Bogota neighborhoods: where to live in Bogota [Updated 2024]

If you’re thinking of moving to Colombia, you’ll be in a similar situation to the one I was in back in 2013. I started researching the different Bogota neighborhoods and the average cost of rent. The problem was that I had no idea which areas were nice, safe and well-located, or which I should avoid.

At the time of this update (September 2024) I can now share with you a few insights into the areas you might consider. You might find my post on how to find a place to live in Bogota useful, which has a list of useful websites and other tips.

Under this list of Bogota neighborhoods I’ve given some tips on other things to think about when you’re deciding where to live. This includes an explanation the estratos.

If you’re still not sure, I recommend booking an Airbnb* for your few months in Bogota. This will give you some time to explore the different streets and neighborhoods before committing to a 1-year rental contract.

If you find this blog helpful and would like to support How to Bogotá (and fund my premium coffee addiction), you can buy me a digital cup of coffee or two! 

La Candelaria (the Historical Center) (Estrato 2-4)

This area is popular among tourists as it’s the historical centre of Bogota. You’ll find museums (including the Gold Museum and Botero Museum), cable cars and a funicular train to Monserrate and various language institutes and universities.

Many people assume this must be the best place to stay in Bogota. I agree that the Candelaria or some parts of Downtown are good options if you’re planning to stay in Bogota for less than a month and want to be close to the main tourist attractions.

However, this area isn’t the safest (especially at night). The buildings are also very old, so power-cuts and a lack of hot water are common. I don’t recommend walking around the Candelaria after dark unless you know the streets very well. If you’re walking home after dinner, stick to streets with lots of people in them, or take a taxi/Uber.

Downtown includes or is close to some of the poorer and more dangerous areas of the city, including Barrio Egipto, Bicentenario/Tercer Milenio, and the red light district. You shouldn’t go to these places unless you’re with a very trusted guide.

So even though the Candelaria has character and is well-located for tourists, I don’t think it’s the best place to settle if you’re staying long-term.

Having said this, the art scene is fantastic. There are examples of street art and graffiti by well-known urban artists on every single street. You can see and learn about these on the Bogota Graffiti Tour.

There are also cultural events such as film screenings and art workshops, and a fantastic selection of cafés and pubs. I find the Candelaria very inspiring to be in and take a walk through. I imagine it’s how people might have felt in Paris in the 1920s! But for reasons I’ve mentioned, I wouldn’t choose to settle there long-term.

The International Center (Estrato 4)

Close to the Museo Nacional (National Museum), the Centro Internacional (International Center) is located more or less between Calle 26 and Calle 34, and between Carrera 14 and Carrera 7. There are many new buildings in this area.

Many of the apartment buildings come complete with gyms, meeting rooms, events rooms, squash courts, saunas, jacuzzis and even swimming pools. I think this is a good area to stay short-to-mid term, and there are a lot of (more expensive) Airbnbs to choose from.

I’m reluctant to say any part of Bogota is “safe”. But I’d say it’s okay if you are coming home to this area by bus after dark and need to walk a few blocks to your building.

The cost of rent varies in the International Center. A studio or 1-bedroom apartment will be around 1,800,000 – 3,000,000 pesos per month, depending on the size, the floor, and how old the building is. The International Center is well-connected to the city center and to the north of Bogota by the TransMilenio buses on main avenues Carrera 7, and Avenida Caracas.

I lived in the Centro Internacional between December 2022 and April 2023, and for me it was too noisy for a long-term stay. The windows of the buildings aren’t great at isolating noise and there’s a lot going on in the area – bars and pubs that stay open till 4am. The traffic can also be loud, as well as people shouting in the street. However, it also depends which side of the building the apartment’s on, and whether it’s close to any of the busy roads.

I’d recommend visiting the area during the day AND at night, and especially the apartment you want to rent. Check how much noise you can hear inside. Keep in mind that while there’ll be less noise from traffic at night, there may be noise from the local bars.

There are a lot of Airbnbs in this area. This can mean that people come to the area to party for a few days and then leave. So you may not have the quietest neighbors if you’re living in the International Center of Bogota.

La Macarena (Estrato 3-4)

La Macarena neighborhood is just up the hill from the Centro Internacional. The closer you are to the mountains in La Macarena, the longer and steeper your uphill trek home each day. But at least it’ll keep you fit!

