Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,062 in Cartagena versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Cartagena versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Cartagena versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 55% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 21% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 COP 22.4K

$17.61 €15.04

-64.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.58 COP 173.1K

$68.7 €58.7

-30.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 COP 35.8K

$13.75 €11.74

-28.36%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,992

$2.76 €2.36

-40.22%

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

$0.81 COP 2,936

$2.78 €2.38

-70.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 COP 2,425

$2.05 €1.75

-67.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 COP 4,717

$4.61 €3.93

-71.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 COP 10.7K

$4.59 €3.92

-35.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 COP 4,155

$1.28 €1.09

-10.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 COP 6,765

$2.11 €1.80

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,819

$1.97 €1.68

-32.49%

Eggs

$2.11 COP 7,661

$3.44 €2.94

-38.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 COP 25.7K

$18.83 €16.08

-62.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 COP 21.5K

$9.45 €8.07

-37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 COP 29.6K

$19.01 €16.24

-57.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 COP 11.6K

$2.72 €2.32

17.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 COP 7,111

$2.37 €2.03

-17.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,465

$2.08 €1.77

-27.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 COP 5,732

$2.76 €2.36

-42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,630

$1.97 €1.68

-21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,921

$1.79 €1.53

-39.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,646

$1.51 €1.29

-33.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 COP 2,160

$0.90 €0.77

-34.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 COP 8,567

$6.76 €5.77

-65.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 COP 67.3K

$7.55 €6.44

145.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 COP 3,392

$1.44 €1.23

-35.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,737

$2.41 €2.06

-57.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,834

$3.03 €2.59

-65.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.08 COP 102.1K

$28.39 €24.25

-1.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 8,666

$4.43 €3.78

-46.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 COP 8,619

$2.05 €1.75

15.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 COP 17.9K

$29.33 €25.05

-83.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,736

$1.89 €1.61

-45.50%

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

$20.9K COP 75.9M

$38.7K €33.1K

-46.12%

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

$23.6K COP 85.9M

$32.4K €27.6K

-27.00%

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

$142 COP 518.0K

$189 €161

-24.49%

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

$10.96 COP 39.8K

$22.21 €18.96

-50.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 COP 91.5K

$36.82 €31.44

-31.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 COP 128.3K

$58.0 €49.52

-39.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 COP 32.2K

$20.99 €17.93

-57.88%

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 COP 10.7K

$11.05 €9.44

-73.39%

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

$142 COP 516.2K

$726 €620

-80.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,910 COP 21.5M

$15.2K €13.0K

-61.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.13 COP 175.1K

$88.3 €75.4

-45.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 COP 143.5K

$36.98 €31.58

6.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 COP 448.6K

$103 €87.6

20.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 COP 416.7K

$119 €102

-3.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 COP 2.7M

$1,526 €1,304

-51.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 COP 1.2M

$1,218 €1,040

-72.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 COP 4.8M

$2,794 €2,386

-53.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 COP 1.7M

$2,027 €1,731

-76.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,077 COP 11.2M

$7,094 €6,058

-56.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 COP 7.2M

$4,849 €4,141

-59.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 COP 1.5M

$2,404 €2,053

-82.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.39

342.48%

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

Last update for Cartagena: April 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Cartagena and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 472% 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: $48.00 in Cartagena vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $320 per month, with Cartagena 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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena and Barcelona differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($1,062 vs $2,341 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 472% less. 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: $741 in Cartagena versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $142 in Cartagena versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,062 in Cartagena versus $2,341 in Barcelona, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Barcelona 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.