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: $1,062 in Cartagena versus $752 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,608 in Cartagena versus $1,212 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,153 in Cartagena versus $1,672 in Cali.

Living in Cartagena is roughly 41% more expensive than Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cartagena 21% lower, Cali 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.17 COP 22.3K

$3.57 COP 12.9K

72.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.58 COP 171.8K

$29.24 COP 105.5K

62.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 COP 35.5K

$7.47 COP 27.0K

31.86%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,948

$1.64 COP 5,920

0.61%

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

$0.81 COP 2,914

$0.87 COP 3,146

-6.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 COP 2,407

$0.56 COP 2,036

19.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.30 COP 4,682

$1.04 COP 3,759

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 COP 10.6K

$2.47 COP 8,919

19.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 COP 4,124

$1.27 COP 4,593

-10.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 COP 6,715

$1.48 COP 5,361

25.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,784

$1.24 COP 4,492

7.26%

Eggs

$2.11 COP 7,605

$2.53 COP 9,120

-16.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.07 COP 25.5K

$4.29 COP 15.5K

64.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.91 COP 21.3K

$5.53 COP 19.9K

6.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.13 COP 29.4K

$7.78 COP 28.1K

4.50%

Apples (1kg)

$3.20 COP 11.6K

$2.43 COP 8,759

31.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 COP 7,059

$0.90 COP 3,260

117.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,424

$1.19 COP 4,306

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 COP 5,689

$1.32 COP 4,763

19.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,588

$0.86 COP 3,119

80.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,892

$1.06 COP 3,836

1.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,619

$0.74 COP 2,681

35.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 COP 2,144

$0.66 COP 2,380

-10.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.36 COP 8,503

$2.96 COP 10.7K

-20.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.52 COP 66.8K

$11.44 COP 41.3K

61.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 COP 3,367

$1.10 COP 3,980

-15.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,709

$1.88 COP 6,795

-45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,805

$0.72 COP 2,612

45.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.08 COP 101.4K

$20.29 COP 73.3K

38.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 COP 8,602

$1.56 COP 5,624

52.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 COP 8,556

$1.89 COP 6,815

25.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 COP 17.8K

$9.60 COP 34.6K

-48.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,709

$0.94 COP 3,405

9.57%

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

$20.9K COP 75.4M

$21.9K COP 78.9M

-4.51%

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

$23.6K COP 85.3M

$30.2K COP 109.0M

-21.75%

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

$142 COP 514.1K

$82.4 COP 297.3K

72.93%

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

$10.96 COP 39.6K

$8.75 COP 31.6K

25.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 COP 90.9K

$24.48 COP 88.4K

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.27 COP 127.3K

$19.72 COP 71.2K

78.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.84 COP 31.9K

$14.66 COP 52.9K

-39.70%

Cinema Ticket

$2.94 COP 10.6K

$4.89 COP 17.6K

-39.88%

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

$142 COP 512.4K

$230 COP 832.0K

-38.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,910 COP 21.3M

$5,948 COP 21.5M

-0.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.13 COP 173.8K

$63.5 COP 229.2K

-24.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 COP 142.5K

$44.13 COP 159.3K

-10.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 COP 445.3K

$77.7 COP 280.6K

58.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 COP 413.6K

$89.2 COP 321.8K

28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$741 COP 2.7M

$238 COP 857.6K

211.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$330 COP 1.2M

$189 COP 682.9K

74.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,308 COP 4.7M

$620 COP 2.2M

111.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$479 COP 1.7M

$409 COP 1.5M

16.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,077 COP 11.1M

$1,146 COP 4.1M

168.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,977 COP 7.1M

$920 COP 3.3M

114.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$420 COP 1.5M

$514 COP 1.9M

-18.24%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Cali: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Cartagena and $238 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Cartagena vs $29.00 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 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 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cali earns 22% 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 $238 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $142 in Cartagena versus $230 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 $752 in Cali versus $1,062 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 41% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.