Cartagena vs Medellin: cost of living for digital nomads

Cartagena, Colombia and Medellin, Colombia, line by line from the catalogue: what a month costs, rent, food, coworking, safety and internet. Every figure links back to its source on the city page.

The short version

  • Cartagena is about 3% cheaper than Medellin for a month of nomad living ($1,450 vs $1,500).
  • Rent is the biggest gap: $620 in Cartagena against $720 in Medellin.
  • Both score 6/10 on safety.
  • Internet is faster in Cartagena: 150 Mbps typical against 100 Mbps.
  • Both have a tropical climate.

Cartagena wins 4 of the measured lines; Medellin wins 2.

LineCartagenaMedellin
Monthly total (USD)$1,450$1,500
Rent$620$720
Food$380$380
Transport$60$45
Coworking$110$120
Safety (out of 10)6/106/10
Internet (Mbps)150100
Climatetropicaltropical
City sizemetrometro
Settingcoastmountain
Nomad score (out of 10)7/1010/10

Compare Cartagena with

Compare Medellin with

Costs are typical monthly figures for one person in USD, from the sources named on each city page; safety and internet are the catalogue's own ratings. Check the city pages for the dates each was last verified.