It’s a trendy area, popular with foreigners and it does have character. There are many traditional, colourful buildings, several fantastic art galleries, bookshops, a great selection of bars and restaurants, and it has a nice ‘neighbourhood’ vibe.

For great food on a budget, I love Calle Bonita (Calle 30), where you can get an excellent lunch for around 20,000 pesos Monday-Friday. The menus are often displayed on chalk-boards outside the restaurant, so take a photo before you go in and have Google Translate ready if you’re still learning Spanish! My favourite restaurants on this street are ‘De la Loma‘ (right at the top of the street) and Peri-Peri (in the middle). There’s also a decent vegan restaurant nearby called ‘Restaurante Naturalmente Vegano‘. You’ll find all of these on Google Maps.

If money is no object, there are many restaurants to choose from on Carrera 4a between Calle 26b and Calle 29. I loved the orange beef thing at Gaudí restaurant. The toy-themed restaurant La Jugueteria is a bit like dining in Stan’s bedroom in Toy Story! (good food though!).

Some streets in La Macarena are not that safe to walk along at night. There are, however, some nice buildings there, and it’s close to the historical center and some of the universities in that area.

Go and check out apartments in person and give the area a vibe-check. Some streets will feel ‘safer’ than others. It’s also useful to see how far up the hill the apartment is! (you’ll see what I mean when you get there!).

Chapinero (Estrato 4)

Chapinero is very popular among young foreigners and students. It is well-located about half-way between Candelaria in the south, and trendy Chicó and Zona T in the north. This means it’s quite easy to get around.

I live in this area now, near Plaza Lourdes. I feel safe here during the day (but always watch your purse and phone). However, some parts of Chapinero (particularly those close to Avenida Caracas and the parks) aren’t so safe at night. Keep this in mind if you expect to be regularly returning home after dark.

Chapinero is quite noisy most of the time. This is because of the noisy trucks and motorbikes that pass through the area on the main routes, and because it’s a full of bars and clubs, including Theatrón, the biggest gay-friendly club in Latin America.

It’s a fun place to be – I live here and I like it. But it’s really important to assess the noise levels around your building before committing to moving in (unless it’s just for a short stay or you don’t mind noise).

As there are many students and European and North American immigrants living in Chapinero, you won’t find it difficult to find a flat-share here. There are some decent, spacious apartments in the area. You’ll probably be able to rent a room for around 1,000,000 pesos a month including admin and bills.

Chapinero Alto (Estrato 4-5)

This part of Chapinero (‘Upper Chapinero’) is my favorite part of Bogota. I lived there in 2014-2015 and again in 2023. It’s a fantastic location if you’re a digital nomad, as there are lots of cafés. My favorites include Mistral (great lunch option), Mesa Salvaje (vegetarian), and Hibrido. My favorite coffee shop is Amor Perfecto – I always have their coffee at home!

Chapinero Alto is located between carrera 1 and carrera 7, and between calle 40 in the south and calle 70 in the north. A lot of students live around calle 45 because of the Universidad Javeriana. Universidad de la Salle is also around Calle 60. It’s also become popular among foreign residents.

My favorite part is between streets 55 and 70 around Carrera 4. This is close to the ‘Gourmet Zone‘ (Zona G) of Chapinero Alto/Rosales. Most restaurants are pretty affordable, and some very cheap if you’re earning in a strong currency. There’s a variety of cuisine and plenty of trendy bars.

I recommend visiting Chapinero Alto and taking a walk around to see how you feel. Some streets have a lot of new and trendy apartment buildings and are quite quiet. Others are quite old and have noisy buses and trucks going down them several times an hour.

For example, last year I stayed at an Airbnb in Chapinero Alto that was very cute in the photos. But when I arrived, I discovered it had windows that weren’t well sealed and a busy street below. It took me a while to get used to the noise and I wish I could have seen it before booking.

Chapinero Alto is a good location if you want to be able to travel to the historical center or the chic north, as it’s about half-way between the two. There are good public transport connections as well as supermarkets (Carulla and Exito) and gyms (Bodytech and Stark Gym) on carrera 7. The rent could be anywhere between 1,500,000 and 3,500,000 pesos for a 1-2 bedroom apartment, depending on the age of the building, the street, and the size of the apartment in square meters.

