Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,241 a month against $1,436 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,241

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Cali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartagena and in Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,436 in Cartagena versus $1,241 in Cali.

Cartagena $1,436
Cali $1,241

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,531 in Cartagena versus $1,856 in Cali.

Cartagena $2,531
Cali $1,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,626 in Cartagena versus $2,470 in Cali.

Cartagena $3,626
Cali $2,470

Living in Cartagena is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartagena is 6% above, Cali is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 COP 18.7K

$5.33 COP 17.2K

8.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 COP 448.6K

$57.5 COP 185.5K

141.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 COP 32.4K

$6.19 COP 20.0K

62.20%

Cappuccino

$4.36 COP 14.1K

$3.18 COP 10.3K

37.11%

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

$2.55 COP 8,246

$2.37 COP 7,641

7.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 COP 7,630

$2.20 COP 7,114

7.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.5K

$3.47 COP 11.2K

-6.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 COP 15.9K

$3.68 COP 11.9K

33.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 COP 6,212

$1.67 COP 5,393

14.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 COP 9,240

$1.82 COP 5,886

57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,795

$1.67 COP 5,403

-10.78%

Eggs

$5.02 COP 16.2K

$3.08 COP 9,952

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 COP 42.7K

$8.78 COP 28.3K

50.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 COP 56.0K

$9.45 COP 30.5K

83.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 COP 35.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 COP 12.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 COP 3,893

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,369

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,738

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,467

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,225

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 COP 3,281

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 COP 6,623

$0.85 COP 2,752

141.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 COP 14.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 COP 46.6K

$17.12 COP 55.3K

-15.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,540

$1.58 COP 5,090

-10.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,353

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 4,008

$1.13 COP 3,642

9.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 COP 213.4K

$67.3 COP 217.3K

-1.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 COP 15.3K

$1.19 COP 3,831

298.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$0.57 COP 1,849

557.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 COP 30.8K

$3.39 COP 10.9K

181.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,332

$1.35 COP 4,370

-0.74%

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

$34.2K COP 110.3M

$34.7K COP 112.2M

-1.71%

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

$35.0K COP 113.0M

$34.4K COP 111.0M

1.77%

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

$79.2 COP 255.8K

$102 COP 328.1K

-22.03%

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

$15.18 COP 49.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.67 COP 89.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 COP 181.8K

$31.03 COP 100.2K

81.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 COP 33.7K

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 COP 25.8K

$5.11 COP 16.5K

56.16%

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

$625 COP 2.0M

$404 COP 1.3M

54.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,818 COP 18.8M

$11.5K COP 37.2M

-49.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 COP 268.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 COP 139.6K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 374.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 COP 323.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 COP 4.4M

$713 COP 2.3M

92.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$412 COP 1.3M

83.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 COP 7.8M

$1,466 COP 4.7M

63.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 COP 5.2M

$542 COP 1.7M

195.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,750 COP 5.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 COP 3.1M

$1,488 COP 4.8M

-35.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 COP 1.5M

$589 COP 1.9M

-20.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

8.07%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Cali

$412 33.2%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Cali

$271 21.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Cali

$154 12.4%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Cali

$144 11.6%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Cali

$142 11.5%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Cali

$76 6.1%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Cali

$41 3.3%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,374 in Cartagena and $713 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $139 in Cartagena vs $57 in Cali. Groceries flip the comparison at $261 vs $271, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

Same time as Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cartagena Cali 780 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Cali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 14% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Cartagena. 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: $1,374 in Cartagena versus $713 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $625 in Cartagena versus $404 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $57 versus $139 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.