Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucaramanga and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucaramanga: $1,221 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bucaramanga
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Bucaramanga Living Index

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Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bucaramanga and in Cartagena

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bucaramanga and in Cartagena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,221 per month in Bucaramanga vs $1,520 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,221
Cartagena $1,520

A couple spends around $1,834 per month in Bucaramanga vs $2,565 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bucaramanga $1,834
Cartagena $2,565

A family of three spends $2,446 per month in Bucaramanga vs $3,610 in Cartagena, rent included.

Bucaramanga $2,446
Cartagena $3,610

Bucaramanga is about 20% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Bucaramanga sits 10% below the global median, while Cartagena is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.34 COP 17.2K

$5.63 COP 18.2K

-5.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.23 COP 100.8K

$142 COP 457.3K

-77.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 COP 29.7K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-9.62%

Cappuccino

$2.11 COP 6,800

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-52.48%

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

$1.40 COP 4,512

$2.44 COP 7,873

-42.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,496

$2.23 COP 7,195

-51.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,436

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-47.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 COP 7,928

$5.06 COP 16.3K

-51.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,630

$1.90 COP 6,118

-24.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 COP 4,624

$2.78 COP 8,966

-48.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.07 COP 9,896

$1.43 COP 4,613

114.69%

Eggs

$3.10 COP 10.0K

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-37.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.75 COP 25.0K

$13.42 COP 43.3K

-42.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.84 COP 44.6K

$17.30 COP 55.8K

-20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 COP 55.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 COP 11.3K

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,375

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,820

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 COP 8,749

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 COP 4,535

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,468

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.91 COP 2,937

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 COP 2,971

$2.06 COP 6,636

-55.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 COP 40.1K

$14.10 COP 45.5K

-11.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 COP 4,208

$1.39 COP 4,501

-6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 COP 6,024

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 COP 3,138

$1.25 COP 4,026

-22.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.4 COP 214.2K

$67.0 COP 216.0K

-0.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.69 COP 5,444

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-63.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 COP 1,558

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-86.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.67 COP 24.7K

$9.53 COP 30.8K

-19.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,162

$1.34 COP 4,339

-3.73%

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

$33.9K COP 109.4M

$33.9K COP 109.5M

-0.02%

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

$34.5K COP 111.4M

$35.0K COP 113.0M

-1.47%

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

$170 COP 549.3K

$79.0 COP 254.8K

115.55%

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

$10.56 COP 34.1K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.93 COP 83.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.62 COP 121.4K

$54.8 COP 176.9K

-31.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.84 COP 102.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 COP 28.7K

$8.10 COP 26.1K

9.75%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.7K COP 40.8M

$12.0K COP 38.6M

5.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 COP 166.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 COP 182.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 COP 390.0K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 COP 307.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$414 COP 1.3M

$1,347 COP 4.3M

-69.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 COP 1.0M

$842 COP 2.7M

-62.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$966 COP 3.1M

$2,468 COP 8.0M

-60.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 COP 1.7M

$1,580 COP 5.1M

-67.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,189 COP 7.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,752 COP 5.7M

$921 COP 3.0M

90.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 COP 1.9M

$464 COP 1.5M

23.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.4

-17.33%

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

Last update for Bucaramanga: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bucaramanga

$317 26%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Bucaramanga

$302 24.8%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bucaramanga

$207 16.9%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bucaramanga

$146 12%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Bucaramanga

$119 9.7%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Bucaramanga

$74 6.1%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bucaramanga

$55 4.5%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $414 in Bucaramanga versus $1,347 in Cartagena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 24% higher in Bucaramanga, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $31 in Bucaramanga versus $142 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $302 in Bucaramanga vs $259 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

13:55 1:55 PM

Same time as Bucaramanga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

581,130

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bucaramanga Cartagena 450 km

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Bucaramanga
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Bucaramanga vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 24% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,831 per month in Bucaramanga and $2,279 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucaramanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,221 in Bucaramanga and $1,520 in Cartagena. That makes Bucaramanga about 20% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Cartagena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,221 in Bucaramanga and $1,520 in Cartagena. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bucaramanga costs $1,221 versus $1,520 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.