Cost of living

[AltoHombre]

I know we keep going over some of the same basic things. So here we go again. How does the cost of food in Colombia compare with the cost of food in the US. I mean comparatively speaking, how much of a difference is there in the raw ingredients. If I was going to live in Colombia for a month, and cook in my house, how much would it cost me?

I generally spend about $100 a week on groceries. buying mostly things I cook myself. Pasta, rice, chicken, vegetables, bread.


Would the costs be similar in Cali?


Tony

[Benjio]

Originally Posted by AltoHombre

I know we keep going over some of the same basic things. So here we go again. How does the cost of food in Colombia compare with the cost of food in the US. I mean comparatively speaking, how much of a difference is there in the raw ingredients. If I was going to live in Colombia for a month, and cook in my house, how much would it cost me?

I generally spend about $100 a week on groceries. buying mostly things I cook myself. Pasta, rice, chicken, vegetables, bread.


Would the costs be similar in Cali?


Tony

T,

Buying food is definitely cheaper in Colombia from my experience. Generic brands for things like Pasta, Rice, and bread are dirt cheap. However, if you have a favorite American brand you absolutely prefer, you might end up paying little more. For instance, I like Kraft Honey Barbecue Sauce. At the grocery store near my home here in Houston, I can buy a bottle for about a dollar. In Colombia, I've never found it cheaper than 3,500 pesos. There are plenty of other choices for barbecue sause, but I'm from Texas and that's some **** you just don't settle for.

Fruits and Vegetables can also be really cheap, but that depends on where you shop. You can go to an Exito or Carefour and buy them for a decent price, but you come out a lot cheaper going to a smaller neighborhood grocery stores or even a fruit stands. All about how far you're willing to travel outside of the beaten "gringo path" and how much risk you're willing to take for your produce. LOL!

[rivardco]

cheaper if you go to La 14 maybe by 30% - except for peanut butter. If you "go local" and buy food at the markets, it could get much cheaper still (not advisable if you have a weak stomach ... you can smell the meat blocks away)

[AltoHombre]

So here in the US, I figure I typically spend about $90 to $110 a week on Groceries. It's not unreasonable to think you could live on about the same in Colombia. Or maybe a little less.

[Benjio]

Originally Posted by AltoHombre

So here in the US, I figure I typically spend about $90 to $110 a week on Groceries. It's not unreasonable to think you could live on about the same in Colombia. Or maybe a little less.

Definitely less....

[Don]

AH, if you gotta calculate groceries then you better stay in USA. Unless you live cheap like so many guys and dare I say who. One man's paradise is another man's hell. Rethink moving till you got a means to cover the full spectrum.

[Jim]

The secret to living cheaply in the third world consists of "living like a local" as much as you can. (I've lived in CR in 2003 and been in the Phils for 14 1/2 months now).

If you buy local produce and groceries, it will be MUCH cheaper. Imported goods are more expensive than in the US. Choose local housing...lots cheaper. Apartment buildings made to US specifications are not much cheaper.

I started with a baseline buying o imported foods, taking local transit. I eventually use an import store for about 10% of what we eat and I cash $5000 in investments to buy a car. It costs WAY more than public transportation but I love the mobility and convenience. Everybody decides what they "need" and what they can live without.

Don is right that you better have your finances in order before you leave the US. Asking about prices appears prudent to me and didn't imply that you needed to live super cheaply. There are some military retired who live here on half pensions of about $1400 but they don't live well.

[Flaco]

Originally Posted by AltoHombre

So here in the US, I figure I typically spend about $90 to $110 a week on Groceries. It's not unreasonable to think you could live on about the same in Colombia. Or maybe a little less.

It will be cheaper, but there will be some items you just can't find, or if you do, they will be twice as expensive. So if there is a favorite sauce or spice, you should bring it with you in your suitcase. I find that there is not much that I like in the way of munchies in colombia so usually bring a few bags of trail mix type foods from costco.
Good Luck

[RXD]

Don't know much about the cost of living in Cali, but I am providing you the link where you can the rate list of common things:

Cost of Living in Cali, Colombia. Prices in Cali.

Hope you will find it useful.

[PEPE_USMC]

I spent from 21-30August there. It is cheaper to buy by about 30-40%, depending on the exchange rate. If you buy in Floralia, dangerous, but really cheap. The closer you get to La Sexta (even La Catorce), the more expensive it becomes. I'll echo what most people said already. Rice, pasta, beans, and other domestic items are generally not that expensive. Imports are damn expensive and often not worth it unless you have to have it. However, I didn't buy alot of groceries eventhough I did have a department with a kitchen. I bought a plate of meat daily and broke it up into my daily meals. The platters usually cost me about 6-7 dollars, cooked. I would then spend another 3 dollars on rice and other items to accompany the meat. So, I would spend about 60 dollars a week on this program and about 15-20$ on Saturday at restaurants. So, I could usually survive on 80$ a week for food. If I didn't buy the platters of cooked meats to heat up latter, I would buy Sancocho and live on that for a day.Tht would run me about 4-5 bucks from a restaurant that was more than enough to keep me full there. Another thing to keep in mind is how heat will effect you. The hotter it is, the less and more frequently I eat. The colder it is, the more I will eat, so I usually eat more during the winter. You will definately save more money by cooking and buying on the local market. If you like vegetables, beans, and rice, you can live real cheap!

Careful with the eggs. I almost always get sick when I eat eggs there. But I don't really do that well with eggs here in the states either.