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Cartagena vs Oaxaca cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐จ๐ด Cartagena
๐ฒ๐ฝ Oaxaca
At a glance
- Where Oaxaca is clearly cheaper: Transit (43%โ), Laundry (31%โ), Entry ticket (30%โ)
- Where Cartagena is clearly cheaper: Street food (70%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (40%โ), Coffee (32%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Oaxaca is easier to travel (2.8 vs 3.2). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cartagena 4 vs Oaxaca 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cartagena | Oaxaca | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Cartagena โ24% |
| Street food1 item | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Cartagena โ70% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | COL$ 75,000$18.3 | MX$ 300$16.1 | Oaxaca โ12% |
| Coffeeone cup | COL$ 9,000$2.2 | MX$ 60$3.23 | Cartagena โ32% |
| Beerone bottle | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | MX$ 50$2.69 | Cartagena โ27% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | MX$ 130$6.99 | similar |
| Bottled water | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | MX$ 15$0.81 | Cartagena โ24% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | COL$ 4,000$0.98 | MX$ 22$1.18 | Cartagena โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | COL$ 15,000$3.66 | MX$ 70$3.76 | similar |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | MX$ 45$2.42 | Cartagena โ40% |
| Transitone ride | COL$ 3,900$0.95 | MX$ 10$0.54 | Oaxaca โ43% |
| Scooter rentalper day | COL$ 40,000$9.76 | MX$ 200$10.8 | Cartagena โ9% |
| Hotel night3-star | COL$ 350,000$85.4 | MX$ 1,700$91.4 | Cartagena โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | COL$ 2,200,000$537 | MX$ 7,500$403 | Oaxaca โ25% |
| Laundry | COL$ 8,000$1.95 | MX$ 25$1.34 | Oaxaca โ31% |
| SIM card1 week data | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | MX$ 150$8.06 | Cartagena โ9% |
| Haircutcut | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | MX$ 120$6.45 | Cartagena โ24% |
| Massage1 hour | COL$ 100,000$24.4 | MX$ 600$32.3 | Cartagena โ24% |
| Half-day tourper person | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | MX$ 400$21.5 | Oaxaca โ27% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | COL$ 30,000$7.32 | MX$ 95$5.11 | Oaxaca โ30% |
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 Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is 6% cheaper than Cartagena. Daily budget $136 vs $145; a month $2,150 vs $1,751.
Which is easier to travel, Cartagena or Oaxaca?
Oaxaca is easier: Oaxaca 2.8/5 vs Cartagena 3.2/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cartagena and Oaxaca?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cartagena is about $2,150 and Oaxaca about $1,751 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.