Quinta Camacho (typically Estrato 4)

I used to live a few blocks away from Quinta Camacho and it’s one of my favorite Bogota neighborhoods. The area is made up mainly of two-storey traditional residential houses. There are also plenty of bars, coffee shops (I recommend Cafe Cultor), restaurants and cute boutiques (check out LaPercha).

It’s a bit leafier than many of Bogota’s neighborhoods, with trees lining many of the streets. It’s also quieter compared to other parts of the city (but this also depends on the street). It’s located north of Chapinero, west of the upmarket Rosales neighborhood and south of the exclusive El Nogal neighborhood.

Although it’s not actually part of Bogota’s ‘gourmet zone’ (the ‘Zona G’), it should be, as it has a wonderful choice of restaurants. These include Crepes and Waffles, Wok, Itanos and a couple of English pubs, El Inglés (try the Sunday lunch!) and The Monkey House.

Quinta Camacho is charming and achieves a balance between being a friendly neighborhood you’d want to live in without being prohibitively expensive like some of the surrounding neighborhoods. I’d say it’s one of the safer areas of Bogota (but like anywhere in the city, you should always be careful, especially on Carrera 11).

If you want somewhere you can walk out the door and let your kids run around though, I’d look at Chicó and Parque de la 93 for their parks. You can also look for ‘Conjuntos Cerrados‘, which are private gated neighborhoods or apartment buildings, often with a playground inside.

Zona T / El Nogal / Rosales (Estrato 5-6)

This is one of the most expensive areas of the city. It’s a nice green district with the prestigious Andino, Atlantis and Retiro shopping malls, cinemas, trendy bars and restaurants.

The buildings are generally old, so they don’t come with the facilities (pools, gyms etc) of the buildings in the International Center. However, they are in a good condition and most have security guards protecting the entrance. (Most nice apartment buildings in the neighborhoods I’ve mentioned do have security guards).

Many of the foreign embassies are located in El Nogal, Chicó, and Parque de la 93, so you will also see many of the better-off immigrants and diplomat-types living in these areas. This is also why prices are higher.

From Carrera 7, you can take a bus down to the historical center, and from Carrera 20 you can take the TransMilenio. If you are lucky, you might find a one-bedroom apartment for around $2,000,000 pesos including administration but most will cost (a lot) more. You also need to factor in the likely cost of bills, as this area is mostly estrato 6.

Four to five bedroom apartments are rented out in this area for 10 – 15 million pesos per month.

Parque de la 93, Chicó and Parque El Virrey (Estrato 5-6)

These are all great areas in the north to go out for dinner, with plenty of trendy restaurants and bars. They are also very commercial areas, which may or may not be to your taste.

Chicó’s ‘Zona T‘ and the Parque de la 93 are popular nightspots among the well-heeled classes of Bogota. In fact, nowadays (2024), the Zona T on a Friday or Sunday night is full of kids filming TikToks (spoken like a true millennial LOL). You’ll generally find a more mature crowd in Parque de la 93.

I don’t really enjoy going out in the Zona T on a Friday or Saturday night (even though places like Andrés Carne de Res are popular party spots). This is because it is so busy and the streets get so congested with people and traffic, it can take ages to get anywhere within the zone. It can also take a long time to get a taxi or Uber after a night out.

These neighborhoods are a common base for foreign visitors who are in Bogota temporarily for work. Parque de la 93 is similar to El Nogal and the Zona T in terms of price and estrato but is about a 15-20 minute walk away from the nearest TransMilenio stop (Virrey) or Calle 85. There is fairly good access from Carrera 7 by bus, but most people will arrive in and leave the area by car or taxi. Make sure you pre-book your taxi or order it via an app like Uber or Cabify – never hail one from the street.

These areas may be a good option for people with a high budget and for those with children. There are several parks nearby, including Parque del Chicó on cra. 7 and Parque El Virrey. It’s also nice to walk around and go for a coffee nearby. I recommend Azahar Café for great specialty coffee, Wok for Asian cuisine and La Fabbrica for Italian.

Santa Barbara (Estrato 5-6)

This area in the north of Bogota has a nice suburban feel to it and is very nice to walk around. It is close to Unicentro shopping mall, with Exito and Carulla supermarkets nearby and it’s served by Transmilenio stop Calle 127 on Autopista. Santa Barbara shopping mall and the colonial area of central Usaquén are also nearby.

