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: $1,204 in Cartago versus $2,441 in Barcelona.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,868 in Cartago versus $3,477 in Barcelona.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,531 in Cartago versus $4,513 in Barcelona.

Living in Cartago costs roughly 51% less than in Barcelona, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cartago is 11% below, Barcelona is 81% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.28 COP 24.1K

$18.35 €16.31

-60.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.84 COP 118.6K

$66.9 €59.5

-46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 COP 26.8K

$13.75 €12.22

-41.16%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 5,109

$3.17 €2.82

-51.42%

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

$1.24 COP 4,117

$2.88 €2.56

-56.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,584

$1.95 €1.73

-60.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.04 COP 10.0K

$3.89 €3.46

-21.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 COP 11.7K

$4.50 €4.00

-21.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 COP 5,103

$1.28 €1.14

20.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 COP 6,029

$2.07 €1.84

-12.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,700

$1.79 €1.59

-20.67%

Eggs

$2.73 COP 9,032

$5.04 €4.48

-45.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.15 COP 20.3K

$17.29 €15.37

-64.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 COP 22.7K

$9.41 €8.36

-26.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.87 COP 32.7K

$19.40 €17.24

-49.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 COP 11.6K

$3.18 €2.82

9.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,415

$2.09 €1.86

-36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,763

$2.64 €2.35

-34.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 COP 5,237

$2.83 €2.52

-44.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 COP 4,722

$2.20 €1.96

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,029

$2.14 €1.90

-28.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,615

$1.59 €1.42

-31.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 COP 3,240

$0.93 €0.83

5.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 COP 12.2K

$7.25 €6.45

-49.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.55 COP 41.5K

$8.00 €7.11

56.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 COP 4,803

$1.47 €1.31

-1.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 COP 7,822

$2.77 €2.46

-14.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 COP 3,332

$2.94 €2.61

-65.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.97 €23.08

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.82 COP 2,711

$3.06 €2.72

-73.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 COP 5,857

$1.51 €1.34

17.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 COP 31.1K

$34.08 €30.29

-72.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,242

$1.71 €1.52

-25.15%

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

$25.8K COP 85.2M

$36.3K €32.2K

-28.94%

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

$33.8K COP 111.7M

$30.6K €27.2K

10.22%

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

$109 COP 361.0K

$183 €163

-40.49%

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

$12.54 COP 41.5K

$14.76 €13.12

-15.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.07 COP 99.5K

$36.68 €32.60

-18.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.69 COP 124.7K

$55.8 €49.63

-32.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 €14.67

Cinema Ticket

$8.09 COP 26.8K

$11.30 €10.04

-28.41%

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

$606 COP 2.0M

$983 €873

-38.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,123 COP 20.3M

$16.7K €14.8K

-63.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.1 COP 251.7K

$91.9 €81.7

-17.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.1 COP 175.8K

$40.15 €35.68

32.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 COP 405.4K

$108 €96.4

13.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 350.8K

$122 €109

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$762 COP 2.5M

$1,689 €1,501

-54.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 COP 1.5M

$1,323 €1,176

-65.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$909 COP 3.0M

$2,617 €2,326

-65.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$877 COP 2.9M

$1,924 €1,710

-54.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,004 COP 6.6M

$7,336 €6,520

-72.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,463 COP 4.8M

$5,253 €4,669

-72.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,313 €2,056

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

3.16

266.46%

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

Last update for Cartago: September 29, 2026

Last update for Barcelona: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $762 in Cartago and $1,689 in Barcelona. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cartago vs $67.0 in Barcelona for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $328 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 103% in total monthly costs ($1,204 vs $2,441 including rent). Cartago is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,806 in Cartago and $3,661 in Barcelona to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $762 in Cartago versus $1,689 in Barcelona. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $606 in Cartago versus $983 in Barcelona. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartago – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $67.0 in Barcelona. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,204 in Cartago versus $2,441 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 103% less than in Barcelona. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.