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: $1,295 in Cartagena versus $2,476 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Cartagena versus $3,545 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,966 in Cartagena versus $4,613 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartagena costs roughly 48% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 5% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.95 COP 15.5K

$18.74 €16.33

-73.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$135 COP 422.2K

$69.5 €60.6

94.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 31.8K

$13.77 €12.00

-26.00%

Cappuccino

$3.61 COP 11.3K

$3.10 €2.70

16.45%

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

$1.88 COP 5,879

$2.83 €2.47

-33.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 COP 5,670

$1.88 €1.64

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 COP 6,425

$3.98 €3.47

-48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.87 COP 15.2K

$4.53 €3.95

7.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.97 COP 6,144

$1.27 €1.11

55.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 COP 9,317

$2.16 €1.88

38.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,703

$1.76 €1.53

-14.20%

Eggs

$5.21 COP 16.2K

$5.13 €4.47

1.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 COP 42.5K

$17.88 €15.59

-23.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.97 COP 56.1K

$9.65 €8.41

86.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.15 €17.56

Apples (1kg)

$3.25 €2.84

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.94

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 €2.27

Tomato (1kg)

$2.76 €2.40

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 €1.93

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 €1.85

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.35

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 COP 6,464

$0.95 €0.83

117.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.34 €6.40

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 COP 46.1K

$8.05 €7.01

83.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,362

$1.54 €1.35

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 €2.43

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.29 COP 4,018

$3.11 €2.71

-58.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 COP 185.2K

$25.86 €22.54

129.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 COP 15.1K

$3.27 €2.85

48.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.84 COP 12.0K

$1.48 €1.29

159.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.83 COP 30.7K

$34.27 €29.88

-71.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,300

$1.73 €1.51

-20.23%

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

$23.9K COP 74.6M

$36.4K €31.7K

-34.22%

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

$34.8K COP 108.7M

$30.5K €26.6K

14.07%

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

$80.9 COP 252.4K

$187 €163

-56.76%

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

$15.14 €13.20

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.69 €32.85

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$90.5 COP 282.5K

$55.9 €48.76

61.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.08 €14.89

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 COP 26.5K

$11.41 €9.95

-25.68%

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

$651 COP 2.0M

$997 €869

-34.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,929 COP 18.5M

$16.5K €14.4K

-64.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.6 €80.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.22 €35.93

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €96.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,087 COP 3.4M

$1,707 €1,488

-36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$581 COP 1.8M

$1,286 €1,121

-54.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,355 COP 7.3M

$2,565 €2,236

-8.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$978 COP 3.1M

$1,942 €1,693

-49.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,647 €6,666

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$968 COP 3.0M

$5,167 €4,504

-81.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$480 COP 1.5M

$2,348 €2,047

-79.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.16

374.68%

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

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,087 in Cartagena and $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 389% 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: $135 in Cartagena vs $69.0 in Barcelona. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $336, 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 Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena and Barcelona differ by about 91% in total monthly costs ($1,295 vs $2,476 including rent). Cartagena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 389% lower in Barcelona. 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: $1,087 in Cartagena versus $1,707 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $651 in Cartagena versus $997 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,295 in Cartagena versus $2,476 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 91% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.