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: $1,443 in Cartagena versus $1,102 in Plovdiv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,008 in Cartagena versus $1,712 in Plovdiv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,573 in Cartagena versus $2,321 in Plovdiv.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 31% more expensive than Plovdiv, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 8% above, Plovdiv is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.15 €12.17

$8.70 BGN 14.47

62.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 €48.95

$47.28 BGN 78.7

20.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.31 €7.14

$8.69 BGN 14.46

-4.37%

Cappuccino

$2.65 €2.28

$2.49 BGN 4.15

6.43%

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

$2.52 €2.17

$1.49 BGN 2.48

69.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.91 BGN 1.51

118.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 €3.04

$2.99 BGN 4.97

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 €3.03

$2.93 BGN 4.88

20.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.81 BGN 3.02

-37.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 €0.86

$1.07 BGN 1.78

-6.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.11 BGN 3.51

-18.48%

Eggs

$2.85 €2.45

$3.40 BGN 5.66

-16.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.35 €9.76

$11.61 BGN 19.31

-2.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.61 €7.41

$7.95 BGN 13.22

8.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 €12.27

$12.02 BGN 19.99

18.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.36 €2.03

$1.50 BGN 2.49

57.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$1.76 BGN 2.93

6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 €1.25

$1.66 BGN 2.76

-12.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.48 BGN 4.12

-31.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.07

$1.02 BGN 1.70

21.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.14 BGN 1.90

-3.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.09 BGN 1.82

0.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 €0.47

$0.77 BGN 1.28

-28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.69 €4.89

$3.61 BGN 6.01

57.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.42

$6.07 BGN 10.11

3.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.95

$1.04 BGN 1.73

6.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.07

$1.80 BGN 2.99

-30.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.38 €1.19

$0.60 BGN 1.00

130.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.35 €9.76

$28.44 BGN 47.32

-60.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.16 BGN 1.93

190.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 €1.07

$0.66 BGN 1.09

87.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 €21.03

$10.48 BGN 17.44

133.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.50 BGN 2.50

21.33%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

-3.40%

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

$30.8K €26.5K

$28.7K BGN 47.8K

7.07%

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

$142 €122

$97.8 BGN 163

44.87%

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

$13.63 €11.73

$18.10 BGN 30.11

-24.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.08 €25.87

$15.31 BGN 25.47

96.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.77 €33.35

$37.70 BGN 62.7

2.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.94 €12.85

$14.69 BGN 24.44

1.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.18 €7.04

$8.96 BGN 14.90

-8.71%

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

$430 €370

$425 BGN 706

1.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,817 €2,424

$7,126 BGN 11.9K

-60.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.63 €39.25

$61.5 BGN 102

-25.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.20 €26.84

$35.35 BGN 58.8

-11.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.67 €38.42

$98.1 BGN 163

-54.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.5 €66.6

$106 BGN 176

-26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$768 €660

$482 BGN 802

59.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 €541

$336 BGN 558

87.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$892 €767

$816 BGN 1,357

9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 €653

$609 BGN 1,013

24.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,810 €1,557

$2,299 BGN 3,824

-21.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,450 €1,248

$1,556 BGN 2,589

-6.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,963 €1,689

$1,160 BGN 1,929

69.28%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Plovdiv: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $768 in Cartagena and $482 in Plovdiv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 69% 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: $57.0 in Cartagena vs $47.00 in Plovdiv. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $238, 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 31% 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.

Cartagena pays 69% more on average, 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: $768 in Cartagena versus $482 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 $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,443 per month in Cartagena versus $1,102 in Plovdiv – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Plovdiv versus $1,443 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 $1,102 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 31% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.