Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Da Nang

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $895 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$895

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Da Nang

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 Da Nang actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,520 per month in Cartagena vs $895 in Da Nang, rent included.

Cartagena $1,520
Da Nang $895

A couple spends around $2,565 per month in Cartagena vs $1,447 in Da Nang, rent included.

Cartagena $2,565
Da Nang $1,447

A family of three spends $3,610 per month in Cartagena vs $1,998 in Da Nang, rent included.

Cartagena $3,610
Da Nang $1,998

Cartagena costs about 70% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cartagena sits 12% above the global median, while Da Nang is 34% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.63 COP 18.2K

$2.26 ₫58.2K

149.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$142 COP 457.5K

$19.09 ₫491.5K

642.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.56 ₫117.4K

123.46%

Cappuccino

$4.44 COP 14.3K

$1.63 ₫42.0K

172.39%

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

$2.44 COP 7,876

$0.61 ₫15.7K

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 COP 7,198

$0.33 ₫8,400

575.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.34 ₫34.4K

137.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 COP 16.3K

$2.26 ₫58.3K

123.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 COP 6,121

$1.56 ₫40.3K

21.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 COP 8,970

$1.30 ₫33.5K

113.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,615

$1.00 ₫25.7K

43.00%

Eggs

$4.96 COP 16.0K

$1.58 ₫40.8K

213.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.42 COP 43.3K

$13.14 ₫338.3K

2.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.30 COP 55.9K

$4.22 ₫108.6K

309.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 ₫224.0K

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ₫73.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₫35.6K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₫40.9K

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.0K

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.2K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₫24.7K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 COP 6,639

$0.51 ₫13.0K

303.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 ₫39.1K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.10 COP 45.5K

$7.55 ₫194.3K

86.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 COP 4,503

$0.94 ₫24.2K

47.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₫62.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 4,027

$0.32 ₫8,300

290.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.1K

$6.71 ₫172.8K

897.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 COP 15.0K

$1.02 ₫26.3K

355.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.69 COP 11.9K

$0.47 ₫12.0K

685.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.53 COP 30.8K

$10.48 ₫269.8K

-9.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,341

$0.99 ₫25.5K

35.35%

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

$33.9K COP 109.5M

$30.8K ₫792.9M

10.15%

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

$35.0K COP 113.1M

$28.4K ₫731.1M

23.35%

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

$79.0 COP 254.9K

$85.8 ₫2.2M

-7.95%

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

$6.87 ₫177.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 ₫237.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 177.0K

$27.37 ₫704.7K

100.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.50 ₫141.7K

Cinema Ticket

$8.10 COP 26.1K

$3.47 ₫89.2K

133.43%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$459 ₫11.8M

37.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K COP 38.6M

$20.2K ₫519.4M

-40.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.42 ₫1.1M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.37 ₫704.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₫3.1M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 ₫2.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 COP 4.3M

$543 ₫14.0M

148.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 COP 2.7M

$359 ₫9.2M

134.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

$1,141 ₫29.4M

116.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

$830 ₫21.4M

90.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,798 ₫97.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

$1,854 ₫47.7M

-50.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

$429 ₫11.0M

8.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

39.93%

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

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Last update for Da Nang: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$359 40.1%

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$201 22.5%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$122 13.6%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$102 11.4%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,347 in Cartagena versus $543 in Da Nang. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Cartagena, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $142 in Cartagena versus $19 in Da Nang. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $259 vs $201 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🕒 Local time

12:35 12:35 PM

00:35 12:35 AM

12 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

1,245,200

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,829 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Cartagena Da Nang 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Da Nang

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 Da Nang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 70% more than Da Nang, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,279 per month in Cartagena and $1,343 in Da Nang. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $543 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Cartagena and $459 in Da Nang. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Cartagena at $1,520. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Da Nang costs $895 versus $1,520 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartagena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.