Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,520 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/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: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,520 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $2,689
Cartagena $1,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,565 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $4,112
Cartagena $2,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,610 in Cartagena.

Austin, TX $5,534
Cartagena $3,610

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 77% 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 99% above, Cartagena 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$5.63 COP 18.2K

279.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$142 COP 457.7K

-37.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$10.19 COP 32.9K

22.08%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.44 COP 14.3K

26.13%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.44 COP 7,880

49.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.23 COP 7,202

7.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.18 COP 10.3K

145.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$5.06 COP 16.3K

72.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.90 COP 6,124

-41.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.78 COP 8,974

30.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.43 COP 4,617

144.76%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-10.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.42 COP 43.4K

-1.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$17.30 COP 55.9K

-19.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.06 COP 6,642

3.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.10 COP 45.6K

5.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.39 COP 4,505

102.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.25 COP 4,029

-1.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$67.0 COP 216.2K

-38.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-42.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-55.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$9.53 COP 30.8K

269.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.34 COP 4,344

-26.87%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$33.9K COP 109.6M

1.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$35.0K COP 113.1M

-23.44%

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

$252 $252

$79.0 COP 255.1K

219.40%

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

$59.8 $59.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$54.8 COP 177.1K

10.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$8.10 COP 26.2K

69.75%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$630 COP 2.0M

131.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$12.0K COP 38.6M

122.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,347 COP 4.4M

62.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$842 COP 2.7M

50.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,468 COP 8.0M

62.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,580 COP 5.1M

52.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$921 COP 3.0M

221.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$464 COP 1.5M

987.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-54.53%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,347 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $142 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $259, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

07:14 7:14 AM

08:14 8:14 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,028,736

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Cartagena 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min 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 43% 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 in Austin, TX is about 11 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,347 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,520 in Cartagena – Cartagena is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 38% less than in Cartagena. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cartagena is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Cartagena wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.