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: $2,341 in Barcelona versus $1,062 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,462 in Barcelona versus $1,608 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Barcelona versus $2,153 in Cartagena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 120% more expensive than Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 75% above, Cartagena is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.61 €15.08

$6.17 COP 22.3K

185.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.7 €58.8

$47.58 COP 171.8K

44.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.77

$9.85 COP 35.5K

39.59%

Cappuccino

$2.76 €2.36

$1.65 COP 5,948

67.27%

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

$2.78 €2.38

$0.81 COP 2,914

243.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.75

$0.67 COP 2,407

205.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 €3.94

$1.30 COP 4,682

254.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.93

$2.95 COP 10.6K

55.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.10

$1.14 COP 4,124

12.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.11 €1.81

$1.86 COP 6,715

13.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.33 COP 4,784

48.12%

Eggs

$3.44 €2.95

$2.11 COP 7,605

63.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 €16.12

$7.07 COP 25.5K

166.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 €8.09

$5.91 COP 21.3K

59.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.01 €16.27

$8.13 COP 29.4K

133.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 €2.33

$3.20 COP 11.6K

-15.00%

Banana (1kg)

$2.37 €2.03

$1.96 COP 7,059

20.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.78

$1.50 COP 5,424

38.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.36

$1.58 COP 5,689

74.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.55 COP 5,588

27.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.08 COP 3,892

65.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.00 COP 3,619

51.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.77

$0.59 COP 2,144

52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.76 €5.79

$2.36 COP 8,503

186.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 €6.46

$18.52 COP 66.8K

-59.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.23

$0.93 COP 3,367

54.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.03 COP 3,709

133.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 €2.59

$1.05 COP 3,805

188.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.39 €24.30

$28.08 COP 101.4K

1.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.43 €3.79

$2.38 COP 8,602

86.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 €1.76

$2.37 COP 8,556

-13.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 €25.11

$4.93 COP 17.8K

494.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.89 €1.62

$1.03 COP 3,709

83.50%

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

$38.7K €33.2K

$20.9K COP 75.4M

85.60%

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

$32.4K €27.7K

$23.6K COP 85.3M

36.98%

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

$189 €161

$142 COP 514.1K

32.43%

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

$22.21 €19.01

$10.96 COP 39.6K

102.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.82 €31.52

$25.17 COP 90.9K

46.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.0 €49.64

$35.27 COP 127.3K

64.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

$8.84 COP 31.9K

137.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.05 €9.46

$2.94 COP 10.6K

275.85%

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

$726 €622

$142 COP 512.4K

411.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.2K €13.0K

$5,910 COP 21.3M

157.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 €75.6

$48.13 COP 173.8K

83.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.98 €31.66

$39.46 COP 142.5K

-6.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €87.8

$123 COP 445.3K

-16.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$115 COP 413.6K

4.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 €1,307

$741 COP 2.7M

105.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 €1,043

$330 COP 1.2M

268.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,794 €2,392

$1,308 COP 4.7M

113.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 €1,735

$479 COP 1.7M

323.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,094 €6,073

$3,077 COP 11.1M

130.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,849 €4,151

$1,977 COP 7.1M

145.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,404 €2,058

$420 COP 1.5M

472.00%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,526 in Barcelona and $741 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 472% 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: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $48.00 in Cartagena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $222 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 120% in total monthly costs ($2,341 vs $1,062 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Barcelona pays 472% more on average, 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: $1,526 in Barcelona versus $741 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $726 in Barcelona versus $142 in Cartagena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,062 in Cartagena versus $2,341 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 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.