Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Cartagena Cost of Living Comparison Between Valencia and Cartagena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,874 in Valencia versus $1,402 in Cartagena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,679 in Valencia versus $2,010 in Cartagena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,484 in Valencia versus $2,619 in Cartagena.

Living in Valencia is roughly 34% more expensive than in Cartagena, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valencia 41% above, Cartagena 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.14 €13.11

$14.13 €12.23

7.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.2 €49.54

$58.6 €50.7

-2.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 €11.17

$8.08 €7.00

59.65%

Cappuccino

$2.56 €2.22

$2.55 €2.21

0.39%

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

$2.52 €2.18

$2.39 €2.07

5.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.70

$2.05 €1.78

-3.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 €3.06

$3.57 €3.09

-0.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €2.95

$3.43 €2.97

-0.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.01

$1.13 €0.98

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 €1.13

$1.00 €0.87

30.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.66 €1.44

5.42%

Eggs

$2.77 €2.40

$2.79 €2.41

-0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.14 €9.65

$11.23 €9.72

-0.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 €7.23

$8.32 €7.20

0.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 €12.09

$14.14 €12.25

-1.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 €2.26

$2.37 €2.05

10.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.86 €1.61

-3.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.38 €1.20

50.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.06

$1.75 €1.52

36.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 €1.62

$1.30 €1.13

43.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 €1.72

$1.10 €0.96

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.10 €0.95

45.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.62

$0.52 €0.45

38.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.67 €5.78

$5.70 €4.93

17.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.66 €4.90

$6.17 €5.34

-8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.11 €0.96

34.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 €1.77

$1.29 €1.12

58.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 €1.48

$1.36 €1.18

25.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.65 €29.14

$11.62 €10.07

189.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.56 €3.09

-4.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 €1.05

$1.20 €1.04

0.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.56 €21.27

$24.63 €21.33

-0.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.79 €1.55

-2.79%

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

$34.7K €30.0K

$31.2K €27.0K

11.21%

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

$32.2K €27.9K

$31.7K €27.4K

1.71%

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

$141 €122

$144 €124

-1.87%

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

$13.40 €11.60

$13.48 €11.68

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.20 €26.16

$30.43 €26.35

-0.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.24 €36.58

$38.68 €33.50

9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.81 €11.09

$14.93 €12.93

-14.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.93 €8.60

$8.15 €7.06

21.84%

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

$605 €524

$426 €369

42.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K €10.2K

$2,829 €2,450

316.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.2

$45.46 €39.37

124.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 €32.24

$31.91 €27.63

16.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.8

$45.71 €39.58

121.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €108

$76.1 €65.9

63.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 €1,069

$758 €657

62.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 €792

$626 €542

46.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,974 €1,709

$914 €791

116.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 €1,167

$759 €658

77.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,600 €4,849

$1,792 €1,552

212.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,391 €2,937

$1,467 €1,271

131.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,956 €1,694

$1,752 €1,517

11.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.44

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

Last update for Valencia: July 28, 2026

Last update for Cartagena: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,235 in Valencia and $758 in Cartagena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valencia pays 12% 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: $57.0 in Valencia vs $59.0 in Cartagena. Groceries flip the comparison at $251 vs $231, 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

Valencia vs Cartagena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartagena wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Valencia. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartagena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Valencia, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,235 in Valencia versus $758 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 $57.0 in Valencia. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,874 per month in Valencia versus $1,402 in Cartagena – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,402 in Cartagena versus $1,874 in Valencia, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cartagena but tight or insufficient in Valencia. 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 $1,402 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cartagena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Valencia 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 34% less than in Valencia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.