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: $1,444 in Cartagena versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Cartagena versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,612 in Cartagena versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 40% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 8% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €12.13

$6.16 COP 20.0K

125.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.5

$32.60 COP 106.0K

80.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 €7.27

$7.34 COP 23.9K

13.35%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.30

$1.72 COP 5,592

52.91%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.05 COP 3,416

137.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.77 COP 2,511

158.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.08

$1.69 COP 5,480

108.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.02

$3.17 COP 10.3K

8.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.05 COP 3,418

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.30 COP 4,230

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$1.40 COP 4,538

18.57%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$2.16 COP 7,037

33.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 €9.87

$4.39 COP 14.3K

157.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.51

$5.88 COP 19.1K

46.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.26

$8.64 COP 28.1K

62.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$2.28 COP 7,415

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.11 COP 3,599

62.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.53 COP 4,976

-9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$1.35 COP 4,405

26.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.13 COP 3,669

15.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.13 COP 3,687

-6.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.85 COP 2,749

28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.46

$0.91 COP 2,971

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €4.96

$2.34 COP 7,619

142.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.38

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-50.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.20 COP 3,904

-5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$2.49 COP 8,094

-48.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.84 COP 2,724

70.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 €9.91

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-72.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.42 COP 4,617

142.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.92 COP 6,227

-36.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.35

$7.66 COP 24.9K

219.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$0.99 COP 3,219

84.85%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

69.09%

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

$30.7K €26.8K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

15.33%

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

$145 €127

$80.8 COP 262.7K

79.17%

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

$13.60 €11.88

$9.95 COP 32.3K

36.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.84 €26.94

$24.18 COP 78.6K

27.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 €34.79

$25.08 COP 81.5K

58.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 €13.26

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-20.73%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 €7.02

$3.98 COP 13.0K

102.01%

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

$417 €364

$305 COP 992.2K

36.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,827 €2,470

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-53.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 €39.54

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-22.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 €27.28

$32.20 COP 104.7K

-3.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.71 €39.93

$101 COP 327.5K

-54.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 €68.3

$108 COP 350.3K

-27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 €679

$477 COP 1.5M

63.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €532

$376 COP 1.2M

61.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €783

$845 COP 2.7M

6.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €668

$730 COP 2.4M

4.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,787 €1,561

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-44.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 €1,243

$1,372 COP 4.5M

3.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,725 €1,507

$617 COP 2.0M

179.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

13.43

-74.39%

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

Last update for Cartagena: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cartagena and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 180% 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: $59.0 in Cartagena vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $777 in Cartagena versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,444 per month in Cartagena versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,444 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.