I highly recommend the Usaquen flea market on Sundays. There’s also a general market which is open everyday, where you can buy jewelry, bags and traditional handicrafts. Santa Barbara is quite close to Parque El Country if you have kids or need to walk the dog. It’s also close to the exclusive members-only Country Club de Bogota.

Santa Barbara is on the more expensive side. If you’re looking for a nicely-finished 1-2 bedroom apartment, you should expect to pay more than $2,000,000 pesos/month (2024) which may or may not include administration. Bills will also be quite high, as most properties will be listed as estrato 5 and 6.

A cheaper alternative nearby would be El Batán neighborhood to the west of the Autopista. El Batán is estrato 4 and as good as Santa Barbara in terms of location. There are also some cheaper places in parts of Usaquén and in Bella Suiza neighborhood to the northeast.

In years past, the TransMilenio station Calle 127 was extremely overcrowded during the morning and evening rush hours. I haven’t been there recently so I’m not sure if that’s changed, but previously there were often long queues along the bridge just to get into the station. It may be better to take an Uber or buy a bicycle and take advantage of the cycle paths in the area.

Teusaquillo and Park Way (Estrato 2-4)

In the middle of the last century, Teusaquillo was a highly sought-after, well-to-do area. Nowadays, it has largely lost its attraction to the upper classes. They’ve mostly headed north to the exclusive neighborhoods of Chicó, Virrey and Santa Barbara. Teusaquillo and Parkway feel more like artsy hipster neighborhoods now, and haven’t lost their charm, in my opinion.

You’ll usually find houses instead of apartment blocks in Teusaquillo and it’s quite popular with young foreigners. Its proximity to the Universidad Nacional means there’s also quite a large student population. Teusaquillo is not far from Simon Bolivar Park and Parque de los Novios in Salitre neighborhood.

Just north of Teusaquillo is Park Way. Park Way itself is actually a narrow area of green which stretches along Carrera 24, starting from Calle 36 up to Calle 45. Over the last few years, many businesses and start-ups have chosen Park Way as their home.

The rent is still reasonably affordable for the middle class and there’s a great selection of cafés, bars and restaurants. There are also a couple of independent theaters and art spaces and the thin stretch of park for walking dogs. It’s close enough to Calle 30 and Avenida Caracas to walk to the Transmilenio in 10 minutes, but far enough away from all the noise and pollution. I wouldn’t mind living in this area.

Usaquén (generally Estrato 4)

Usaquén used to be a town outside of Bogota. It only became a part of the city as it expanded further north in the latter half of the last century.

I love the Usaquén flea market on a Sunday, and it would be a nice area to live in as it offers plenty of restaurants, bars and a cute main square. There’s also the Hacienda Santa Barbara shopping mall, which isn’t great for shopping but has a Jumbo supermarket and a Cine Colombia cinema.

I love the independent Cinema Paraíso, and just up the street from it is a wonderful specialty coffee shop, Catación Pública.

Usaquén can feel less safe the further you go up towards the mountains, where poorer neighborhoods are located. I wouldn’t walk around the area after dark. There are quite a lot of new developments along Carrera 7 in Usaquén, which will be well-connected in terms of bus routes going down to the Zona T, Parque de la 93 and the historical center, but will come with a high price-tag. There are also quite a lot of top hotel chains in Usaquén.

As I update this in 2024, I can say I’ve noticed that Usaquen has become more expensive in recent years. There are more chic boutiques and posh market galleries selling traditional Colombian souvenirs and goods at elevated prices (targeted at tourists). A lot of things you can buy there, you’d find cheaper at one of the markets in the center.

Cedritos (Estrato 4)

Cedritos feels like a nice suburban, green, family neighborhood, and it feels quite safe to walk around too. Because it is quite far north of the city, it is not that convenient to commute from if you work downtown. However, if you work or study close to Caracas Avenue or Autopista, it’s very easy to get there by TransMilenio from Cedritos.

As Cedritos is less central, rent is cheaper and there are many nice new apartment buildings (which means prices have increased in recent years). If you are willing to compromise on location to live in a quieter, less polluted and more affordable neighborhood, Cedritos might be a good option.

Salitre (Estrato 4)

Salitre neighborhood has been up-and-coming for a number of years now. I really like walking in the area.

It has many modern developments, with plenty of green spaces, unlike many parts of the city. There are a lot of hotels in this area on Calle 26/Avenida El Dorado, as this leads up to the airport. It’s close to the Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN), so there are a number of big corporate and government buildings.

