Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and New York, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,292 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $43,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
Learn more

Cartagena Living Index
239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,292

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in New York, NY

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 New York, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,292 per month in Cartagena vs $4,950 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cartagena $1,292
New York, NY $4,950

A couple spends around $2,165 per month in Cartagena vs $7,265 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cartagena $2,165
New York, NY $7,265

A family of three spends $3,039 per month in Cartagena vs $9,581 in New York, NY, rent included.

Cartagena $3,039
New York, NY $9,581

Cartagena is about 74% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Cartagena sits 4% below the global median, while New York, NY is 267% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.87 COP 18.6K

$24.65 $24.65

-76.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$143 COP 453.5K

$122 $122

17.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 COP 32.9K

$13.91 $13.91

-25.45%

Cappuccino

$4.26 COP 13.5K

$6.59 $6.59

-35.36%

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

$2.54 COP 8,063

$3.84 $3.84

-33.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 COP 7,478

$2.87 $2.87

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

$7.79 $7.79

-58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.96 COP 15.7K

$9.85 $9.85

-49.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 COP 6,053

$1.38 $1.38

38.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 COP 8,692

$4.68 $4.68

-41.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,610

$7.54 $7.54

-80.77%

Eggs

$5.06 COP 16.0K

$5.93 $5.93

-14.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 COP 41.6K

$18.83 $18.83

-30.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.37 COP 55.1K

$17.36 $17.36

0.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 COP 6,304

$2.60 $2.60

-23.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

Wine (Bottle)

$14.64 COP 46.4K

$20.06 $20.06

-27.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,436

$3.25 $3.25

-56.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,972

$3.06 $3.06

-59.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.4 COP 185.2K

$140 $140

-58.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 COP 15.0K

$3.04 $3.04

55.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.68 COP 11.7K

$2.15 $2.15

71.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.49 COP 30.1K

$41.82 $41.82

-77.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,251

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

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

$23.4K COP 74.1M

$35.5K $35.5K

-34.08%

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

$34.4K COP 109.2M

$26.0K $26.0K

32.27%

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

$78.4 COP 248.6K

$219 $219

-64.19%

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

$73.2 $73.2

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.7 COP 290.8K

$123 $123

-25.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

Cinema Ticket

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$22.85 $22.85

-64.90%

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

$630 COP 2.0M

$3,333 $3,333

-81.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,818 COP 18.4M

$60.0K $60.0K

-90.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,035 COP 3.3M

$4,389 $4,389

-76.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 COP 1.9M

$3,130 $3,130

-81.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 COP 7.3M

$8,918 $8,918

-74.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$944 COP 3.0M

$5,354 $5,354

-82.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$924 COP 2.9M

$6,806 $6,806

-86.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$467 COP 1.5M

$5,343 $5,343

-91.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

119.94%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 11, 2026

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

$585 45.3%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2% 435% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

$259 * 20%

New York, NY

$545 11% 111% $286

Eating Out

Cartagena

$175 13.5%

New York, NY

$404 8.2% 131% $229

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

$108 8.3%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 56.3% $61

Getting Around

Cartagena

$87 6.7%

New York, NY

$167 3.4% 92.4% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

$78 * 6.1%

New York, NY

$364 7.4% 364% $286

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

- * 0%

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,035 in Cartagena versus $4,389 in New York, NY. 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 1044% higher in New York, NY, 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 $143 in Cartagena versus $122 in New York, NY. Groceries tell a different story – $259 in Cartagena vs $545 in New York, NY – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

12:42 12:42 PM

13:42 1:42 PM

1 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

8,804,190

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartagena New York, NY 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
New York, NY

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 New York, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 283% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,938 per month in Cartagena and $7,424 in New York, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartagena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $630 per month in Cartagena and $3,333 in New York, NY. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 110% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cartagena, where all-in costs run around $1,292, than in New York, NY at $4,950. In Cartagena it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cartagena costs $1,292 versus $4,950 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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