Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,427 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,427

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cartagena

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Cartagena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,427 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $2,663
Cartagena $1,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,095 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cartagena $2,095

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,762 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $5,603
Cartagena $2,762

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 87% more expensive than in Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Cartagena 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.84 €12.31

50.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.0 €48.90

53.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.60 €6.76

62.11%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.56 €2.27

119.92%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.45 €2.18

51.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.84 €1.64

35.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.43 €3.05

134.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.98 €3.54

126.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 €1.07

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.18 €1.05

217.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.55 €2.26

27.84%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.96 €3.52

5.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.91 €11.48

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.94 €6.18

104.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.67 €16.60

-13.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.39 €2.13

81.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.52 €2.24

-42.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.61 €1.43

180.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.09 €2.75

40.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.25 €1.11

106.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.24 €1.10

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.57 €1.40

13.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.69 €0.62

221.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.64 €5.02

75.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.24 €5.55

141.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.25 €1.11

133.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.13 €1.00

206.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.43 €1.27

4.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$11.14 €9.91

274.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.50 €4.90

-50.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.25 €2.00

-26.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$27.49 €24.45

28.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.77 €1.58

-46.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.1K €31.2K

2.68%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.2K €26.8K

-10.23%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$229 $229

$210 €187

9.03%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.4 $59.4

$19.74 €17.56

200.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.70 €25.53

143.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.14 €36.59

39.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.80 €11.39

27.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.70 €6.85

85.45%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$416 €370

261.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,726 €2,425

687.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.17 €41.96

11.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.38 €31.47

23.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.1 €54.3

38.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$101 €89.7

2.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$591 €525

222.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$492 €438

158.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$836 €743

338.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$708 €630

258.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,770 €1,574

330.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,433 €1,275

120.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,720 €1,530

197.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.06

67.24%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Cartagena

$492 34.5% 61.4% $782

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Cartagena

$270 18.9% 33.2% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Cartagena

$258 18.1% 27.9% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Cartagena

$206 14.5% 41.7% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Cartagena

$110 7.7% 14% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cartagena

$57 4% 34.1% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Cartagena

$34 2.4% 42.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $591 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 198% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $55.0 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $270 per month, with Cartagena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

218,050

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cartagena 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cartagena

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 198% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $591 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,427 in Cartagena – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cartagena runs roughly 275% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,427 in Cartagena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Cartagena are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.