Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartagena and Samsun

For one person, living is cheaper in Samsun: $940 a month against $1,436 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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 Samsun
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Samsun Living Index

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Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Samsun

🇹🇷 Turkey

$940

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartagena and in Samsun

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

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Cartagena vs $940 in Samsun, rent included.

Cartagena $1,436
Samsun $940

A couple spends around $2,531 per month in Cartagena vs $1,631 in Samsun, rent included.

Cartagena $2,531
Samsun $1,631

A family of three spends $3,626 per month in Cartagena vs $2,321 in Samsun, rent included.

Cartagena $3,626
Samsun $2,321

Cartagena costs about 53% more than Samsun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Cartagena sits 6% above the global median, while Samsun is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.80 COP 18.3K

$10.06 ₺501

-42.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$139 COP 437.1K

$59.3 ₺2,955

134.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 COP 31.6K

$10.45 ₺521

-3.92%

Cappuccino

$4.36 COP 13.7K

$3.97 ₺198

9.82%

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

$2.55 COP 8,035

$0.84 ₺41.83

203.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 COP 7,434

$0.29 ₺14.35

713.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$1.86 ₺92.5

74.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.92 COP 15.5K

$2.03 ₺101

142.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 COP 6,053

$1.17 ₺58.4

64.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 COP 9,004

$1.94 ₺96.6

47.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,673

$2.73 ₺136

-45.42%

Eggs

$5.02 COP 15.8K

$2.44 ₺121

105.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 COP 41.7K

$8.20 ₺408

61.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.33 COP 54.5K

$5.53 ₺276

213.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$26.33 ₺1,312

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ₺120

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 ₺117

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 ₺72.7

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 ₺51.8

Potato (1kg)

$0.44 ₺21.86

Onion (1kg)

$0.34 ₺16.79

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.82 ₺40.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 COP 6,453

$0.68 ₺33.70

201.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 ₺108

Wine (Bottle)

$14.43 COP 45.4K

$8.79 ₺438

64.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,424

$1.61 ₺80.2

-12.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 ₺114

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,906

$0.60 ₺30.14

106.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.1 COP 207.9K

$11.88 ₺592

456.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 COP 14.9K

$2.03 ₺101

133.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.75 COP 11.8K

$0.63 ₺31.22

495.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.54 COP 30.0K

$6.33 ₺315

50.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,221

$1.29 ₺64.1

3.88%

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

$34.2K COP 107.5M

$41.2K ₺2.1M

-17.11%

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

$35.0K COP 110.1M

$39.0K ₺1.9M

-10.17%

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

$79.2 COP 249.3K

$87.1 ₺4,343

-9.07%

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

$12.43 ₺620

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.50 ₺623

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.3 COP 177.2K

$30.67 ₺1,529

83.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.89 ₺294

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 COP 25.1K

$4.05 ₺202

97.04%

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

$625 COP 2.0M

$256 ₺12.8K

144.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,818 COP 18.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.82 ₺1,187

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.41 ₺1,515

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.7 ₺3,472

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.4 ₺3,012

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,374 COP 4.3M

$354 ₺17.6K

288.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$246 ₺12.3K

206.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 COP 7.6M

$738 ₺36.8K

225.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 COP 5.0M

$612 ₺30.5K

161.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$973 ₺48.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$955 COP 3.0M

$664 ₺33.1K

43.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$466 COP 1.5M

$934 ₺46.6K

-50.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

-69.39%

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

Last update for Cartagena: October 25, 2026

Last update for Samsun: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$264 28%

Accommodation & Living

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$246 26.2%

Eating Out

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$177 18.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$112 11.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$83 8.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$39 4.1%

Getting Around

Cartagena

–

Samsun

$19 2.1%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,374 in Cartagena versus $354 in Samsun. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Samsun are about 2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $139 in Cartagena versus $59 in Samsun. Groceries tell a different story – $261 in Cartagena vs $264 in Samsun – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🇹🇷 Samsun

🕒 Local time

09:04 9:04 AM

17:04 5:04 PM

8 h ahead of Cartagena

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,028,736

1,295,927

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Turkish Lira TRY ₺

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 TRY = 2.01 USD

100 TRY = 1.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TRY, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Turkish Lira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 49.83 TRY (100 TRY = 2.01 USD). 1 EUR = 55.46 TRY (100 TRY = 1.8 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartagena Samsun 11,000 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Cartagena
Samsun

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 Samsun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 53% more than Samsun, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,154 per month in Cartagena and $1,410 in Samsun. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Samsun, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $354 there versus $1,374 in Cartagena.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $139 in Cartagena and $59 in Samsun. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 82% less in Samsun. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Families tend to lean toward Samsun – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.