There’s also the Gran Estación shopping mall next to Salitre El Greco TransMilenio station, which has decent shops, a supermarket and a cinema. There’s also the newer Plaza Claro, which has many design and technology shops, as well as a movie theater.

Salitre is well-located to downtown by TransMilenio, and the M86 TransMilenio route goes up to Chapinero, Chicó or Usaquén. It is close to the Simon Bolivar ‘Central Park’, the biggest and nicest park in the city, Parque de los Novios and to the Botanical Garden. These all provide a welcome respite from the urban jungle and a taste of the beautiful Colombian flora and fauna. If you’re lucky, you may spot hummingbirds in the Botanical Garden.

Salitre has a lot going for it and continues to gain in popularity, which is reflected in the rising rents. Renting a nice 2-bedroom apartment in Salitre would cost around $2,000,000-2,500,000 Colombian pesos, plus administration.

Suba

Like Usaquén, Suba used to be a little town just outside of Bogotá, and only became part of the city in the latter half of the last century.

Suba’s a tricky one to give an opinion on, because I don’t know it well, and it covers a large area. There are parts of Suba which are working class neighborhoods, and probably less safe. There are also parts of Suba which have a leafy suburban feel.

Renting will be much cheaper up there, so you’ll get more for your money. However, getting to other parts of the city is complicated because there are only two main avenues which serve it: Avenida Suba and Avenida Carrera 86 (Avenida Cali). These become extremely congested during rush hour.

It has the park Parque Mirador de los Nevados which has nice views over Bogota. But Suba is too far out to ever be an option for me.

Hopefully, I’ve given you an idea of the options which are open to you in terms of where to stay in Bogota. The main considerations are: the public transport connection to other parts of the city; things to do in the area; the quality of the buildings and the estrato (cost of bills) of the building.

Tips

I’ll finish with a few important things you should bear in mind when searching for apartments. First, the place you expect to be working/studying should have a strong influence on where you decide to live. This is because traffic in Bogotá is a major problem and long commutes to and from work have a detrimental effect on quality of life here. I speak from personal experience.

Estratos

I can’t emphasise enough how important the estrato category of the building is when you’re looking at places to live in Colombia. A building’s estrato relates to the cost of bills.

There are six estratos, 1 being the lowest and cheapest, 6 being the highest and most expensive. This means that two families that live in an estrato 1 and an estrato 6 property, who consume the same amount of water, electricity and gas, will pay hugely varying amounts for their bills.

The estrato (which can also translate into English as ‘social stratum’) has also become indicative of the social status of the people living in an area. It was originally intended as a way of ensuring people only paid what they could afford to for their bills.

The reason the estrato issue is so important is that you need to factor the monthly cost of bills into your budget, particularly if you are looking at estratos 5 and 6. You don’t want to move into your dream apartment which already stretches your budget, and then get a nasty shock when the first bill arrives! I have tried to give indications of the most common estratos of the buildings in each of the areas listed above.

Administration charge

One more thing to remember is that most buildings will have a monthly administration charge on top of the rent. This covers the cost of building repairs and paying the doorman, for example, and doesn’t relate to your utility bills (water, electricity etc).

When you are searching online, the rent (arriendo) will often be listed separately from the administración, and it usually says if the administration is included in the rent. Always good to make sure.

Still not sure? Try Airbnb!

If you’re still not sure where to live in Bogota and you’re planning to move here for a while (i.e. more than 6 months), I would recommend booking yourself into an Airbnb*. In the meantime, this will give you a chance to look at rooms or apartments in different areas, while you decide where you’d like to live in the long term..

Some Airbnb properties offer large discounts to people who want to stay for a month or longer, so this might be an option too. Plus, these often include bills in the price and include furniture, internet etc. You also won’t need guarantors or need to leave a deposit before you move into an Airbnb.

*The link to Airbnb is my referral link, which means that if you don’t already have an Airbnb account, and you then click on my link, sign up and make a booking, you and I will both get some free credit! This is so useful for me, as I use Airbnb quite often in my travels. I hope it will be useful for you too!

**If you want to find accommodation in Bogota** tomplanmytrip.com, run by a foreign resident who has been living in Bogota for years shares his personal recommendations of places to stay in each Bogota neighborhood, which you might find helpful. This is a sponsored link.

Do you live in any of these Bogota neighborhoods? How do you find them? Is there anything you would add to what I’ve said?

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