Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,214 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 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 Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,214 in Cali versus $1,520 in Cartagena.

Cali $1,214
Cartagena $1,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cali versus $2,565 in Cartagena.

Cali $1,827
Cartagena $2,565

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,439 in Cali versus $3,610 in Cartagena.

Cali $2,439
Cartagena $3,610

Living in Cali costs roughly 20% less than in Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 10% below, Cartagena is 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.20 COP 16.8K

$5.63 COP 18.2K

-7.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 COP 181.6K

$142 COP 457.3K

-60.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 COP 19.5K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-40.82%

Cappuccino

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-29.05%

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

$2.37 COP 7,635

$2.44 COP 7,873

-2.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 COP 7,246

$2.23 COP 7,195

0.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 COP 10.8K

$3.18 COP 10.3K

5.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 COP 11.3K

$5.06 COP 16.3K

-30.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,389

$1.90 COP 6,118

-12.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 COP 5,637

$2.78 COP 8,966

-37.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,619

$1.43 COP 4,613

21.68%

Eggs

$3.05 COP 9,829

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-38.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 COP 28.4K

$13.42 COP 43.3K

-34.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 COP 30.5K

$17.30 COP 55.8K

-45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 COP 35.0K

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,749

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,275

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,590

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,367

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,178

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 COP 2,965

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,782

$2.06 COP 6,636

-58.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 COP 14.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 COP 48.8K

$14.10 COP 45.5K

7.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,888

$1.39 COP 4,501

8.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 COP 6,067

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,441

$1.25 COP 4,026

-14.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 COP 211.6K

$67.0 COP 216.0K

-2.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 COP 3,836

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-74.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,835

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-84.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 COP 10.6K

$9.53 COP 30.8K

-65.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,139

$1.34 COP 4,339

-4.48%

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

$34.8K COP 112.2M

$33.9K COP 109.5M

2.54%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$35.0K COP 113.0M

-1.93%

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

$104 COP 334.7K

$79.0 COP 254.8K

31.34%

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

$14.63 COP 47.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 COP 87.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.34 COP 97.9K

$54.8 COP 176.9K

-44.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 COP 32.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 COP 15.9K

$8.10 COP 26.1K

-39.26%

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

$414 COP 1.3M

$630 COP 2.0M

-34.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 35.7M

$12.0K COP 38.6M

-7.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 COP 263.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.07 COP 139.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 373.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 COP 322.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 COP 2.3M

$1,347 COP 4.3M

-47.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 COP 1.3M

$842 COP 2.7M

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 COP 4.8M

$2,468 COP 8.0M

-39.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 COP 1.8M

$1,580 COP 5.1M

-65.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,720 COP 5.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,429 COP 4.6M

$921 COP 3.0M

55.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

$464 COP 1.5M

28.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

-7.47%

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

Last update for Cali: 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

Cali

$397 32.7%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$265 21.8%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$153 12.6%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$145 12%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Cali

$140 11.5%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Cali

$74 6.1%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$40 3.3%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Cali and $1,347 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $56 in Cali vs $142 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $265 vs $259, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

11:41 11:41 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

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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Between locations

Cali Cartagena 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cali
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

Cali vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Cali, 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: $703 in Cali 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 Cali – a meal for two runs $56 versus $142 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Childcare runs $414 in Cali versus $630 in Cartagena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,214 in Cali versus $1,520 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartagena, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.