Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena, Spain and Valencia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,425 a month against $2,092 in Valencia, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Valencia
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Valencia Living Index

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Cartagena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,425

/mo nomad

Valencia

🇪🇸 Spain

$2,092

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Valencia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartagena and in Valencia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,425 in Cartagena versus $2,092 in Valencia.

Cartagena $1,425
Valencia $2,092

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,101 in Cartagena versus $3,017 in Valencia.

Cartagena $2,101
Valencia $3,017

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Cartagena versus $3,942 in Valencia.

Cartagena $2,778
Valencia $3,942

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 32% less than in Valencia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 5% above, Valencia 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.84 €12.40

$18.72 €16.77

-26.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.2 €50.3

$66.0 €59.1

-14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 €7.12

$12.11 €10.84

-34.35%

Cappuccino

$2.47 €2.21

$2.72 €2.43

-9.19%

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

$2.56 €2.30

$2.49 €2.23

2.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.09 €1.87

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.06

$3.32 €2.97

3.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 €3.46

$4.58 €4.10

-15.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.09

$1.20 €1.08

1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.35 €1.21

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.78 €1.59

47.75%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.54

$3.40 €3.04

16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 €11.48

$10.72 €9.60

19.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.71 €6.01

$7.76 €6.95

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.75 €16.79

$15.88 €14.22

18.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.12

$2.46 €2.20

-3.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 €2.19

$1.89 €1.69

29.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.58 €1.42

$1.83 €1.64

-13.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.20 €2.87

$2.66 €2.38

20.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.69 €1.52

-24.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 €1.13

$1.86 €1.67

-32.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 €1.37

$1.15 €1.03

33.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.62

$0.80 €0.71

-13.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.71 €5.11

$6.69 €5.99

-14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.30 €5.64

$5.64 €5.05

11.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.34 €1.20

-9.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$1.64 €1.47

-28.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.48 €1.32

$2.18 €1.95

-32.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.08 €9.93

$38.70 €34.66

-71.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.65 €5.06

$4.48 €4.02

26.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 €2.00

$1.28 €1.15

74.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.72 €24.83

$23.48 €21.03

18.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.77 €1.59

$1.80 €1.61

-1.67%

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

$34.6K €30.9K

$33.8K €30.3K

2.25%

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

$29.9K €26.7K

$31.3K €28.1K

-4.69%

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

$211 €189

$155 €139

36.42%

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

$19.43 €17.40

$15.96 €14.30

21.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.27 €26.21

$33.43 €29.94

-12.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.23 €36.92

$40.25 €36.05

2.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 €11.47

$8.70 €7.79

47.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 €6.91

$10.80 €9.67

-28.52%

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

$406 €364

$573 €513

-29.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,651 €2,374

$9,639 €8,633

-72.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.46 €41.61

$93.3 €83.5

-50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.88 €31.24

$42.41 €37.98

-17.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.6 €54.2

$95.8 €85.8

-36.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €90.5

$116 €104

-12.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$596 €534

$1,468 €1,315

-59.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 €439

$1,095 €981

-55.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$872 €781

$2,331 €2,088

-62.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 €644

$1,653 €1,481

-56.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,737 €1,556

$5,549 €4,969

-68.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 €1,278

$3,319 €2,972

-56.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,704 €1,526

$1,854 €1,660

-8.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

3.41

19.06%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Valencia: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$490 34.4%

Valencia

$1.1K 52.4% 124% $606

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$269 18.9%

Valencia

$253 12.1% 5.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$260 18.2%

Valencia

$204 9.8% 21.4% $56

Eating Out

Cartagena

$207 14.5%

Valencia

$263 12.6% 27.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

$109 7.7%

Valencia

$156 7.5% 42.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$57 4%

Valencia

$62 3% 9.2% $5.2

Getting Around

Cartagena

$34 2.4%

Valencia

$58 2.8% 72.6% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $596 in Cartagena and $1,468 in Valencia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valencia pays 9% 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: $56 in Cartagena vs $66 in Valencia. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $253, with Valencia cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Cartagena

🇪🇸 Valencia

🕒 Local time

15:58 3:58 PM

Same time as Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

218,050

807,693

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Cartagena Valencia 210 km

From you

Cartagena
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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 Valencia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Valencia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Cartagena. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $596 in Cartagena versus $1,468 in Valencia. 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 $56 versus $66 in Valencia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,425 per month in Cartagena versus $2,092 in Valencia – Cartagena is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cartagena is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cartagena and Valencia are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Cartagena wins on affordability, Valencia on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.