Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,520 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Austin, TX

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 Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,520 in Cartagena versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $1,520
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Cartagena versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $2,565
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,610 in Cartagena versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Cartagena $3,610
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartagena 12% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 COP 18.2K

$21.34 $21.34

-73.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 COP 457.7K

$87.9 $87.9

61.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.44 $12.44

-18.09%

Cappuccino

$4.44 COP 14.3K

$5.60 $5.60

-20.71%

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

$2.44 COP 7,880

$3.65 $3.65

-33.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 COP 7,202

$2.39 $2.39

-6.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$7.82 $7.82

-59.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 COP 16.3K

$8.75 $8.75

-42.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 COP 6,124

$1.12 $1.12

69.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 COP 8,974

$3.62 $3.62

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,617

$3.50 $3.50

-59.14%

Eggs

$4.96 COP 16.0K

$4.45 $4.45

11.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 COP 43.4K

$13.18 $13.18

1.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 COP 55.9K

$13.94 $13.94

24.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 COP 6,642

$2.13 $2.13

-3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 COP 45.6K

$14.88 $14.88

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,505

$2.82 $2.82

-50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 4,029

$1.23 $1.23

1.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.2K

$41.43 $41.43

61.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 COP 15.0K

$2.68 $2.68

73.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 COP 11.9K

$1.63 $1.63

126.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 COP 30.8K

$35.20 $35.20

-72.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,344

$0.98 $0.98

36.73%

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

$33.9K COP 109.6M

$34.4K $34.4K

-1.34%

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

$35.0K COP 113.1M

$26.8K $26.8K

30.62%

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

$79.0 COP 255.1K

$252 $252

-68.69%

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

$59.8 $59.8

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 177.1K

$60.4 $60.4

-9.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 COP 26.2K

$13.75 $13.75

-41.09%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$1,458 $1,458

-56.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K COP 38.6M

$26.6K $26.6K

-55.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 COP 4.4M

$2,195 $2,195

-38.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 COP 2.7M

$1,269 $1,269

-33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

$4,000 $4,000

-38.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

$2,406 $2,406

-34.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

$2,964 $2,964

-68.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

$5,043 $5,043

-90.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

119.94%

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

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,347 in Cartagena and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $142 in Cartagena vs $88 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $259 vs $407, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

05:42 5:42 AM

1 h behind Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

974,447

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Cartagena Austin, TX 3,180 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Austin, TX. 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 91% 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: $1,347 in Cartagena versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,520 per month in Cartagena versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Cartagena is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 38% less than in Cartagena. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

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