Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,451 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,148 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,844 in Cartagena.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Cartagena 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$15.12 €13.18

-46.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$58.5 €51.0

-18.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.21 €7.16

20.46%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.67 €2.33

17.23%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.64 €2.30

-27.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.86 €1.62

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.44 €3.00

-9.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.00 €3.48

43.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.24 €1.08

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.22 €1.06

104.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.63 €2.29

-32.70%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.02 €3.51

-26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$13.36 €11.65

-24.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.03 €6.13

43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$19.36 €16.88

-26.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.46 €2.14

68.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.06 €1.80

-21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.64 €1.43

37.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$3.18 €2.77

-29.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.31 €1.14

55.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.34 €1.17

14.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.66 €1.44

-29.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.65 €0.57

101.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.70 €4.97

-31.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$6.16 €5.37

127.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.30 €1.13

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.17 €1.02

145.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.51 €1.32

-19.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$11.68 €10.18

589.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.85 €5.10

-77.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.25 €1.96

-2.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$29.21 €25.46

-70.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.68 €1.47

-18.45%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$35.8K €31.2K

-22.34%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$30.6K €26.7K

16.76%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$216 €188

-18.00%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$20.01 €17.44

-30.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.72 €25.90

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$42.17 €36.76

6.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$12.88 €11.23

32.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.27 €7.21

-19.59%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$425 €371

91.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,791 €2,433

229.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$47.37 €41.29

88.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.32 €31.66

62.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$62.7 €54.7

120.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$108 €93.8

-5.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$614 €535

73.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$510 €445

29.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$891 €776

112.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$746 €650

37.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,792 €1,562

133.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,463 €1,276

14.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,741 €1,518

-61.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.06

169.46%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $614 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $59.0 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $274, with Cartagena cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 157% lower in Cartagena. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $614 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Cartagena – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,451 in Cartagena – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,451 in Cartagena versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cartagena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cartagena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,451 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cartagena 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 Cartagena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.