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Cartagena Prices & Cost of Living 2026
Colombia · Tourist big city — Cartagena is about 73% cheaper than New York. Not just exchange rates: what a fair price is, where it turns into a rip-off, and what that means in your money.
Cartagena prices at a glance
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Cartagena travel difficulty
Beach 'free' massages and gifts get billed; taxis have no meters
English in Old Town tourist businesses; little beyond
Walk the Old City; taxis use zone fares — agree first; boats to isles
Tourist restaurants take cards; beaches, boats and taxis are cash
Less violence toward tourists than other cities; drugging cases occur
Good to knowFix the total price before any massage, boat or tour; refuse 'free' gifts
Handy apps: Uber · DiDi · inDrive
Visas depend on your passport, so they are not scored. Felt different on the ground? Tell other travelers below. Travel difficulty in the Americas › Difficulty ranking for 502 cities ›
In your money
Cartagena is about 73% cheaper than New York
Based on 8 things travelers buy most, compared with New York. Each pair of bars is the same purchase in both cities, converted to your currency. Set your own city and currency in “My basis” above.
Cartagena in numbers
- 🍜20 local meals
- ☕45 coffees
- 🍺51 beers
- 🚕27 5-km taxi rides
- 💆4.1 h of massage
- 🏨1.1 hotel nights
- Local meal1 h 44 min · New York 52 min
- Coffee47 min · New York 15 min
- Beer42 min · New York 23 min
- Taxi1 h 18 min · New York 59 min
- Street food#37 cheapest
- Beer#64 cheapest
- Coffee#102 cheapest
- Hotel night#244 priciest
- 1-bed rent#249 priciest
Cartagena price guide & rip-off thresholds
Cartagena travel budget
Per person per day, estimated. Flights and shopping not included.
See 4-day, 1-week and 1-month budget tables › · Plan a multi-city trip budget ›
How to spend money in Cartagena
Cards are spreading, but small shops want cash.
Bills suggest a voluntary 10% tip ("propina voluntaria"); you may ask to remove it.
Prices include tax.
Ride apps such as Uber, DiDi and Cabify are common; Medellín has a handy metro.
Haggle at markets and souvenir stalls.
Tap water in Bogotá and Medellín is generally drinkable.
Street taxis inflating fares; use an app.
Live prices reported in Cartagena
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FAQ
Is Cartagena cheaper than New York?
Across 8 things travelers buy most (meals, coffee, beer, taxis, hotels…), Cartagena is about 73% cheaper than New York. A local meal is about COL$ 20,000 (≈ $4.88) and a coffee about COL$ 9,000 (≈ $2.2).
How hard is Cartagena to travel?
Averaging rip-offs, language, getting around, payments and safety, Cartagena scores 3.2/5 — 'hard'. The main thing to watch is rip-offs & haggling (4/5): Beach 'free' massages and gifts get billed; taxis have no meters. Tip: Fix the total price before any massage, boat or tour; refuse 'free' gifts
Is Cartagena good for first-time travelers?
It is doable, but go prepared (3.2/5). Rip-offs & haggling: Beach 'free' massages and gifts get billed; taxis have no meters. Tip: Fix the total price before any massage, boat or tour; refuse 'free' gifts
What is a realistic daily budget for Cartagena?
Mid-range (3-star hotel, local meals plus a dinner out, two taxi rides) is about $136 a day. Guesthouses and street food bring it to about $43.1; 4-star and restaurants push it to about $290.
How much does it cost to live in Cartagena for a month?
A short-term studio (about $1,437) plus food, transport and a SIM (about $713) comes to roughly $2,150 a month. A local long-term lease (studio about COL$ 2,200,000) brings it down a lot.
How much should a taxi cost in Cartagena?
For 5 km in town, expect COL$ 12,000 – COL$ 24,000; anything above COL$ 28,800 is suspicious. Ride apps such as Uber, DiDi and Cabify are common; Medellín has a handy metro.
Do you tip in Cartagena?
Bills suggest a voluntary 10% tip ("propina voluntaria"); you may ask to remove it. Prices include tax.
Can you use cards in Cartagena?
Cards are spreading, but small shops want cash.
Where do these numbers come from?
Base prices start from public cost-of-living data; once 3+ traveler reports come in, the app blends in the median of what people actually paid.
Fair range & rip-off line — each item gets its own spread (tight for transit, wide for street food). Above 1.2× the top of the fair range is flagged as a likely rip-off.
Budgets add up item prices for the lifestyle described above. Peak season and prime tourist spots run higher.
Exchange rate as of October 2026: 1 USD = COL$ 4,100. Last updated 2026-10-05.