Current living costs Bucaramanga

vicshere says on Apr 4, 2008, 10:41:

bump

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adrienne79 says on Apr 4, 2008, 10:46:

great list, I´ll try to add our living cost this weekend since it does differ just a tad and I know is nice to see multiple options.

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Buongone says on Apr 5, 2008, 01:49:

vicshere, That sounds pretty good. I notice you did not include Medical insurance?

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tomtom33 says on Apr 5, 2008, 05:43:

Bucaramanga holds the most interest for me of all the areas I have never visited in Colombia. Thanks, Vic.

Also, you did not budget for medical expenses. Even if you have medical insurance, there are other costs like prescription and non-prescription drugs, travel, and co-pays that should be budgeted. I would guesstimate that my medical expenses have been running around 3 to 3.5 million pesos per month. And that is just for me.

Obviously things like entertainment and travel will vary widely depending upon the family. But a realistic budget should include these things as well.

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mranderson says on Apr 5, 2008, 06:28:

My budget is way under that here in medellin. And medellin is more expensive than bucaramanga.

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adrienne79 says on Apr 5, 2008, 07:19:

Vic- I'm curious what fvruit and vegis are you buying at the market? 240,000 seems like a lot. I kow you did say you eat a lot of them but I can't imagine spending that much. We spend about 24,000 a month but we do eat lunches out of the house. I'm just wondering if you are buying some special kinds.

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 10:22:

medical expenses are paid by employer I pay my part which could be anywhere between 40,000 to 100,000 depending what the salary is the certain month....but yes I did forget it
adrienne we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables I mean a lot ...in the evening everyday we only eat fruit salads instead of munching down on some hard chicken and or meat....sometimes we have pizza or something else but 80% its fruits....I think its easier on the stomach and your health
mr A please make your list and post...interested in a comparison

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rjstuff says on Apr 5, 2008, 11:15:

This is very good for my purposes - we are looking at visiting Bucaramanga with an eye on living there. I do have a couple of questions?
How much would a house like that cost - or rent for?
How much do costs go up as you move up the starato levels e.g is it another 20% for starato 4 or 5 or what?
Thanks:

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 11:52:

starto 1
phone/cable/ internet 500kbs 150,000
power/hydro/electricity 52,000
water/garbage/sewage 50,000
gas 30,000
house 3 rooms 70,000,00----130,000,000
starto 5 (good guess)
phone/cable/ internet 500kbs 350,000
power/hydro/electricity 150,000
water/garbage/sewage 150,000
gas 100,000
house 3 rooms 250,000,000 ------->>>>>>up

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mranderson says on Apr 5, 2008, 11:58:

gas 30.000 and 100.000? Do you mean natural gas for cooking? It's like 5k here in medellin for that.

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 11:59:

natural gas for your house

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robi666 says on Apr 5, 2008, 12:17:

Vic, that's expensive in Bucaramanga.

Just for information, last month I paid 57,619 for water, 85,128 discharge, 78,593 electricity, 37,087 gas, 53,467 telephone, 75,284 Internet 512K bps, plus garbage collect and other small things.
A total of something like 415,000 COP.
It is for 5 person, 300 sq.m. apartment, estrato 6. I have a gas water heater and drying machine. Eat at home.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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Robert Jorge says on Apr 5, 2008, 12:21:

I lived in an estrato 4 apartment in Villavo. Our gas bill averaged 6300 pesos. Our electric was 47.000 pesos per month. Water was 22.000 a month. The Telecom Internet bill was BY FAR the most expensive thing in the apartment - 78.000 pesos per month.

I just looked at my old reciepts to make sure I wasn't giving inaccurate information. I was there in 2006.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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mranderson says on Apr 5, 2008, 12:42:

In La Colinita, estrato 2, the gas bill was like 5k pesos monthly. In my new apartment I have a gas tank in my kithen which sucks but It costs 28k pesos to fill it and it will last at least 2 months. Well I've had mine over 2 months and haven't filled it.

I don't understand how you pay 30.000 or more just on gas? Seems really high.

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mranderson says on Apr 5, 2008, 12:49:

In medellin estrato 4 it's something like this monthly:

510k for rent including all utilities.
300-400k food for 2.
170k transportation for 2.
entertainment???? depends. sometimes 100k, sometimes 50k, sometimes 300k
Clothes???? Maybe 50-100k for 2? I don't buy clothes every month.

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robi666 says on Apr 5, 2008, 12:53:

mranderson, if you are talking about me, I have a gas water heater and a gas drying machine. We eat home everyday. It is for 51 m3 of gas.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 13:01:

Vic, that's expensive in Bucaramanga.

rob you need to come and check out "Cabacera" and check the prices for your self...its not cheap

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mranderson says on Apr 5, 2008, 13:09:

ok..I don't have a water heater or dryer so I have no idea how much gas those items use.

I used to have a gas heater for the shower at the old place. But it was still very cheap, only 5k a month for hot showers and cooking with gas. That was in estrato 2. So, I don't know.

Just seems high to me.

