Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,427 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,427

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Austin, TX

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,427 in Cartagena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $1,427
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,095 in Cartagena versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $2,095
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,762 in Cartagena versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $2,762
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 6% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.31

$20.77 $20.77

-33.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.0 €48.90

$84.6 $84.6

-35.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.60 €6.76

$12.32 $12.32

-38.31%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.27

$5.63 $5.63

-54.53%

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

$2.45 €2.18

$3.72 $3.72

-34.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 €1.64

$2.50 $2.50

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €3.05

$8.05 $8.05

-57.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.54

$9.01 $9.01

-55.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.18 €1.05

$3.75 $3.75

-68.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 €2.26

$3.26 $3.26

-21.78%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.52

$4.17 $4.17

-5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.48

$12.90 $12.90

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.94 €6.18

$14.16 $14.16

-50.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 €16.60

$16.22 $16.22

15.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$4.33 $4.33

-44.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 €2.24

$1.46 $1.46

72.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$4.51 $4.51

-64.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 €2.75

$4.34 $4.34

-28.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.58 $2.58

-51.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 €1.10

$2.35 $2.35

-47.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.78 $1.78

-11.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$2.22 $2.22

-68.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.64 €5.02

$9.88 $9.88

-42.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.24 €5.55

$15.08 $15.08

-58.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$2.92 $2.92

-57.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.00

$3.46 $3.46

-67.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.49 $1.49

-4.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.14 €9.91

$41.72 $41.72

-73.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 €4.90

$2.73 $2.73

101.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.66 $1.66

35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.49 €24.45

$35.30 $35.30

-22.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.95 $0.95

86.32%

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

$35.1K €31.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-2.61%

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

$30.2K €26.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

11.39%

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

$210 €187

$229 $229

-8.28%

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

$19.74 €17.56

$59.4 $59.4

-66.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.70 €25.53

$69.9 $69.9

-58.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 €36.59

$57.2 $57.2

-28.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.80 €11.39

$16.33 $16.33

-21.62%

Cinema Ticket

$7.70 €6.85

$14.28 $14.28

-46.08%

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

$416 €370

$1,506 $1,506

-72.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 €2,425

$21.5K $21.5K

-87.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.17 €41.96

$52.8 $52.8

-10.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 €31.47

$43.82 $43.82

-19.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 €54.3

$84.8 $84.8

-27.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$103 $103

-2.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 €525

$1,907 $1,907

-69.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 €438

$1,274 $1,274

-61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$836 €743

$3,664 $3,664

-77.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$708 €630

$2,538 $2,538

-72.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,770 €1,574

$7,614 $7,614

-76.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,433 €1,275

$3,157 $3,157

-54.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,720 €1,530

$5,121 $5,121

-66.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.79

-40.21%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$492 34.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 159% $782

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$270 18.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 49.8% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$258 18.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 38.6% $100

Eating Out

Cartagena

$206 14.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 71.4% $147

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

$110 7.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16.3% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$57 4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 51.7% $29

Getting Around

Cartagena

$34 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 74.7% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $591 in Cartagena and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 198% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $55.0 in Cartagena vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $405 per month, with Cartagena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:33 12:33 AM

17:33 5:33 PM

7 h behind Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,050

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Cartagena Austin, TX 8,550 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Austin, TX

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

Cartagena vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 87% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 198% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $591 in Cartagena versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,427 per month in Cartagena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 87% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cartagena runs roughly 275% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,427 in Cartagena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena 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, Cartagena and Austin, TX 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 87% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.