Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Plovdiv and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,102 in Plovdiv versus $1,443 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,712 in Plovdiv versus $2,008 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,321 in Plovdiv versus $2,573 in Cartagena.

Living in Plovdiv costs roughly 24% less than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Plovdiv is 18% below, Cartagena is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.70 BGN 14.47

$14.15 €12.17

-38.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.28 BGN 78.7

$56.9 €48.95

-16.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.69 BGN 14.46

$8.31 €7.14

4.57%

Cappuccino

$2.49 BGN 4.15

$2.65 €2.28

-6.04%

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

$1.49 BGN 2.48

$2.52 €2.17

-40.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 BGN 1.51

$1.99 €1.71

-54.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.99 BGN 4.97

$3.53 €3.04

-15.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 BGN 4.88

$3.52 €3.03

-16.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 BGN 3.02

$1.14 €0.98

58.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.07 BGN 1.78

$1.00 €0.86

7.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 BGN 3.51

$1.72 €1.48

22.67%

Eggs

$3.40 BGN 5.66

$2.85 €2.45

19.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 BGN 19.31

$11.35 €9.76

2.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 BGN 13.22

$8.61 €7.41

-7.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.02 BGN 19.99

$14.26 €12.27

-15.71%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 BGN 2.49

$2.36 €2.03

-36.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 BGN 2.93

$1.87 €1.61

-5.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 BGN 2.76

$1.46 €1.25

13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 BGN 4.12

$1.71 €1.47

45.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 BGN 1.70

$1.24 €1.07

-17.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 BGN 1.90

$1.10 €0.95

3.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 BGN 1.82

$1.10 €0.94

-0.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 BGN 1.28

$0.55 €0.47

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.61 BGN 6.01

$5.69 €4.89

-36.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.07 BGN 10.11

$6.30 €5.42

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 BGN 1.73

$1.11 €0.95

-6.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 BGN 2.99

$1.25 €1.07

44.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 BGN 1.00

$1.38 €1.19

-56.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.44 BGN 47.32

$11.35 €9.76

150.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.16 BGN 1.93

$3.37 €2.90

-65.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 BGN 1.09

$1.24 €1.07

-46.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.48 BGN 17.44

$24.44 €21.03

-57.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 BGN 2.50

$1.82 €1.57

-17.58%

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

$31.9K BGN 53.1K

$30.8K €26.5K

3.52%

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

$28.7K BGN 47.8K

$30.8K €26.5K

-6.60%

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

$97.8 BGN 163

$142 €122

-30.97%

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

$18.10 BGN 30.11

$13.63 €11.73

32.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$15.31 BGN 25.47

$30.08 €25.87

-49.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.70 BGN 62.7

$38.77 €33.35

-2.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.69 BGN 24.44

$14.94 €12.85

-1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$8.96 BGN 14.90

$8.18 €7.04

9.54%

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

$425 BGN 706

$430 €370

-1.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,126 BGN 11.9K

$2,817 €2,424

152.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 BGN 102

$45.63 €39.25

34.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.35 BGN 58.8

$31.20 €26.84

13.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 BGN 163

$44.67 €38.42

119.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 BGN 176

$77.5 €66.6

36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 BGN 802

$768 €660

-37.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 BGN 558

$629 €541

-46.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 BGN 1,357

$892 €767

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$609 BGN 1,013

$759 €653

-19.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,299 BGN 3,824

$1,810 €1,557

27.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,556 BGN 2,589

$1,450 €1,248

7.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,160 BGN 1,929

$1,963 €1,689

-40.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.49

3.44

30.52%

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

Last update for Plovdiv: June 2, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Plovdiv and $768 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cartagena pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Plovdiv vs $57.0 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $235, 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

Plovdiv vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plovdiv wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Cartagena. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plovdiv the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Cartagena earns 69% less. 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: $482 in Plovdiv versus $768 in Cartagena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Plovdiv – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $57.0 in Cartagena. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,102 per month in Plovdiv versus $1,443 in Cartagena – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,102 in Plovdiv versus $1,443 in Cartagena, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plovdiv but tight or insufficient in Cartagena. The gap between the two cities makes Plovdiv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Plovdiv delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,102 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Plovdiv hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Plovdiv 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 Plovdiv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Cartagena. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.