Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ocho Rios and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Ocho Rios: $1,092 a month against $1,520 in Cartagena, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cartagena outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

52

Cost of Living Index in Ocho Rios
Learn more

Ocho Rios Living Index

Jump to prices

Ocho Rios

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,092

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ocho Rios 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 Ocho Rios and in Cartagena actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,092 per month in Ocho Rios vs $1,520 in Cartagena, rent included.

Ocho Rios $1,092
Cartagena $1,520

A couple spends around $1,574 per month in Ocho Rios vs $2,565 in Cartagena, rent included.

Ocho Rios $1,574
Cartagena $2,565

A family of three spends $2,057 per month in Ocho Rios vs $3,610 in Cartagena, rent included.

Ocho Rios $2,057
Cartagena $3,610

Ocho Rios is about 28% cheaper than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Ocho Rios sits 19% below the global median, while Cartagena is 12% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 JMD 1,476

$5.63 COP 18.2K

66.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 JMD 10.1K

$142 COP 457.5K

-54.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 JMD 1,070

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-33.46%

Cappuccino

$3.10 JMD 488

$4.44 COP 14.3K

-30.18%

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

$1.14 JMD 179

$2.44 COP 7,876

-53.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 JMD 108

$2.23 COP 7,198

-69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 JMD 356

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-28.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 JMD 502

$5.06 COP 16.3K

-37.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.82 JMD 603

$1.90 COP 6,121

101.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 JMD 418

$2.78 COP 8,970

-4.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 JMD 258

$1.43 COP 4,615

13.99%

Eggs

$3.55 JMD 560

$4.96 COP 16.0K

-28.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 JMD 1,822

$13.42 COP 43.3K

-13.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 JMD 999

$17.30 COP 55.9K

-63.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 JMD 1,645

Apples (1kg)

$6.15 JMD 970

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 JMD 508

Oranges (1kg)

$6.47 JMD 1,021

Tomato (1kg)

$2.53 JMD 400

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 JMD 522

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 JMD 406

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.88 JMD 454

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 JMD 230

$2.06 COP 6,639

-29.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 JMD 1,427

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 JMD 1,535

$14.10 COP 45.5K

-30.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 JMD 442

$1.39 COP 4,503

101.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 JMD 617

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.91 JMD 144

$1.25 COP 4,027

-27.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 COP 216.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 JMD 201

$4.65 COP 15.0K

-72.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.21 JMD 507

$3.69 COP 11.9K

-13.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.20 JMD 978

$9.53 COP 30.8K

-34.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 JMD 227

$1.34 COP 4,341

7.46%

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

$43.3K JMD 6.8M

$33.9K COP 109.5M

27.79%

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

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

$35.0K COP 113.1M

-8.07%

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

$170 JMD 26.7K

$79.0 COP 254.9K

114.71%

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

$19.81 JMD 3,124

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 JMD 8,319

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.8 COP 177.0K

Cinema Ticket

$11.13 JMD 1,755

$8.10 COP 26.1K

37.41%

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

$357 JMD 56.4K

$630 COP 2.0M

-43.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,211 JMD 1.3M

$12.0K COP 38.6M

-31.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.76 JMD 3,747

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.05 JMD 5,055

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.4 JMD 12.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 JMD 16.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$374 JMD 59.0K

$1,347 COP 4.3M

-72.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 JMD 29.2K

$842 COP 2.7M

-78.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,468 COP 8.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 COP 5.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$921 COP 3.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$464 COP 1.5M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.45

-37.00%

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

Last update for Ocho Rios: October 31, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ocho Rios

$357 32.7%

Cartagena

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ocho Rios

$242 22.2%

Cartagena

–

Accommodation & Living

Ocho Rios

$185 17%

Cartagena

–

Eating Out

Ocho Rios

$157 14.4%

Cartagena

–

Clothing & Footwear

Ocho Rios

$107 9.8%

Cartagena

–

Sport & Entertainment

Ocho Rios

$22 * 2%

Cartagena

–

Getting Around

Ocho Rios

$21 * 1.9%

Cartagena

–

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $374 in Ocho Rios 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Ocho Rios versus $142 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $357 in Ocho Rios vs $259 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇯🇲 Ocho Rios

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

17:42 5:42 PM

Same time as Ocho Rios

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,503

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to JMD – Jamaican Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 176 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.67 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to JMD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ocho Rios Cartagena 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ocho Rios
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

Ocho Rios vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena costs about 39% more than Ocho Rios, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,638 per month in Ocho Rios 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 Ocho Rios, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $374 there versus $1,347 in Cartagena.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Ocho Rios and $142 in Cartagena. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 28% cheaper in Cartagena – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ocho Rios, where all-in costs run around $1,092, than in Cartagena at $1,520. In Ocho Rios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cartagena it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ocho Rios – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.