Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toronto and Cartagena

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartagena: $1,292 a month against $2,561 in Toronto, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Toronto
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Toronto Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Cartagena
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Cartagena Living Index

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Toronto

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,561

/mo nomad

Cartagena

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,292

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,561 per month in Toronto vs $1,292 in Cartagena, rent included.

Toronto $2,561
Cartagena $1,292

A couple spends around $3,694 per month in Toronto vs $2,165 in Cartagena, rent included.

Toronto $3,694
Cartagena $2,165

A family of three spends $4,826 per month in Toronto vs $3,039 in Cartagena, rent included.

Toronto $4,826
Cartagena $3,039

Toronto costs about 98% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Toronto sits 90% above the global median, while Cartagena is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.18 CA$24.29

$5.87 COP 18.6K

192.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.0 CA$107

$143 COP 453.5K

-46.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 CA$14.89

$10.37 COP 32.9K

1.64%

Cappuccino

$4.02 CA$5.68

$4.26 COP 13.5K

-5.63%

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

$2.12 CA$3.00

$2.54 COP 8,063

-16.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.48

$2.36 COP 7,478

-25.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 CA$8.83

$3.26 COP 10.3K

91.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 CA$10.02

$4.96 COP 15.7K

42.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.44 CA$3.45

$1.91 COP 6,053

27.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 CA$3.78

$2.74 COP 8,692

-2.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.24 CA$3.17

$1.45 COP 4,610

54.48%

Eggs

$3.56 CA$5.03

$5.06 COP 16.0K

-29.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.09 CA$12.85

$13.13 COP 41.6K

-30.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.33 CA$16.01

$17.37 COP 55.1K

-34.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.53 CA$20.55

Apples (1kg)

$3.62 CA$5.12

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 CA$1.72

Oranges (1kg)

$3.60 CA$5.09

Tomato (1kg)

$4.21 CA$5.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.53

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 CA$2.25

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 CA$3.21

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CA$1.77

$1.99 COP 6,304

-37.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 CA$19.53

Wine (Bottle)

$14.27 CA$20.18

$14.64 COP 46.4K

-2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 CA$3.10

$1.40 COP 4,436

57.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 CA$3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.39 CA$3.38

$1.25 COP 3,972

91.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$111 CA$157

$58.4 COP 185.2K

89.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 CA$4.12

$4.74 COP 15.0K

-38.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 CA$1.69

$3.68 COP 11.7K

-67.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.38 CA$30.23

$9.49 COP 30.1K

125.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$1.34 COP 4,251

-9.70%

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

$28.2K CA$39.8K

$23.4K COP 74.1M

20.55%

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

$20.3K CA$28.6K

$34.4K COP 109.2M

-41.19%

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

$120 CA$170

$78.4 COP 248.6K

53.47%

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

$32.26 CA$45.60

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.93 CA$67.8

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.48 CA$54.4

$91.7 COP 290.8K

-58.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.96 CA$32.46

Cinema Ticket

$12.38 CA$17.50

$8.02 COP 25.4K

54.36%

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

$830 CA$1,173

$630 COP 2.0M

31.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K CA$32.6K

$5,818 COP 18.4M

296.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 CA$71.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 CA$56.6

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.0 CA$139

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 CA$171

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 CA$2,251

$1,035 COP 3.3M

53.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,994

$585 COP 1.9M

140.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 CA$3,775

$2,287 COP 7.3M

16.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,152 CA$3,042

$944 COP 3.0M

127.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,945 CA$11.2K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,542 CA$9,249

$924 COP 2.9M

607.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,727 CA$5,269

$467 COP 1.5M

698.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.47

-70.20%

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

Last update for Toronto: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Toronto

$1.4K 55.1%

Cartagena

$585 45.3% 58.5% $825

Groceries & Markets

Toronto

$340 13.3%

Cartagena

$259 * 20% 23.8% $81

Eating Out

Toronto

$278 10.9%

Cartagena

$175 13.5% 37.1% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toronto

$201 7.8%

Cartagena

$78 * 6.1% 60.9% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Toronto

$139 5.4%

Cartagena

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Toronto

$129 5.1%

Cartagena

$87 6.7% 33.1% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Toronto

$63 2.5%

Cartagena

$108 8.3% 70.4% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,592 in Toronto versus $1,035 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 698% higher in Toronto, 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 $76.0 in Toronto versus $143 in Cartagena. Groceries tell a different story – $340 in Toronto vs $259 in Cartagena – so Cartagena wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Toronto

🇨🇴 Cartagena

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

12:22 12:22 PM

1 h behind Toronto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,731,571

1,028,736

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Toronto Cartagena 3,710 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Toronto
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

Toronto vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toronto costs about 98% more than Cartagena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,841 per month in Toronto and $1,938 in Cartagena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cartagena, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $830 per month in Toronto 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 31% more in Toronto, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cartagena, where all-in costs run around $1,292, than in Toronto at $2,561. In Cartagena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toronto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cartagena costs $1,292 versus $2,561 in Toronto. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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