Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cartago, Colombia

Name: Cartago
Address: Cartago, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,322 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,322

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Cartago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,322 in Cartago.

Austin, TX $2,689
Cartago $1,322

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,013 in Cartago.

Austin, TX $4,112
Cartago $2,013

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,703 in Cartago.

Austin, TX $5,534
Cartago $2,703

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 103% more expensive than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Cartago is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$5.22 COP 16.8K

308.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$57.1 COP 184.3K

53.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$6.37 COP 20.6K

95.29%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.05 COP 9,838

83.61%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.45 COP 7,908

48.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.27 COP 7,339

5.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.55 COP 11.4K

120.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$3.63 COP 11.7K

141.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 COP 5,408

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.80 COP 5,799

101.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.74 COP 5,619

101.15%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.16 COP 10.2K

40.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.12 COP 29.5K

44.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$9.32 COP 30.1K

49.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$11.27 COP 36.4K

46.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.76 COP 12.1K

25.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.24 COP 4,011

20.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.38 COP 4,445

236.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.91 COP 6,170

136.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.67 COP 5,405

52.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.64 COP 5,292

45.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.96 COP 3,084

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.92 COP 2,969

131.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.36 COP 14.1K

130.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.90 COP 54.6K

-11.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 COP 4,896

85.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.91 COP 6,162

72.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.11 COP 3,597

10.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$65.8 COP 212.3K

-36.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.14 COP 3,674

135.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.57 COP 1,827

185.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$3.33 COP 10.7K

957.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.36 COP 4,378

-27.94%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.7K COP 112.1M

-1.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.9K COP 112.8M

-23.26%

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

$252 $252

$101 COP 326.1K

149.81%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$15.19 COP 49.1K

293.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$27.03 COP 87.3K

157.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$37.99 COP 122.7K

58.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$5.18 COP 16.7K

165.44%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$416 COP 1.3M

250.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$11.6K COP 37.3M

130.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$82.1 COP 265.0K

-35.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$43.82 COP 141.5K

4.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$115 COP 372.4K

-25.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$101 COP 325.3K

5.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$718 COP 2.3M

205.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$490 COP 1.6M

159.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,427 COP 4.6M

180.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$780 COP 2.5M

208.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,259 COP 7.3M

226.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,786 COP 5.8M

65.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

13.88

-50.86%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cartago: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Cartago

$490 37% 61.4% $779

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Cartago

$272 20.6% 33.3% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Cartago

$143 10.8% 62.5% $239

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Cartago

$141 10.7% 60.3% $215

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Cartago

$154 11.6% 18.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Cartago

$48 3.7% 45% $40

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Cartago

$74 5.6% 29.7% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $718 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $57 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $272 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

09:41 9:41 AM

10:41 10:41 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

135,365

💱 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 = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cartago 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cartago

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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cartago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $1,983 in Cartago to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $718 in Cartago. 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 $1,322 in Cartago – Cartago is about 51% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 37% less than in Cartago. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,322 in Cartago versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago 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.