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: $1,444 in Cartagena versus $1,068 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,028 in Cartagena versus $1,734 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,612 in Cartagena versus $2,401 in Plovdiv.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 35% more expensive than in Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 8% above, Plovdiv is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.88 €12.13

$8.72 BGN 14.51

59.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.5

$46.71 BGN 77.7

26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.32 €7.27

$8.43 BGN 14.02

-1.30%

Cappuccino

$2.63 €2.30

$2.51 BGN 4.18

4.78%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.45 BGN 2.41

71.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.73

$0.91 BGN 1.51

118.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.08

$2.99 BGN 4.98

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 €3.02

$2.90 BGN 4.82

18.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.81 BGN 3.01

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 €0.92

$1.03 BGN 1.71

1.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.45

$2.13 BGN 3.54

-22.07%

Eggs

$2.88 €2.52

$3.32 BGN 5.52

-13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.30 €9.87

$11.87 BGN 19.75

-4.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 €7.51

$7.51 BGN 12.50

14.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 €12.26

$12.07 BGN 20.08

16.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €1.98

$1.58 BGN 2.63

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 €1.57

$1.70 BGN 2.83

5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.65 BGN 2.75

-16.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.50

$2.56 BGN 4.26

-33.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.13

$0.99 BGN 1.64

31.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 €0.93

$1.12 BGN 1.86

-5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.09 BGN 1.81

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 €0.46

$0.76 BGN 1.26

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.67 €4.96

$3.47 BGN 5.76

63.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.16 €5.38

$5.97 BGN 9.93

3.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €0.99

$1.08 BGN 1.80

4.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.13

$1.76 BGN 2.93

-26.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.25

$0.56 BGN 0.93

155.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 €9.91

$27.49 BGN 45.73

-58.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 €3.00

$1.16 BGN 1.93

196.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.06

$0.65 BGN 1.08

86.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.35

$10.58 BGN 17.60

131.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.83 €1.60

$1.59 BGN 2.64

15.09%

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

$30.5K €26.6K

$32.5K BGN 54.0K

-6.10%

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

$30.7K €26.8K

$28.2K BGN 47.0K

8.76%

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

$145 €127

$97.8 BGN 163

48.06%

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

$13.60 €11.88

$17.71 BGN 29.45

-23.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.84 €26.94

$15.47 BGN 25.74

99.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.82 €34.79

$37.09 BGN 61.7

7.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.18 €13.26

$14.94 BGN 24.85

1.61%

Cinema Ticket

$8.04 €7.02

$9.02 BGN 15.01

-10.86%

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

$417 €364

$429 BGN 713

-2.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,827 €2,470

$6,868 BGN 11.4K

-58.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.25 €39.54

$60.6 BGN 101

-25.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.22 €27.28

$35.10 BGN 58.4

-11.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.71 €39.93

$97.9 BGN 163

-53.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 €68.3

$107 BGN 178

-26.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$777 €679

$467 BGN 778

66.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 €532

$344 BGN 572

77.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$896 €783

$811 BGN 1,349

10.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$765 €668

$622 BGN 1,035

22.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,787 €1,561

$2,268 BGN 3,774

-21.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,423 €1,243

$1,521 BGN 2,530

-6.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,725 €1,507

$1,134 BGN 1,887

52.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

4.49

-23.39%

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

Last update for Cartagena: July 12, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $777 in Cartagena and $467 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 52% 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. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $237, 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 Plovdiv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv wins on cost – living expenses run 35% 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 52% 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 $467 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 $1,444 per month in Cartagena versus $1,068 in Plovdiv – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,068 in Plovdiv versus $1,444 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 $1,068 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 35% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.