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: $1,070 in Cartagena versus $751 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,619 in Cartagena versus $1,205 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,168 in Cartagena versus $1,659 in Cali.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 42% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cartagena 20% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.89 COP 20.5K

$3.73 COP 13.0K

57.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.71 COP 163.0K

$28.95 COP 101.0K

61.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 32.9K

$7.06 COP 24.6K

33.57%

Cappuccino

$1.62 COP 5,658

$1.56 COP 5,438

3.85%

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

$0.82 COP 2,855

$0.88 COP 3,063

-6.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,309

$0.60 COP 2,111

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.25 COP 4,347

$1.05 COP 3,672

19.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 COP 10.1K

$2.52 COP 8,800

14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 COP 4,020

$1.28 COP 4,482

-10.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 COP 6,695

$1.46 COP 5,090

31.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,818

$1.21 COP 4,221

14.05%

Eggs

$2.10 COP 7,317

$2.47 COP 8,621

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.73 COP 23.5K

$4.20 COP 14.7K

60.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.13 COP 21.4K

$5.53 COP 19.3K

10.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.82 COP 27.3K

$7.85 COP 27.4K

-0.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 COP 11.2K

$2.42 COP 8,430

33.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,729

$0.95 COP 3,324

103.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.44 COP 5,011

$1.19 COP 4,163

21.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 COP 5,757

$1.30 COP 4,542

26.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 COP 5,378

$0.81 COP 2,837

90.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,716

$1.06 COP 3,684

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,489

$0.76 COP 2,650

31.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,224

$0.70 COP 2,431

-8.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 7,973

$2.85 COP 9,948

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.45 COP 64.4K

$11.57 COP 40.4K

59.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 COP 3,272

$1.07 COP 3,739

-12.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 COP 3,392

$1.95 COP 6,812

-50.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.03 COP 3,583

$0.72 COP 2,521

43.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.09 COP 98.0K

$20.01 COP 69.8K

40.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 COP 8,570

$1.58 COP 5,521

55.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 COP 8,521

$1.91 COP 6,674

27.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.73 COP 16.5K

$9.72 COP 33.9K

-51.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 COP 3,552

$0.92 COP 3,194

10.87%

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

$21.4K COP 74.8M

$21.5K COP 75.2M

-0.51%

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

$23.6K COP 82.3M

$30.4K COP 105.9M

-22.29%

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

$139 COP 486.8K

$81.2 COP 283.4K

71.75%

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

$10.98 COP 38.3K

$8.63 COP 30.1K

27.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.01 COP 87.3K

$24.09 COP 84.1K

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.52 COP 120.5K

$19.55 COP 68.2K

76.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 COP 29.7K

$14.36 COP 50.1K

-40.81%

Cinema Ticket

$2.85 COP 9,936

$4.94 COP 17.3K

-42.31%

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

$139 COP 485.5K

$227 COP 790.8K

-38.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,857 COP 20.4M

$5,871 COP 20.5M

-0.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.52 COP 165.9K

$63.7 COP 222.3K

-25.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.12 COP 133.0K

$44.88 COP 156.6K

-15.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$126 COP 440.8K

$75.8 COP 264.5K

66.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 COP 396.4K

$89.7 COP 313.1K

26.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$725 COP 2.5M

$242 COP 846.1K

199.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 COP 1.2M

$186 COP 649.9K

79.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 COP 4.4M

$608 COP 2.1M

109.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$466 COP 1.6M

$397 COP 1.4M

17.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,075 COP 10.7M

$1,114 COP 3.9M

176.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$842 COP 2.9M

$920 COP 3.2M

-8.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$410 COP 1.4M

$512 COP 1.8M

-19.90%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $725 in Cartagena and $242 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 25% 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 $183 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 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cali earns 25% 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 $242 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $139 in Cartagena versus $227 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 $751 in Cali versus $1,070 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 42% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.