Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,451 in Cartagena versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,148 in Cartagena versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,844 in Cartagena versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 6% above, Medellin 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 €13.18

$8.02 COP 25.0K

88.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 €51.0

$47.87 COP 149.4K

22.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 €7.16

$9.89 COP 30.8K

-16.99%

Cappuccino

$2.67 €2.33

$3.13 COP 9,767

-14.70%

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

$2.64 €2.30

$1.91 COP 5,954

38.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 €1.62

$1.51 COP 4,712

23.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.12 COP 9,747

10.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.48

$5.75 COP 17.9K

-30.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.08

$1.44 COP 4,509

-13.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 €1.06

$2.49 COP 7,759

-51.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.29

$1.77 COP 5,535

48.59%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.51

$2.96 COP 9,235

35.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.36 €11.65

$10.07 COP 31.4K

32.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.03 €6.13

$10.12 COP 31.6K

-30.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.36 €16.88

$14.30 COP 44.6K

35.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.14

$4.14 COP 12.9K

-40.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 €1.80

$1.61 COP 5,019

27.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$2.25 COP 7,007

-27.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.18 €2.77

$2.25 COP 7,028

41.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.04 COP 6,375

-35.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 €1.17

$1.54 COP 4,790

-12.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.17 COP 3,651

41.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.57

$1.31 COP 4,077

-50.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.70 €4.97

$3.90 COP 12.2K

46.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.37

$14.01 COP 43.7K

-56.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.74 COP 5,439

-25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.02

$2.87 COP 8,956

-59.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.51 €1.32

$1.22 COP 3,792

23.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.68 €10.18

$80.5 COP 251.1K

-85.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.10

$1.31 COP 4,084

346.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €1.96

$2.19 COP 6,825

2.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.21 €25.46

$8.71 COP 27.2K

235.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 €1.47

$1.37 COP 4,260

22.63%

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

$35.8K €31.2K

$27.8K COP 86.9M

28.77%

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

$30.6K €26.7K

$35.8K COP 111.6M

-14.35%

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

$216 €188

$177 COP 553.2K

21.95%

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

$20.01 €17.44

$13.88 COP 43.3K

44.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 €25.90

$29.72 COP 92.8K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.17 €36.76

$44.88 COP 140.1K

-6.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.88 €11.23

$17.12 COP 53.4K

-24.77%

Cinema Ticket

$8.27 €7.21

$6.65 COP 20.7K

24.36%

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

$425 €371

$813 COP 2.5M

-47.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,791 €2,433

$9,187 COP 28.7M

-69.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 €41.29

$89.5 COP 279.3K

-47.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.32 €31.66

$59.0 COP 184.0K

-38.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.7 €54.7

$138 COP 431.2K

-54.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.8

$102 COP 318.7K

5.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$614 €535

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-42.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €445

$663 COP 2.1M

-23.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$891 €776

$1,888 COP 5.9M

-52.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$746 €650

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-27.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,792 €1,562

$4,183 COP 13.1M

-57.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 €1,276

$1,675 COP 5.2M

-12.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 €1,518

$678 COP 2.1M

156.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

10.94

-62.89%

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

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $614 in Cartagena and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $274 vs $305, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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 Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 157% higher in Cartagena, 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: $614 in Cartagena versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,451 per month in Cartagena versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,451 in Cartagena versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,451 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena and Medellin 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.