Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,060 a month against $1,281 in Cartago, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Cartago

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,281

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cartago and in Cali

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 Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,281 in Cartago versus $1,060 in Cali.

Cartago $1,281
Cali $1,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,972 in Cartago versus $1,626 in Cali.

Cartago $1,972
Cali $1,626

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,663 in Cartago versus $2,192 in Cali.

Cartago $2,663
Cali $2,192

Living in Cartago is roughly 21% more expensive than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cartago 5% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.58 COP 24.0K

$7.32 COP 23.2K

3.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.20 COP 118.0K

$37.35 COP 118.4K

-0.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$8.32 COP 26.4K

1.80%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 4,868

$1.52 COP 4,832

1.32%

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

$1.28 COP 4,050

$1.23 COP 3,885

4.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,626

$0.86 COP 2,728

-3.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.10 COP 9,838

$3.11 COP 9,872

-0.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$3.80 COP 12.1K

-3.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 COP 5,072

$1.54 COP 4,891

3.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 COP 5,954

$1.96 COP 6,203

-4.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,737

$1.48 COP 4,701

0.68%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,305

$2.91 COP 9,242

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 COP 20.9K

$6.31 COP 20.0K

4.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.11 COP 22.5K

$6.85 COP 21.7K

3.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.93 COP 31.5K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.57 COP 11.3K

$3.45 COP 10.9K

3.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,187

$1.40 COP 4,433

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,513

$1.79 COP 5,668

-2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,168

$1.65 COP 5,223

-1.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,508

$1.43 COP 4,539

-0.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,743

$1.55 COP 4,917

-3.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,432

$1.14 COP 3,613

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 COP 3,250

$0.94 COP 2,983

9.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.69 COP 11.7K

$3.79 COP 12.0K

-2.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.12 COP 41.6K

$12.94 COP 41.0K

1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,741

$1.43 COP 4,539

4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 COP 7,770

$2.55 COP 8,079

-3.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 COP 3,234

$1.07 COP 3,387

-4.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.29 COP 96.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.79 COP 2,516

$0.78 COP 2,488

1.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,207

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.40 COP 26.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 COP 4,198

$1.34 COP 4,245

-1.49%

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

$28.0K COP 88.9M

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

$34.6K COP 109.9M

$35.4K COP 112.1M

-2.03%

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

$110 COP 348.3K

$110 COP 347.5K

0.22%

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

$13.23 COP 42.0K

$12.96 COP 41.1K

2.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.26 COP 95.9K

$30.06 COP 95.3K

0.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.32 COP 134.2K

$28.81 COP 91.3K

46.89%

Cinema Ticket

$8.24 COP 26.1K

$8.40 COP 26.6K

-1.90%

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

$701 COP 2.2M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,430 COP 20.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.8 COP 246.6K

$78.4 COP 248.5K

-0.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 COP 174.8K

$53.2 COP 168.8K

3.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 COP 401.8K

$126 COP 398.3K

0.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 COP 350.6K

$111 COP 351.4K

-0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$655 COP 2.1M

-1.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 COP 1.6M

$288 COP 914.6K

76.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 COP 3.3M

$1,558 COP 4.9M

-33.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 COP 3.1M

$498 COP 1.6M

94.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,999 COP 6.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 COP 5.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$585 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cali: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$509 39.7%

Cali

$288 27.2% 43.3% $220

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$241 18.8%

Cali

$239 22.5% 0.9% $2.1

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$167 13%

Cali

$166 15.6% 0.6% $1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$153 12%

Cali

$153 14.4% 0.5% $0.7

Eating Out

Cartago

$136 10.6%

Cali

$133 12.6% 1.8% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$59 4.6%

Cali

$46 4.3% 22.4% $13

Getting Around

Cartago

$16 * 1.3%

Cali

$35 * 3.3% 118% $19

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $645 in Cartago and $655 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Cartago vs $37.00 in Cali. Groceries flip the comparison at $241 vs $239, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cartago

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

05:47 5:47 AM

Same time as Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,365

2,568,609

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,921 in Cartago and $1,590 in Cali 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: $645 in Cartago versus $655 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Cartago. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $37.00 in Cartago. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Cali versus $1,281 in Cartago, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Cartago. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cartago, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cartago and Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Cartago. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.