Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartago Cost of Living Comparison Between Barcelona and Cartago

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,476 in Barcelona versus $1,277 in Cartago.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Barcelona versus $2,012 in Cartago.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,613 in Barcelona versus $2,747 in Cartago.

Living in Barcelona is roughly 94% more expensive than in Cartago, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barcelona is 81% above, Cartago is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.74 €16.33

$7.52 COP 23.5K

149.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 €60.6

$39.19 COP 122.3K

77.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.77 €12.00

$8.40 COP 26.2K

63.93%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.59 COP 4,963

94.97%

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

$2.83 €2.47

$1.31 COP 4,101

116.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.64

$0.90 COP 2,798

108.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.18 COP 9,927

25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.53 €3.95

$3.85 COP 12.0K

17.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.11

$1.67 COP 5,200

-23.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 €1.88

$1.98 COP 6,173

9.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.53 COP 4,779

15.03%

Eggs

$5.13 €4.47

$2.96 COP 9,235

73.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 €15.59

$6.57 COP 20.5K

172.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.65 €8.41

$7.17 COP 22.4K

34.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

$10.58 COP 33.0K

90.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

$3.66 COP 11.4K

-11.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

$1.41 COP 4,409

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

$1.78 COP 5,551

46.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

$1.75 COP 5,468

57.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

$1.47 COP 4,573

50.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

$1.61 COP 5,011

31.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

$1.16 COP 3,622

33.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.83

$1.03 COP 3,229

-7.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

$3.78 COP 11.8K

94.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.05 €7.01

$13.28 COP 41.4K

-39.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.48 COP 4,605

4.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

$2.58 COP 8,066

8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.11 €2.71

$1.06 COP 3,313

193.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.86 €22.54

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 €2.85

$0.87 COP 2,727

275.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 €1.29

$2.19 COP 6,822

-32.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.27 €29.88

$9.84 COP 30.7K

248.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.73 €1.51

$1.35 COP 4,214

28.15%

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

$36.4K €31.7K

$29.6K COP 92.3M

23.00%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$36.1K COP 112.5M

-15.32%

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

$187 €163

$117 COP 365.2K

59.84%

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

$15.14 €13.20

$13.25 COP 41.3K

14.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

$31.12 COP 97.1K

21.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 €48.76

$41.56 COP 129.7K

34.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$11.41 €9.95

$8.41 COP 26.2K

35.67%

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

$997 €869

$549 COP 1.7M

81.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$6,925 COP 21.6M

138.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

$82.1 COP 256.2K

12.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

$56.3 COP 175.6K

-26.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

$127 COP 396.2K

-12.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

$113 COP 351.9K

10.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 €1,488

$609 COP 1.9M

180.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,286 €1,121

$490 COP 1.5M

162.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 €2,236

$1,158 COP 3.6M

121.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,942 €1,693

$993 COP 3.1M

95.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

$2,255 COP 7.0M

239.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,167 €4,504

$1,779 COP 5.6M

190.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,348 €2,047

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

11.58

-72.71%

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

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Last update for Cartago: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Barcelona and $609 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69.0 in Barcelona vs $39.00 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $336 vs $248 per month, with Cartago 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 Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barcelona and Cartago differ by about 94% in total monthly costs ($2,476 vs $1,277 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,714 in Barcelona and $1,916 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: $1,707 in Barcelona versus $609 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $997 in Barcelona versus $549 in Cartago. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartago – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $69.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,277 in Cartago versus $2,476 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. 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.

Safety-wise, Barcelona and Cartago 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.