You know that feeling when you leave a U.S. supermarket with one bag, a receipt the length of a novella, and a vague sense of betrayal? Colombia is the opposite of that. Here, avocados are everywhere, eggs live happily outside the fridge, and your cart doesn’t eat half your paycheck.

I spent weeks filming prices across Bogotá’s big chains (think Éxito, Olímpica, Carulla, Jumbo) and neighborhood mercados—and I compared them to my former home base in Greensboro, North Carolina (Food Lion, Walmart, Lowe’s Foods). I looked at regular (non-promo) pricing whenever possible to keep the comparison honest. The results? If you love cooking, smoothies, or simply not going broke, Colombia is your new happy place.

If you only remember one thing, make it this: produce and protein are dramatically cheaper in Colombia—with a few import exceptions. And yes, there’s 24/7 delivery in most big cities (Rappi) that makes you feel like you’re living in the future.

A few greatest hits from my notes:

You’ll feel it at checkout. You’ll taste it at home.

Colombia’s local veg is where the savings stack:

Imports cost more (asparagus, brussels sprouts), so plan your menus around what Colombia grows best and you’ll eat fresher and cheaper.

Colombia’s fruit game is outrageous—on price and variety.

Imports cost more (blueberries, raspberries, sometimes red grapes), but you’ll trade that for access to granadilla, guanábana, maracuyá, lulo, chirimoya, chontaduro, feijoa, sapote—flavors most U.S. stores never see. Try them all. Thank me later.

Surprising even me: beef is significantly cheaper in Colombia.

Chicken is a mixed bag but still strong overall:

Colombian eggs usually come in trays of 30 and live on the shelf, not in a fridge (they’re unwashed, so the natural cuticle remains—totally normal abroad).

Taste test: yolks are rich, shells thicker, and freshness is obvious when you crack them.

These are tiny line items in the U.S.—until they’re not. In Colombia, you can cook like a restaurant without sweating the garnish budget.

Rappi (Colombia’s delivery super-app) brings groceries, pharmacy items, even cash to your door—often 24/7. Delivery fees are usually $0.25–$1. In big cities, it turns meal planning into a five-minute tap-fest.

Here’s a realistic cart I’ve built for around $20–$22 in Bogotá:

Try doing that in the U.S. without needing a second mortgage.

Colombia wins the grocery war—lower prices, better flavor, and access to produce you didn’t know you needed. Whether you’re a digital nomad, expat, or just tired of paying $6 for sad tomatoes, your money (and your avocado) goes further here.