, cinema tickets, DVDs and CDs, sports goods, and theatre tickets. There are 71 places that are more expensive, and 878 places that are less expensive for recreation and culture.

Restaurants, Meals Out and Hotel costs are average compared to other places for items such as a business dinner, dinner at a restaurant (non fast food), hotel rates, take away drinks and snacks (fast food). There are 402 places that are more expensive, and 547 places that are less expensive for restaurants, meals out and hotels.

Transport costs are low compared to other places for items such as public transport, vehicle costs, vehicle fuel, vehicle insurance and vehicle maintenance, hire purchase / lease of vehicle, petrol / diesel, public transport service maintenance, tires, vehicle Insurance, and vehicle purchase. There are 671 places that are more expensive, and 278 places that are less expensive for transport.

Personalized cost of living indexes for Bogota in Colombia are based on the basket groups and comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

In terms of the hardship people are likely to experience, assessed in global terms, Bogota in Colombia is ranked as high degree of hardship with a hardship index of 30%.

Personalized hardship index premiums for Bogota in Colombia are based on the comparison location(s) selected in the Calculators.

Note: Xpatulator.com data is updated quarterly. The latest update is at at 1 January 2012. Create a personalized cost of living comparison report using the calculators:
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