Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Plovdiv Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Plovdiv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,474 in Cartagena versus $1,255 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,175 in Cartagena versus $1,928 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,877 in Cartagena versus $2,601 in Plovdiv.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 18% more expensive than in Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 7% above, Plovdiv is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 €13.17

$9.43 BGN 15.69

61.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.7 €50.6

$46.81 BGN 77.9

25.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.33 €7.18

$9.74 BGN 16.21

-14.48%

Cappuccino

$2.55 €2.20

$2.97 BGN 4.95

-14.14%

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

$2.56 €2.21

$1.76 BGN 2.93

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.64 BGN 2.73

16.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.03

$2.72 BGN 4.52

29.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 €3.54

$4.09 BGN 6.80

0.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 €1.04

$1.87 BGN 3.10

-35.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 €1.06

$1.22 BGN 2.02

0.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.30

$2.24 BGN 3.72

18.75%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.42

$3.78 BGN 6.28

4.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.47 €11.62

$12.10 BGN 20.13

11.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 €6.18

$8.95 BGN 14.90

-19.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.79 €17.07

$14.73 BGN 24.51

34.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.78 BGN 2.97

34.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.93 BGN 3.21

6.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 €1.44

$2.02 BGN 3.35

-17.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.28 €2.83

$2.63 BGN 4.38

24.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.11 BGN 1.85

17.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.14 BGN 1.90

14.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 €1.39

$1.22 BGN 2.03

31.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.60

$0.75 BGN 1.25

-8.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €4.93

$4.20 BGN 6.99

35.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.25 €5.39

$6.36 BGN 10.57

-1.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.13

$1.23 BGN 2.04

6.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.04 BGN 3.40

-42.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 €1.32

$0.62 BGN 1.03

146.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.76 €10.14

$30.02 BGN 49.94

-60.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €4.87

$1.34 BGN 2.23

321.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 €1.97

$0.67 BGN 1.12

240.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.01 €25.02

$10.90 BGN 18.13

166.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.68 BGN 2.79

1.19%

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

$37.3K €32.2K

$31.0K BGN 51.5K

20.38%

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

$31.5K €27.2K

$25.4K BGN 42.3K

23.96%

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

$222 €191

$119 BGN 197

86.70%

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

$20.40 €17.59

$19.32 BGN 32.14

5.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.60 €25.53

$16.32 BGN 27.15

81.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.94 €37.03

$42.57 BGN 70.8

0.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.29 €11.46

$21.66 BGN 36.04

-38.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.15 €7.03

$9.35 BGN 15.56

-12.83%

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

$432 €373

$536 BGN 891

-19.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,742 €2,365

$5,743 BGN 9,554

-52.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.78 €41.21

$70.5 BGN 117

-32.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.89 €30.96

$43.64 BGN 72.6

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.5 €53.9

$102 BGN 170

-38.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 €93.0

$109 BGN 182

-1.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$628 €541

$546 BGN 908

15.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$510 €440

$398 BGN 662

28.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$882 €760

$917 BGN 1,525

-3.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 €647

$677 BGN 1,126

10.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,836 €1,583

$2,365 BGN 3,935

-22.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,462 €1,261

$1,619 BGN 2,693

-9.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,796 €1,549

$1,174 BGN 1,954

52.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.1

30.97%

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

Last update for Cartagena: August 30, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $628 in Cartagena and $546 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 53% 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 $47.00 in Plovdiv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $264 per month, with Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plovdiv the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 53% 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: $628 in Cartagena versus $546 in Plovdiv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Plovdiv – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $59.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,474 per month in Cartagena versus $1,255 in Plovdiv – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,255 in Plovdiv versus $1,474 in Cartagena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plovdiv delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,255 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plovdiv hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cartagena and Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.