Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Barcelona Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Barcelona

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Cartago versus $2,359 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,282 in Cartago versus $3,498 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,725 in Cartago versus $4,638 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartago costs roughly 64% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartago is 37% below, Barcelona is 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 COP 11.7K

$17.15 €14.86

-78.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.46 COP 92.8K

$68.1 €58.9

-56.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 COP 22.8K

$13.64 €11.82

-46.92%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,179

$2.78 €2.41

-40.65%

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

$0.87 COP 2,753

$2.82 €2.44

-69.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,913

$1.96 €1.70

-68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 COP 3,193

$4.43 €3.84

-77.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 7,774

$4.61 €3.99

-46.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,052

$1.27 €1.10

1.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 COP 4,847

$2.13 €1.85

-27.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 COP 3,821

$1.99 €1.72

-39.20%

Eggs

$2.47 COP 7,786

$3.37 €2.92

-26.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$18.96 €16.42

-78.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.58 COP 17.6K

$9.53 €8.26

-41.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.79 COP 24.5K

$18.73 €16.22

-58.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.45 COP 7,726

$2.65 €2.29

-7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,068

$2.35 €2.04

-58.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,650

$2.09 €1.81

-44.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.27 COP 4,004

$2.73 €2.37

-53.48%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 COP 2,598

$1.96 €1.70

-57.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 COP 3,315

$1.81 €1.56

-41.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.71 COP 2,250

$1.51 €1.31

-52.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,149

$0.89 €0.77

-23.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 COP 8,949

$6.78 €5.87

-58.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 COP 40.2K

$7.92 €6.86

61.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 COP 3,522

$1.37 €1.19

-18.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 COP 6,018

$2.40 €2.08

-20.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 COP 2,167

$2.91 €2.52

-76.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.38 COP 95.7K

$28.66 €24.82

6.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 COP 5,017

$4.58 €3.96

-65.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,011

$2.04 €1.77

-6.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.72 COP 30.6K

$28.72 €24.87

-66.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 2,927

$1.82 €1.58

-48.90%

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

$21.7K COP 68.3M

$39.3K €34.0K

-44.86%

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

$29.5K COP 93.0M

$32.5K €28.1K

-9.08%

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

$81.3 COP 256.0K

$187 €162

-56.44%

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

$8.61 COP 27.1K

$22.29 €19.30

-61.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.85 COP 78.3K

$36.37 €31.50

-31.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.75 COP 74.8K

$57.5 €49.82

-58.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.96

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 COP 15.0K

$10.77 €9.33

-55.90%

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

$229 COP 721.5K

$725 €628

-68.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,018 COP 18.9M

$15.2K €13.1K

-60.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.6 COP 203.4K

$87.9 €76.1

-26.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.43 COP 139.9K

$36.81 €31.88

20.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.8 COP 245.0K

$103 €89.6

-24.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 COP 281.3K

$119 €103

-24.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$285 COP 896.6K

$1,524 €1,319

-81.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 736.3K

$1,227 €1,062

-80.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$529 COP 1.7M

$2,727 €2,362

-80.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$431 COP 1.4M

$1,984 €1,718

-78.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,040 COP 6.4M

$7,469 €6,468

-72.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,273 COP 4.0M

$5,243 €4,541

-75.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$360 COP 1.1M

$2,393 €2,072

-84.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

3.39

241.59%

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

Last update for Cartago: July 25, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $285 in Cartago and $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 564% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cartago vs $68.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $319 per month, with Cartago 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

Cartago vs Barcelona: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago and Barcelona differ by about 181% in total monthly costs ($839 vs $2,359 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 564% lower in Barcelona. 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: $285 in Cartago versus $1,524 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $229 in Cartago versus $725 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Cartago versus $2,359 in Barcelona, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Barcelona. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cartago and Barcelona are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 181% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.