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: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,295 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,130 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,966 in Cartagena.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 91% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Cartagena is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$4.95 COP 15.5K

278.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$135 COP 422.2K

-48.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$10.19 COP 31.8K

35.13%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.61 COP 11.3K

-14.13%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.88 COP 5,879

50.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$1.82 COP 5,670

3.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$2.06 COP 6,425

93.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$4.87 COP 15.2K

-6.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.97 COP 6,144

-35.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$2.99 COP 9,317

-27.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.51 COP 4,703

16.56%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$5.21 COP 16.2K

-1.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$13.62 COP 42.5K

31.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$17.97 COP 56.1K

-46.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$2.07 COP 6,464

-54.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$14.76 COP 46.1K

-45.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.40 COP 4,362

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.29 COP 4,018

141.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

$59.4 COP 185.2K

-56.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$4.85 COP 15.1K

-32.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$3.84 COP 12.0K

-61.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.83 COP 30.7K

248.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.38 COP 4,300

25.36%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$23.9K COP 74.6M

52.02%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$34.8K COP 108.7M

-12.33%

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

$187 €163

$80.9 COP 252.4K

131.25%

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

$15.14 €13.20

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$90.5 COP 282.5K

-38.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.48 COP 26.5K

34.55%

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

$997 €869

$651 COP 2.0M

53.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$5,929 COP 18.5M

178.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$1,087 COP 3.4M

57.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$581 COP 1.8M

121.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$2,355 COP 7.3M

8.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$978 COP 3.1M

98.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$968 COP 3.0M

433.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

$480 COP 1.5M

388.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

-78.93%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $1,087 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 389% 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 $135 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $336 vs $268, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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 91% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,295 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 389% 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $1,087 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $651 in Cartagena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,295 in Cartagena versus $2,476 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 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.