Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Cartago

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,281 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in Cartago

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 Cartago actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,060 in Cali versus $1,281 in Cartago.

Cali $1,060
Cartago $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,626 in Cali versus $1,972 in Cartago.

Cali $1,626
Cartago $1,972

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Cali versus $2,663 in Cartago.

Cali $2,192
Cartago $2,663

Living in Cali costs roughly 17% less than in Cartago, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, Cartago 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.32 COP 23.2K

$7.58 COP 24.0K

-3.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.35 COP 118.4K

$37.20 COP 118.0K

0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 COP 26.4K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-1.77%

Cappuccino

$1.52 COP 4,832

$1.54 COP 4,868

-1.30%

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

$1.23 COP 3,885

$1.28 COP 4,050

-3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,728

$0.83 COP 2,626

3.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 COP 9,872

$3.10 COP 9,838

0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 COP 12.1K

$3.66 COP 11.6K

3.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 4,891

$1.60 COP 5,072

-3.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.96 COP 6,203

$1.88 COP 5,954

4.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,701

$1.49 COP 4,737

-0.67%

Eggs

$2.91 COP 9,242

$2.93 COP 9,305

-0.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.31 COP 20.0K

$6.58 COP 20.9K

-4.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.85 COP 21.7K

$7.11 COP 22.5K

-3.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$9.93 COP 31.5K

2.92%

Apples (1kg)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$3.57 COP 11.3K

-3.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,433

$1.32 COP 4,187

6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 COP 5,668

$1.74 COP 5,513

2.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,223

$1.63 COP 5,168

1.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.42 COP 4,508

0.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,917

$1.50 COP 4,743

3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 COP 3,613

$1.08 COP 3,432

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 2,983

$1.03 COP 3,250

-8.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$3.69 COP 11.7K

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.94 COP 41.0K

$13.12 COP 41.6K

-1.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 COP 4,539

$1.50 COP 4,741

-4.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 COP 8,079

$2.45 COP 7,770

4.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,387

$1.02 COP 3,234

4.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 COP 2,488

$0.79 COP 2,516

-1.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,207

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 COP 26.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,245

$1.32 COP 4,198

1.52%

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

$28.0K COP 88.9M

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

$35.4K COP 112.1M

$34.6K COP 109.9M

2.07%

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

$110 COP 347.5K

$110 COP 348.3K

-0.22%

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

$12.96 COP 41.1K

$13.23 COP 42.0K

-2.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.06 COP 95.3K

$30.26 COP 95.9K

-0.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.81 COP 91.3K

$42.32 COP 134.2K

-31.92%

Cinema Ticket

$8.40 COP 26.6K

$8.24 COP 26.1K

1.94%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,430 COP 20.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 COP 248.5K

$77.8 COP 246.6K

0.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.2 COP 168.8K

$55.1 COP 174.8K

-3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 398.3K

$127 COP 401.8K

-0.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 351.4K

$111 COP 350.6K

0.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 COP 2.1M

$645 COP 2.0M

1.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 914.6K

$509 COP 1.6M

-43.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 COP 4.9M

$1,041 COP 3.3M

49.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$498 COP 1.6M

$970 COP 3.1M

-48.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 COP 6.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

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

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$288 27.2%

Cartago

$509 39.7% 76.4% $220

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$239 22.5%

Cartago

$241 18.8% 0.9% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$166 15.6%

Cartago

$167 13% 0.6% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$153 14.4%

Cartago

$153 12% 0.5% $0.7

Eating Out

Cali

$133 12.6%

Cartago

$136 10.6% 1.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$46 4.3%

Cartago

$59 4.6% 28.9% $13

Getting Around

Cali

$35 * 3.3%

Cartago

$16 * 1.3% 54% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $655 in Cali and $645 in Cartago. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Cali vs $37.00 in Cartago for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $239 vs $241 per month, with Cali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Cartago

🕒 Local time

06:36 6:36 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

135,365

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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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

Cali vs Cartago: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,590 in Cali and $1,921 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: $655 in Cali versus $645 in Cartago. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Cartago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $37.00 in Cartago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,281 in Cartago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Cartago. 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 Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.