Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,359 in Barcelona versus $1,086 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,498 in Barcelona versus $1,604 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in Barcelona versus $2,121 in Cartagena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 117% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 77% above, Cartagena is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.15 €14.86

$5.93 COP 18.7K

189.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 €58.9

$47.34 COP 149.1K

43.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 €11.82

$9.95 COP 31.3K

37.09%

Cappuccino

$2.78 €2.41

$1.57 COP 4,950

77.07%

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

$2.82 €2.44

$0.82 COP 2,579

243.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.70

$0.68 COP 2,128

188.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 €3.84

$1.31 COP 4,111

238.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 €3.99

$2.89 COP 9,107

59.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.14 COP 3,590

11.40%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 €1.85

$1.83 COP 5,777

16.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.37 COP 4,324

45.26%

Eggs

$3.37 €2.92

$2.19 COP 6,910

53.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.96 €16.42

$6.81 COP 21.5K

178.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 €8.26

$6.22 COP 19.6K

53.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.73 €16.22

$7.77 COP 24.5K

141.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 €2.29

$3.26 COP 10.3K

-18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$1.91 COP 6,014

23.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$1.45 COP 4,556

44.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 €2.37

$1.62 COP 5,101

68.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 €1.70

$1.61 COP 5,074

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 €1.56

$1.08 COP 3,400

67.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.31

$1.01 COP 3,177

49.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.89 €0.77

$0.59 COP 1,865

50.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.87

$2.35 COP 7,403

188.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.92 €6.86

$18.80 COP 59.2K

-57.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.19

$0.98 COP 3,083

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 €2.08

$0.98 COP 3,081

144.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 €2.52

$1.05 COP 3,311

177.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.66 €24.82

$28.98 COP 91.2K

-1.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.58 €3.96

$2.46 COP 7,753

86.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 €1.77

$2.37 COP 7,461

-13.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.72 €24.87

$4.86 COP 15.3K

490.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.58

$1.02 COP 3,204

78.43%

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

$39.3K €34.0K

$21.1K COP 66.5M

86.20%

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

$32.5K €28.1K

$24.0K COP 75.7M

35.05%

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

$187 €162

$143 COP 449.0K

30.87%

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

$22.29 €19.30

$10.93 COP 34.4K

103.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.37 €31.50

$25.27 COP 79.6K

43.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.5 €49.82

$35.26 COP 111.0K

63.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

$8.60 COP 27.1K

141.16%

Cinema Ticket

$10.77 €9.33

$2.84 COP 8,948

279.23%

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

$725 €628

$144 COP 453.7K

403.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.1K

$6,062 COP 19.1M

149.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.9 €76.1

$47.97 COP 151.0K

83.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.81 €31.88

$38.50 COP 121.2K

-4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.6

$125 COP 393.7K

-17.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €103

$112 COP 351.2K

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,524 €1,319

$720 COP 2.3M

111.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,227 €1,062

$333 COP 1.0M

268.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,727 €2,362

$1,292 COP 4.1M

111.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 €1,718

$471 COP 1.5M

320.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,469 €6,468

$3,492 COP 11.0M

113.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,243 €4,541

$935 COP 2.9M

460.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,393 €2,072

$467 COP 1.5M

411.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

-77.40%

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

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,524 in Barcelona and $720 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 412% 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: $68.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $223 per month, with Cartagena cheaper across the board.

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

Barcelona vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cartagena differ by about 117% in total monthly costs ($2,359 vs $1,086 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 412% higher in Barcelona, 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: $1,524 in Barcelona versus $720 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $725 in Barcelona versus $144 in Cartagena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,086 in Cartagena versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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, Barcelona 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 117% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.