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: $830 in Cartago versus $2,341 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,258 in Cartago versus $3,462 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,686 in Cartago versus $4,582 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartago costs roughly 65% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartago is 38% below, Barcelona is 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 COP 13.3K

$17.61 €15.08

-79.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.64 COP 103.4K

$68.7 €58.8

-58.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 COP 25.9K

$13.75 €11.77

-47.93%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,867

$2.76 €2.36

-40.94%

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

$0.94 COP 3,398

$2.78 €2.38

-66.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 COP 2,026

$2.05 €1.75

-72.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 COP 3,663

$4.61 €3.94

-78.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 COP 9,070

$4.59 €3.93

-45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,549

$1.28 €1.10

-1.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 COP 5,457

$2.11 €1.81

-28.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 COP 4,481

$1.97 €1.69

-37.06%

Eggs

$2.58 COP 9,313

$3.44 €2.95

-25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.15 COP 15.0K

$18.83 €16.12

-77.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.50 COP 19.9K

$9.45 €8.09

-41.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.76 COP 28.0K

$19.01 €16.27

-59.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 COP 9,022

$2.72 €2.33

-8.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,503

$2.37 €2.03

-59.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,149

$2.08 €1.78

-44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.25 COP 4,518

$2.76 €2.36

-54.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 COP 3,162

$1.97 €1.69

-55.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,010

$1.79 €1.53

-37.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 COP 2,597

$1.51 €1.29

-52.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,459

$0.90 €0.77

-24.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 COP 10.3K

$6.76 €5.79

-57.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 COP 41.3K

$7.55 €6.46

51.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,885

$1.44 €1.23

-25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 COP 6,930

$2.41 €2.06

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 COP 2,649

$3.03 €2.59

-75.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.35 COP 109.6K

$28.39 €24.30

6.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 COP 5,736

$4.43 €3.79

-64.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 7,029

$2.05 €1.76

-4.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.46 COP 34.2K

$29.33 €25.11

-67.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,422

$1.89 €1.62

-49.74%

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

$22.2K COP 80.2M

$38.7K €33.2K

-42.63%

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

$29.9K COP 107.8M

$32.4K €27.7K

-7.75%

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

$81.2 COP 293.0K

$189 €161

-56.96%

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

$9.09 COP 32.8K

$22.21 €19.01

-59.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 87.9K

$36.82 €31.52

-33.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.12 COP 83.5K

$58.0 €49.64

-60.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 €17.97

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 COP 17.0K

$11.05 €9.46

-57.47%

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

$222 COP 801.6K

$726 €622

-69.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,904 COP 21.3M

$15.2K €13.0K

-61.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 COP 228.0K

$88.3 €75.6

-28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.18 COP 159.5K

$36.98 €31.66

19.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 COP 283.6K

$103 €87.8

-23.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.9 COP 324.7K

$119 €102

-24.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 COP 1.0M

$1,526 €1,307

-81.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 COP 851.2K

$1,218 €1,043

-80.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$524 COP 1.9M

$2,794 €2,392

-81.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 COP 1.6M

$2,027 €1,735

-78.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,776 COP 6.4M

$7,094 €6,073

-74.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,493 COP 5.4M

$4,849 €4,151

-69.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$327 COP 1.2M

$2,404 €2,058

-86.38%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $288 in Cartago and $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 634% 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 $69.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $320 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 182% in total monthly costs ($830 vs $2,341 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 634% less. 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: $288 in Cartago versus $1,526 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $222 in Cartago versus $726 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Barcelona. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $830 in Cartago versus $2,341 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 182% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.