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 13:25:

strato 1 and 2 they almost give away the services

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DodgerDogs says on Apr 5, 2008, 13:28:

Move to Pasto it is Colombia's cheapest place to live.

www.elpilon.com.co/noticias/not00008731.htm

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.Martin Luther King:

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goin_south says on Apr 5, 2008, 15:13:

si! very exciting too, because guerrillas can be found
within less than 30 minutes in every direction! jje

Ciao! Gustav. Bienvenitos, Ike.

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goin_south says on Apr 5, 2008, 15:14:

VIVE EN PASTO!
CHEAP THRILLS!!!
JAJajaj

Ciao! Gustav. Bienvenitos, Ike.

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adrienne79 says on Apr 5, 2008, 15:51:

Here is our list of our current living cost in the Bucaramanga March 2008

info
Strato 4
2 adults
Rent apartment adjoined to a house- 2 bedrooms, kitchen and laundry area, 1 bathroom, parking for motorcycle
kitchen 1 normal stove and microwave
electric water heater on shower
we eat a lot of Mexican food and Italian, jejeje
1 2007 motorcycle (use a lot)


here are monthly costs
Rent (includes gas and water) 370,000
unlimited local phone/internet 250kbs 110,000
power/hydro/electricity 22,000
fruit and vegetables at the market 25,000
other groceries at supermarket 120,000
bread 10,000
Lunches 150,000
motorcycle gas 25,000
motorcycle repairs 12,000
occasional public transportation 10,000
clothes 2 people 75,000
school supplies 10,000
Other Medical / Dental expenses 30,000
Beer and Booze money 100,000
yearly cost 20,000
total 1,100,000 (plus our contribution to medical insurance and pensions through our employeers)



yearly costs
motorcycle taxes 30,000
motorcycle insurance 210,000
240,000 / 12= 20,000 per months

In addition we have been spending quite a bit on furniture and appliances as when we moved here 8 months ago we didn't have any. We also like to travel so we do spend a bit on traveling but I didn't include it as that can just differ.

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 17:16:

Adrienne you really need to eat more ruffage to blend in with the natives

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 17:17:

you sure its not 25,000 per week

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adrienne79 says on Apr 5, 2008, 17:52:

Yep, I'm sure and we feel like we eat a lot of vegetables. We even buy a ton of tomatoes and onions, etc to make fresh salsa and spaguetti sauce each week (but those are cheap). Normally, when we go to the market we walk out with about ten bags but when we go home and count how much it cost us, it normally is less than 5,000. I love how cheap vegies and fruits are here. We only drink juice in the morning since juice comes with our lunches. At night we drink wine, beer or water. Every dinner we have at least one vegetable like peas, green beans or broccoli unless we are eating fajitas, pasta, etc that already has the vegetables in it. Maybe we would be spending a lot more if we didn't eat lunches out but the lunch at my school typically includes a vegetable or two and it comes with a salad.

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robi666 says on Apr 5, 2008, 18:07:

What pasta do you buy Adrienne? How much for a pack?

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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jorgegdiaz says on Apr 5, 2008, 18:14:

We like Barilla, but it´s too expensive compared to local brands. There is one local factory, Gavassa, started by an Italian many years ago that´s decent.

"To err is human - and to blame it on a computer is even more so."Robert Orben

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adrienne79 says on Apr 5, 2008, 18:14:

do you mean the noodles or the sauce? Noodles- i typically just buy spaguetti or shells. I think it is like 400 pesos for 250 grams...something like that. The sauce I am makig using fresh vegetables, seasonings, tomato paste and wine.

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robi666 says on Apr 5, 2008, 18:22:

Well, I cannot buy anything less than Barilla.
It is not so expensive, because it is made in SA. It had a drop in price since one year.
Of the local, I like Conanzoni, but it is actually same price as Barilla, around 3,200 pesos for 500 grams. So I buy Barilla.

I will look for Gavassa.

La Muneca is cheap and i tried it, but... you eat what you buy. I just cannot cook it right.

Anyone tried Carrefour brand spaghetti? They are really cheap...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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adrimm says on Apr 5, 2008, 18:39:

I was really impressed by the mercado in Burcaramanga, that thing is *huge*!

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 20:14:

Adrienne what market do you go to

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adrimm says on Apr 5, 2008, 21:02:

That 5 story job right in downtown (Cra 15?) with the metrolinea running past it, or should be soon running past.

The brick with the canopies that is immediatly left in the picture:

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vicshere says on Apr 5, 2008, 21:16:

adrim that is the plaza central....I cant stand the meat floor it stinks of rotten meat...the vegetables levels are very nice though.....metrolina is not running yet soon we hope the city is a mess

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adrienne79 says on Apr 5, 2008, 22:25:

There is one by the bus terminal that we go to most times....but there are a couple of others that we have stoped at while out and about running errands. We avoid the one downtown...I went there twice with my father in law and athough I like the prices it isn;t practical to go all the way there.

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adrimm says on Apr 10, 2008, 19:13:

Ah, it's not too far from where my uncle lives, they do a grocery run a few times a week. They have the *best* salpicon there.

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Corey3368 says on Apr 30, 2008, 23:00:

Vic,
How much would monthly expenses translate into american dollars, a round about figure including medical and dental for 2 adults and 1 child..
Thanks

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Corey3368 says on Apr 30, 2008, 23:01:

Also how would you rate the school system, health care, house prices, and safety of the city compared to other colombian cities.
Thanks again

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