Popular cities
Cartagena vs Lima cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ด Cartagena
๐ต๐ช Lima
At a glance
- Where Lima is clearly cheaper: Hotel night (37%โ)
- Where Cartagena is clearly cheaper: Street food (60%โ), Haircut (40%โ), Coffee (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Lima is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cartagena 4 vs Lima 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cartagena | Lima | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | S/ 20$5.41 | Cartagena โ10% |
| Street food1 item | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | S/ 9$2.43 | Cartagena โ60% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | COL$ 75,000$18.3 | S/ 59$15.9 | Lima โ13% |
| Coffeeone cup | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | S/ 12$3.24 | Cartagena โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | S/ 10$2.7 | Cartagena โ28% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | S/ 26$7.03 | similar |
| Bottled water | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | S/ 2.2$0.59 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | S/ 3.5$0.95 | similar |
| Taxi5 km in town | COL$ 15,000$3.66 | S/ 12$3.24 | Lima โ11% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | S/ 8$2.16 | Cartagena โ32% |
| Transitone ride | COL$ 3,900$0.95 | S/ 3.2$0.86 | Lima โ9% |
| Scooter rentalper day | COL$ 40,000$9.76 | S/ 50$13.5 | Cartagena โ28% |
| Hotel night3-star | COL$ 350,000$85.4 | S/ 200$54.1 | Lima โ37% |
| Studio rent (month) | COL$ 2,200,000$537 | S/ 1,750$473 | Lima โ12% |
| Laundry | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | S/ 8$2.16 | Cartagena โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | S/ 30$8.11 | Cartagena โ10% |
| Haircutcut | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | S/ 30$8.11 | Cartagena โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | COL$ 100,000$24.4 | S/ 90$24.3 | similar |
| Half-day tourper person | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | S/ 100$27 | Lima โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | S/ 37$10 | Cartagena โ27% |
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, Cartagena or Lima?
Lima is 20% cheaper than Cartagena. Daily budget $136 vs $103; a month $2,150 vs $1,835.
Which is easier to travel, Cartagena or Lima?
Lima is easier: Lima 3.0/5 vs Cartagena 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cartagena and Lima?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cartagena is about $2,150 and Lima about $1,835 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.