Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago, Colombia and Bucaramanga

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucaramanga: $1,221 a month against $1,322 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartago outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

63

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Bucaramanga
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Bucaramanga Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,322

/mo nomad

Bucaramanga

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,221

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartago and in Bucaramanga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartago and in Bucaramanga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,322 per month in Cartago vs $1,221 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Cartago $1,322
Bucaramanga $1,221

A couple spends around $2,013 per month in Cartago vs $1,834 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Cartago $2,013
Bucaramanga $1,834

A family of three spends $2,703 per month in Cartago vs $2,446 in Bucaramanga, rent included.

Cartago $2,703
Bucaramanga $2,446

Cartago costs about 8% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Cartago and Bucaramanga are more affordable than the global median – Cartago 2% lower, Bucaramanga 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.22 COP 16.9K

$5.34 COP 17.3K

-2.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.1 COP 185.1K

$31.23 COP 101.3K

82.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.37 COP 20.7K

$9.21 COP 29.9K

-30.84%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,878

$2.11 COP 6,832

44.55%

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

$2.45 COP 7,940

$1.40 COP 4,533

75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 COP 7,369

$1.08 COP 3,512

110.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 COP 11.5K

$1.68 COP 5,462

111.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 COP 11.8K

$2.46 COP 7,966

47.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,430

$1.43 COP 4,652

16.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 COP 5,823

$1.43 COP 4,647

25.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,642

$3.07 COP 9,943

-43.32%

Eggs

$3.16 COP 10.3K

$3.10 COP 10.1K

1.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 COP 29.6K

$7.75 COP 25.1K

17.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.2K

$13.84 COP 44.9K

-32.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.27 COP 36.5K

$17.12 COP 55.5K

-34.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 COP 12.2K

$3.51 COP 11.4K

7.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.24 COP 4,027

$1.36 COP 4,396

-8.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,463

$2.11 COP 6,852

-34.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,195

$2.71 COP 8,790

-29.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,427

$1.41 COP 4,557

18.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,314

$1.69 COP 5,494

-2.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 COP 3,097

$0.91 COP 2,951

5.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 COP 2,981

$0.92 COP 2,986

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.36 COP 14.1K

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 COP 54.8K

$12.42 COP 40.3K

36.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,916

$1.30 COP 4,228

16.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 COP 6,187

$1.87 COP 6,053

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 COP 3,611

$0.97 COP 3,153

14.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.8 COP 213.2K

$66.4 COP 215.2K

-0.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 COP 3,689

$1.69 COP 5,470

-32.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,834

$0.48 COP 1,566

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.33 COP 10.8K

$7.67 COP 24.9K

-56.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,395

$1.29 COP 4,182

5.43%

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

$34.7K COP 112.6M

$33.9K COP 110.0M

2.40%

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

$34.9K COP 113.3M

$34.5K COP 111.9M

1.25%

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

$101 COP 327.4K

$170 COP 551.9K

-40.68%

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

$15.19 COP 49.3K

$10.56 COP 34.2K

43.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.03 COP 87.6K

$25.93 COP 84.1K

4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.99 COP 123.2K

$37.62 COP 122.0K

0.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.84 COP 103.2K

Cinema Ticket

$5.18 COP 16.8K

$8.89 COP 28.8K

-41.73%

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

$416 COP 1.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K COP 37.5M

$12.7K COP 41.0M

-8.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.1 COP 266.1K

$51.5 COP 167.0K

59.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 COP 142.1K

$56.6 COP 183.6K

-22.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 COP 373.9K

$121 COP 391.9K

-4.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 COP 326.6K

$95.1 COP 308.4K

5.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 COP 2.3M

$414 COP 1.3M

73.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.6M

$317 COP 1.0M

54.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,427 COP 4.6M

$966 COP 3.1M

47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 COP 2.5M

$519 COP 1.7M

50.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,259 COP 7.3M

$2,189 COP 7.1M

3.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,786 COP 5.8M

$1,752 COP 5.7M

1.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$574 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

12.4

11.94%

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

Last update for Cartago: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bucaramanga: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$490 37%

Bucaramanga

$317 26% 35.2% $172

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$272 20.6%

Bucaramanga

$302 24.8% 11.2% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$154 11.6%

Bucaramanga

$146 12% 5.2% $8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$143 10.8%

Bucaramanga

$207 16.9% 44.4% $64

Eating Out

Cartago

$141 10.7%

Bucaramanga

$119 9.7% 15.8% $22

Getting Around

Cartago

$74 5.6%

Bucaramanga

$74 6.1% 0.3% $0.2

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$48 3.7%

Bucaramanga

$55 4.5% 14.6% $7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $718 in Cartago versus $414 in Bucaramanga. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Cartago versus $31 in Bucaramanga. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Cartago vs $302 in Bucaramanga – so Cartago wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartago

🇨🇴 Bucaramanga

🕒 Local time

15:10 3:10 PM

Same time as Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,365

581,130

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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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 Bucaramanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago costs about 8% more than Bucaramanga, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,983 per month in Cartago and $1,831 in Bucaramanga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bucaramanga, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $414 there versus $718 in Cartago.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,322 in Cartago and $1,221 in Bucaramanga. That makes Bucaramanga about 8% cheaper.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% cheaper in Cartago – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,322 in Cartago and $1,221 in Bucaramanga. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Bucaramanga has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,221 in Bucaramanga to $1,322 in Cartago. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.