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: $833 in Cartago versus $2,337 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,287 in Cartago versus $3,468 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,740 in Cartago versus $4,599 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 38% below, Barcelona is 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.67 COP 12.8K

$17.08 €14.72

-78.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.98 COP 101.1K

$69.2 €59.7

-58.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.14 COP 24.9K

$13.78 €11.87

-48.19%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,749

$2.76 €2.37

-40.22%

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

$0.87 COP 3,031

$2.79 €2.40

-68.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 2,113

$1.99 €1.72

-69.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.06 COP 3,696

$4.36 €3.76

-75.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 COP 9,026

$4.74 €4.09

-45.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 COP 4,305

$1.29 €1.11

-4.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.53 COP 5,327

$2.05 €1.77

-25.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 COP 4,247

$1.99 €1.71

-38.69%

Eggs

$2.58 COP 9,011

$3.39 €2.92

-23.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.22 COP 14.7K

$18.81 €16.21

-77.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 COP 19.3K

$9.36 €8.07

-40.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.58 COP 26.5K

$19.12 €16.48

-60.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 COP 8,368

$2.70 €2.32

-11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 COP 3,130

$2.34 €2.02

-61.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 COP 4,189

$2.12 €1.83

-43.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,604

$2.85 €2.46

-53.68%

Potato (1kg)

$0.83 COP 2,896

$1.97 €1.70

-57.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,726

$1.80 €1.55

-40.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 COP 2,643

$1.45 €1.25

-47.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,455

$0.86 €0.74

-18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 COP 9,823

$6.78 €5.84

-58.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.80 COP 41.2K

$7.90 €6.81

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,768

$1.39 €1.20

-22.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 COP 6,796

$2.37 €2.04

-17.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,322

$2.92 €2.52

-77.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.31 COP 105.8K

$28.69 €24.72

5.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 COP 5,403

$4.46 €3.84

-65.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 COP 6,936

$2.05 €1.77

-2.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 COP 33.0K

$29.55 €25.46

-67.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,406

$1.82 €1.56

-46.15%

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

$21.7K COP 75.7M

$38.8K €33.5K

-44.12%

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

$29.6K COP 103.5M

$33.1K €28.5K

-10.42%

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

$83.4 COP 290.9K

$189 €163

-55.95%

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

$8.71 COP 30.4K

$22.80 €19.65

-61.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.88 COP 86.8K

$37.59 €32.39

-33.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.13 COP 80.7K

$57.7 €49.75

-59.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.74 €17.87

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 16.7K

$10.82 €9.33

-55.82%

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

$228 COP 796.3K

$728 €628

-68.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,939 COP 20.7M

$14.8K €12.7K

-59.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.1 COP 223.8K

$88.6 €76.4

-27.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.98 COP 153.5K

$36.85 €31.75

19.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 COP 271.3K

$102 €87.9

-23.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.0 COP 314.0K

$116 €100

-22.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 COP 973.3K

$1,569 €1,352

-82.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$234 COP 817.8K

$1,218 €1,050

-80.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$539 COP 1.9M

$2,795 €2,409

-80.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$434 COP 1.5M

$1,975 €1,702

-78.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,602 COP 5.6M

$7,754 €6,680

-79.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,302 COP 4.5M

$5,176 €4,460

-74.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$324 COP 1.1M

$2,343 €2,019

-86.18%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $279 in Cartago and $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barcelona pays 624% 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 $184 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 180% in total monthly costs ($833 vs $2,337 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Barcelona earns 624% 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: $279 in Cartago versus $1,569 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $228 in Cartago versus $728 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 $833 in Cartago versus $2,337 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 180% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.