Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,086 in Cartagena versus $756 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,604 in Cartagena versus $1,227 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,121 in Cartagena versus $1,698 in Cali.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 44% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cartagena 18% lower, Cali 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 18.7K

$3.56 COP 11.2K

66.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.34 COP 149.1K

$28.88 COP 90.9K

63.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.95 COP 31.3K

$7.42 COP 23.4K

34.10%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 4,950

$1.64 COP 5,158

-4.27%

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

$0.82 COP 2,579

$0.88 COP 2,783

-6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,128

$0.60 COP 1,884

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.31 COP 4,111

$1.01 COP 3,194

29.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 COP 9,107

$2.47 COP 7,779

17.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 COP 3,590

$1.23 COP 3,863

-7.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 COP 5,777

$1.48 COP 4,668

23.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,324

$1.25 COP 3,940

9.60%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 6,910

$2.47 COP 7,786

-11.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.81 COP 21.5K

$4.21 COP 13.3K

61.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.22 COP 19.6K

$5.45 COP 17.2K

14.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.77 COP 24.5K

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

$2.46 COP 7,733

32.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,014

$0.93 COP 2,914

105.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,556

$1.19 COP 3,749

21.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,101

$1.27 COP 3,998

27.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,074

$0.82 COP 2,579

96.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,400

$1.09 COP 3,445

-0.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 COP 3,177

$0.74 COP 2,331

36.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 COP 1,865

$0.65 COP 2,049

-9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 7,403

$2.80 COP 8,828

-16.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.80 COP 59.2K

$13.13 COP 41.4K

43.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 COP 3,083

$1.08 COP 3,385

-9.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 COP 3,081

$1.86 COP 5,848

-47.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,311

$0.67 COP 2,097

56.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.98 COP 91.2K

$19.94 COP 62.8K

45.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 COP 7,753

$1.61 COP 5,062

52.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 COP 7,461

$1.95 COP 6,137

21.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.86 COP 15.3K

$9.80 COP 30.9K

-50.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 COP 3,204

$0.95 COP 2,982

7.37%

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

$21.1K COP 66.5M

$21.5K COP 67.7M

-1.76%

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

$24.0K COP 75.7M

$30.2K COP 95.1M

-20.43%

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

$143 COP 449.0K

$82.2 COP 258.7K

73.55%

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

$10.93 COP 34.4K

$8.73 COP 27.5K

25.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.27 COP 79.6K

$24.65 COP 77.6K

2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.26 COP 111.0K

$20.05 COP 63.1K

75.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.60 COP 27.1K

$14.40 COP 45.4K

-40.28%

Cinema Ticket

$2.84 COP 8,948

$4.82 COP 15.2K

-41.08%

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

$144 COP 453.7K

$225 COP 708.9K

-35.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,062 COP 19.1M

$5,871 COP 18.5M

3.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.97 COP 151.0K

$64.3 COP 202.5K

-25.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.50 COP 121.2K

$43.60 COP 137.3K

-11.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 COP 393.7K

$76.5 COP 240.9K

63.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 COP 351.2K

$89.0 COP 280.3K

25.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 COP 2.3M

$235 COP 740.9K

206.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$333 COP 1.0M

$189 COP 595.4K

76.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 COP 4.1M

$614 COP 1.9M

110.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 COP 1.5M

$408 COP 1.3M

15.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,492 COP 11.0M

$1,261 COP 4.0M

176.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$935 COP 2.9M

$1,020 COP 3.2M

-8.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 COP 1.5M

$567 COP 1.8M

-17.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

29.53%

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

Last update for Cartagena: July 26, 2026

Last update for Cali: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Cartagena and $235 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Cartagena vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 vs $185 per month, with Cali 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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Cali. 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: $720 in Cartagena versus $235 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $144 in Cartagena versus $225 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Cartagena. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $756 in Cali versus $1,086 in Cartagena, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartagena, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.