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: $1,070 in Cartagena versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,619 in Cartagena versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,168 in Cartagena versus $4,599 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 54% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 20% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 COP 20.5K

$17.08 €14.72

-65.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.71 COP 163.0K

$69.2 €59.7

-32.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 32.9K

$13.78 €11.87

-31.57%

Cappuccino

$1.62 COP 5,658

$2.76 €2.37

-41.30%

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

$0.82 COP 2,855

$2.79 €2.40

-70.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,309

$1.99 €1.72

-66.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 COP 4,347

$4.36 €3.76

-71.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 COP 10.1K

$4.74 €4.09

-39.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 COP 4,020

$1.29 €1.11

-10.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 COP 6,695

$2.05 €1.77

-6.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,818

$1.99 €1.71

-30.65%

Eggs

$2.10 COP 7,317

$3.39 €2.92

-38.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 COP 23.5K

$18.81 €16.21

-64.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 COP 21.4K

$9.36 €8.07

-34.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 COP 27.3K

$19.12 €16.48

-59.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 COP 11.2K

$2.70 €2.32

19.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,729

$2.34 €2.02

-17.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 COP 5,011

$2.12 €1.83

-32.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,757

$2.85 €2.46

-42.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 COP 5,378

$1.97 €1.70

-21.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,716

$1.80 €1.55

-41.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,489

$1.45 €1.25

-31.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,224

$0.86 €0.74

-25.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 7,973

$6.78 €5.84

-66.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.45 COP 64.4K

$7.90 €6.81

133.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 3,272

$1.39 €1.20

-32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 COP 3,392

$2.37 €2.04

-59.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 COP 3,583

$2.92 €2.52

-64.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.09 COP 98.0K

$28.69 €24.72

-2.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 COP 8,570

$4.46 €3.84

-44.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 COP 8,521

$2.05 €1.77

19.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 COP 16.5K

$29.55 €25.46

-83.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 COP 3,552

$1.82 €1.56

-43.96%

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

$21.4K COP 74.8M

$38.8K €33.5K

-44.82%

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

$23.6K COP 82.3M

$33.1K €28.5K

-28.74%

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

$139 COP 486.8K

$189 €163

-26.29%

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

$10.98 COP 38.3K

$22.80 €19.65

-51.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.01 COP 87.3K

$37.59 €32.39

-33.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 COP 120.5K

$57.7 €49.75

-40.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 COP 29.7K

$20.74 €17.87

-59.02%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 COP 9,936

$10.82 €9.33

-73.66%

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

$139 COP 485.5K

$728 €628

-80.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,857 COP 20.4M

$14.8K €12.7K

-60.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.52 COP 165.9K

$88.6 €76.4

-46.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 COP 133.0K

$36.85 €31.75

3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 440.8K

$102 €87.9

23.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 COP 396.4K

$116 €100

-2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 COP 2.5M

$1,569 €1,352

-53.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 COP 1.2M

$1,218 €1,050

-72.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 COP 4.4M

$2,795 €2,409

-54.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 COP 1.6M

$1,975 €1,702

-76.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 COP 10.7M

$7,754 €6,680

-60.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$842 COP 2.9M

$5,176 €4,460

-83.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$410 COP 1.4M

$2,343 €2,019

-82.50%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $725 in Cartagena and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 471% 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: $47.00 in Cartagena vs $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $319 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 118% in total monthly costs ($1,070 vs $2,337 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 471% 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: $725 in Cartagena versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Cartagena versus $728 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,070 in Cartagena versus $2,337 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 118% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.