Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Da Nang and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Da Nang: $895 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Da Nang
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Da Nang Living Index

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Da Nang

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$895

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Da Nang and in Cartagena

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

A single person spends $895 per month in Da Nang vs $1,520 in Cartagena, rent included.

Da Nang $895
Cartagena $1,520

A couple spends around $1,447 per month in Da Nang vs $2,565 in Cartagena, rent included.

Da Nang $1,447
Cartagena $2,565

A family of three spends $1,998 per month in Da Nang vs $3,610 in Cartagena, rent included.

Da Nang $1,998
Cartagena $3,610

Da Nang is about 41% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Da Nang sits 34% below the global median, while Cartagena is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ₫58.2K

$5.63 COP 18.2K

-59.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.09 ₫491.5K

$142 COP 457.5K

-86.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.56 ₫117.4K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-55.25%

Cappuccino

$1.63 ₫42.0K

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-63.29%

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

$0.61 ₫15.7K

$2.44 COP 7,876

-75.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₫8,400

$2.23 COP 7,198

-85.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ₫34.4K

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-57.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 ₫58.3K

$5.06 COP 16.3K

-55.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 ₫40.3K

$1.90 COP 6,121

-17.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 ₫33.5K

$2.78 COP 8,970

-53.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.00 ₫25.7K

$1.43 COP 4,615

-30.07%

Eggs

$1.58 ₫40.8K

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-68.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 ₫338.3K

$13.42 COP 43.3K

-2.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 ₫108.6K

$17.30 COP 55.9K

-75.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.70 ₫224.0K

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 ₫73.6K

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 ₫31.6K

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 ₫35.6K

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 ₫40.9K

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 ₫30.0K

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 ₫32.2K

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 ₫24.7K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₫13.0K

$2.06 COP 6,639

-75.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.52 ₫39.1K

Wine (Bottle)

$7.55 ₫194.3K

$14.10 COP 45.5K

-46.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ₫24.2K

$1.39 COP 4,503

-32.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 ₫62.1K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.32 ₫8,300

$1.25 COP 4,027

-74.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.71 ₫172.8K

$67.0 COP 216.1K

-89.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.02 ₫26.3K

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-78.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 ₫12.0K

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-87.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 ₫269.8K

$9.53 COP 30.8K

9.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 ₫25.5K

$1.34 COP 4,341

-26.12%

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

$30.8K ₫792.9M

$33.9K COP 109.5M

-9.21%

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

$28.4K ₫731.1M

$35.0K COP 113.1M

-18.93%

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

$85.8 ₫2.2M

$79.0 COP 254.9K

8.64%

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

$6.87 ₫177.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.20 ₫237.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.37 ₫704.7K

$54.8 COP 177.0K

-50.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.50 ₫141.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.47 ₫89.2K

$8.10 COP 26.1K

-57.16%

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

$459 ₫11.8M

$630 COP 2.0M

-27.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.2K ₫519.4M

$12.0K COP 38.6M

68.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.42 ₫1.1M

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.37 ₫704.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₫3.1M

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.0 ₫2.1M

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 ₫14.0M

$1,347 COP 4.3M

-59.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 ₫9.2M

$842 COP 2.7M

-57.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 ₫29.4M

$2,468 COP 8.0M

-53.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$830 ₫21.4M

$1,580 COP 5.1M

-47.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,798 ₫97.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 ₫47.7M

$921 COP 3.0M

101.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$429 ₫11.0M

$464 COP 1.5M

-7.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.72

-28.53%

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

Last update for Da Nang: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Da Nang

$359 40.1%

Cartagena

–

Groceries & Markets

Da Nang

$201 22.5%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Da Nang

$122 13.6%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Da Nang

$102 11.4%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Da Nang

$66 7.4%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Da Nang

$34 3.8%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Da Nang

$11 1.3%

Cartagena

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $543 in Da Nang versus $1,347 in Cartagena. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in Cartagena, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Da Nang versus $142 in Cartagena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $201 vs $259 – making Da Nang the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇻🇳 Da Nang

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

00:52 12:52 AM

12:52 12:52 PM

12 h behind Da Nang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,245,200

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 VND = 3.88 USD

100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to VND – Vietnamese Dong Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 25,750 VND (100,000 VND = 3.88 USD). 1 EUR = 28,829 VND (100,000 VND = 3.47 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to VND in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Da Nang Cartagena 17,040 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Da Nang
Cartagena

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

Da Nang vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 70% more than Da Nang, 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 $1,343 per month in Da Nang and $2,279 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Da Nang, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $543 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

Kindergarten costs $459 per month in Da Nang and $630 in Cartagena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 29% more in Cartagena, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Da Nang, where all-in costs run around $895, than in Cartagena at $1,520. In Da Nang it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Da Nang costs $895 versus $1,520 in Cartagena. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Da Nang. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cartagena makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.