Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,520 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Calgary 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 Calgary and in Cartagena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,520 in Cartagena.

Calgary $2,297
Cartagena $1,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $2,565 in Cartagena.

Calgary $3,378
Cartagena $2,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $3,610 in Cartagena.

Calgary $4,459
Cartagena $3,610

Living in Calgary is roughly 51% more expensive than in Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Cartagena 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.15

$5.63 COP 18.2K

218.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.5

$142 COP 457.7K

-51.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.33

$10.19 COP 32.9K

7.36%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.19

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-16.67%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$2.44 COP 7,880

-15.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.86

$2.23 COP 7,202

-8.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.05

$3.18 COP 10.3K

80.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.99

$5.06 COP 16.3K

12.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$1.90 COP 6,124

4.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.78 COP 8,974

-4.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.18

$1.43 COP 4,617

308.39%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.35

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-23.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.15

$13.42 COP 43.4K

-19.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.45

$17.30 COP 55.9K

-36.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.06

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.84

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.82

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.59

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.10

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.24

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.74

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$2.06 COP 6,642

-23.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.77

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.66

$14.10 COP 45.6K

9.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.51

$1.39 COP 4,505

79.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.45

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$3.99

$1.25 COP 4,029

128.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$126

$67.0 COP 216.2K

34.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.43

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-32.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-61.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.49

$9.53 COP 30.8K

188.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.34 COP 4,344

-11.94%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$33.9K COP 109.6M

-17.87%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$35.0K COP 113.1M

-39.88%

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

$182 CA$255

$79.0 COP 255.1K

130.21%

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

$36.01 CA$50.5

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.4

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.4

$54.8 COP 177.1K

-11.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.35

$8.10 COP 26.2K

79.26%

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

$542 CA$760

$630 COP 2.0M

-13.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.7K

$12.0K COP 38.6M

77.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$82.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,702

$1,347 COP 4.4M

-9.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,453

$842 COP 2.7M

23.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,867

$2,468 COP 8.0M

-17.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,319

$1,580 COP 5.1M

4.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,121

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,462

$921 COP 3.0M

245.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,512

$464 COP 1.5M

593.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

-70.47%

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

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $1,347 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 6.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $142 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $259, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

04:27 4:27 AM

05:27 5:27 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Calgary Cartagena 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
Cartagena

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

Calgary vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Calgary is about 6.9 times higher, 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: $1,214 in Calgary versus $1,347 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Calgary – a meal for two runs $69 versus $142 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $1,520 in Cartagena – Cartagena is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cartagena is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Cartagena wins on affordability, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.