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Cali vs Cartagena cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ด Cali
๐จ๐ด Cartagena
At a glance
- Where Cartagena is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (56%โ), Street food (43%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (15%โ)
- Where Cali is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (55%โ), Hotel night (49%โ), Restaurant dinner (40%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cali 3 vs Cartagena 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cali | Cartagena | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Cali โ15% |
| Street food1 item | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | Cartagena โ43% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | COL$ 45,000$11 | COL$ 75,000$18.3 | Cali โ40% |
| Coffeeone cup | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | Cali โ12% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | Cali โ17% |
| Bottled water | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | Cali โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | COL$ 3,500$0.85 | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | Cali โ12% |
| Taxi5 km in town | COL$ 14,000$3.41 | COL$ 15,000$3.66 | Cali โ7% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | COL$ 7,100$1.73 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Cartagena โ15% |
| Transitone ride | COL$ 3,500$0.85 | COL$ 3,900$0.95 | Cali โ10% |
| Scooter rentalper day | COL$ 90,000$22 | COL$ 40,000$9.76 | Cartagena โ56% |
| Hotel night3-star | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | COL$ 350,000$85.4 | Cali โ49% |
| Studio rent (month) | COL$ 1,000,000$244 | COL$ 2,200,000$537 | Cali โ55% |
| Laundry | COL$ 7,000$1.71 | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | Cali โ12% |
| SIM card1 week data | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | Cali โ17% |
| Haircutcut | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | similar |
| Massage1 hour | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | COL$ 100,000$24.4 | Cali โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | similar |
| Entry ticketTourist town | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | Cali โ33% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cali or Cartagena?
Cali is 44% cheaper than Cartagena. Daily budget $81.6 vs $136; a month $1,132 vs $2,150.
Which is easier to travel, Cali or Cartagena?
About the same: Cali 3.4/5, Cartagena 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cali and Cartagena?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cali is about $1,132 and Cartagena about $2,150 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.