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: $2,399 in Barcelona versus $1,063 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,496 in Barcelona versus $1,611 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,592 in Barcelona versus $2,160 in Cartagena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 126% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 80% above, Cartagena is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.68 €15.42

$6.09 COP 20.9K

190.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.1 €61.1

$47.00 COP 161.6K

49.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.66 €11.91

$9.47 COP 32.5K

44.24%

Cappuccino

$2.74 €2.39

$1.64 COP 5,632

67.07%

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

$2.79 €2.43

$0.87 COP 2,980

220.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 €1.71

$0.66 COP 2,256

196.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.36 €3.81

$1.25 COP 4,281

248.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 €3.99

$2.93 COP 10.1K

56.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.16 COP 3,979

11.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 €1.79

$1.90 COP 6,530

7.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.33 COP 4,576

48.87%

Eggs

$3.39 €2.96

$2.10 COP 7,227

61.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.64 €16.26

$6.80 COP 23.4K

174.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 €8.34

$6.16 COP 21.2K

55.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 €16.43

$8.16 COP 28.1K

130.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 €2.40

$3.28 COP 11.3K

-16.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.99 COP 6,839

24.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.46 COP 5,012

43.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.82 €2.46

$1.65 COP 5,682

70.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.60 COP 5,496

26.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.06 COP 3,657

74.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.05 COP 3,606

43.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.78

$0.58 COP 1,994

55.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.06 €6.16

$2.35 COP 8,068

200.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.98 €6.96

$18.92 COP 65.0K

-57.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 €1.25

$1.00 COP 3,432

43.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.00

$0.99 COP 3,395

131.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.51

$1.02 COP 3,518

182.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.77

$29.14 COP 100.2K

-2.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 €3.82

$2.47 COP 8,475

77.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 €1.87

$2.35 COP 8,072

-8.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.15 €25.44

$4.96 COP 17.1K

487.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.96 COP 3,308

93.75%

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

$39.0K €34.0K

$20.8K COP 71.6M

87.24%

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

$32.7K €28.5K

$23.6K COP 81.0M

38.70%

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

$189 €165

$140 COP 480.2K

35.36%

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

$22.71 €19.82

$10.70 COP 36.8K

112.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.51 €31.85

$25.03 COP 86.0K

45.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.3

$35.17 COP 120.9K

63.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.37 €18.64

$8.48 COP 29.1K

152.00%

Cinema Ticket

$10.81 €9.43

$2.93 COP 10.1K

268.94%

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

$726 €634

$144 COP 493.8K

405.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K €13.2K

$5,840 COP 20.1M

158.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 €76.5

$48.52 COP 166.8K

80.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.89 €32.19

$39.07 COP 134.3K

-5.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 €90.3

$124 COP 426.8K

-16.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 €102

$112 COP 386.3K

3.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 €1,373

$716 COP 2.5M

119.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 €1,064

$335 COP 1.2M

264.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,711 €2,366

$1,270 COP 4.4M

113.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,966 €1,716

$475 COP 1.6M

314.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,811 €6,815

$3,197 COP 11.0M

144.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,267 €4,595

$871 COP 3.0M

504.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,375 €2,072

$422 COP 1.5M

462.51%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,573 in Barcelona and $716 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 463% 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: $70.0 in Barcelona vs $47.00 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $321 vs $225 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 126% in total monthly costs ($2,399 vs $1,063 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 463% 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: $1,573 in Barcelona versus $716 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 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 42% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,063 in Cartagena versus $2,399 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 126% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.