Living in Cartagena
Colombia · tropical
Cartagena is a big city of roughly 1,000,000 people right by the sea in Colombia. The climate is tropical. It has a lively, popular feel though personal safety is worth weighing carefully. A typical month of living costs around $1,250. Healthcare is reasonable, and the internet is fast enough for full-time remote work. People come here for swimming, food and eating out, nightlife.
Rents have risen about 62% in five years: anyone arriving today will not find the prices they read about. Anyone born here is a citizen, whatever the nationality of the parents.
Cartagena at a glance: cost, climate, safety
Who tends to love living in Cartagena
- Working remotely with reliable internet
- Getting around on foot
- A genuinely good food scene
- Anyone into swimming
- Anyone into food and eating out
All parameters
💉 Childhood vaccines: Compulsory by law
Childhood vaccination is required by national law here. We have the rule and the penalty, not the official count of how many vaccines the law covers.
If you skip them: No nursery or school place until the child is up to date.
Exemptions: The law names none.
Source: Georgetown AMP EID, survey of national legislation, 2024
🚀 Popularity & prices: Growing fast
Accommodation prices have moved about +62% in the last 5 years.
Estimates, for orientation only.
🔭 Where this place is heading
Today’s data. Tap a year to see where it is heading.
What to know before moving to Cartagena
- • Can get busy with visitors in peak season.
- • Safety genuinely needs attention here; research recent conditions.
⚠️ The downsides of living in Cartagena
- •Yellow fever risk, vaccination is required or recommended.
- •Malaria is present, mostly in rural areas and the wet season.
- •Tap water isn't reliably drinkable, budget for filtered or bottled.
- •Air quality: PM2.5 averages ~18 µg/m³ (WHO guideline is 5).
- •Violent-crime rate is high (~26 per 100k), choose neighbourhoods with care.
Health, air (WHO PM2.5), water & crime figures are rough country-level estimates, verify for your case.
Where is Cartagena?
₿ Spend Bitcoin around Cartagena
Open the Bitcoin merchant maps for this area, cafés, shops and ATMs that accept Bitcoin.
Merchants: BTC Map, from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Events and meetups: Club Orange.
Questions, answered
How much does it cost to live in Cartagena, Colombia?
A typical month in Cartagena costs around $1,250, covering rent and everyday expenses for one person. It is an estimate meant for comparing places, not for budgeting exactly.
Is Cartagena, Colombia safe?
Arcadia rates personal safety in Cartagena at 2 out of 5, which is limited.
What is the internet like in Cartagena?
Internet in Cartagena is rated 4 out of 5 for remote work, which is good. Starlink is available in this country.
What is the weather like in Cartagena?
Cartagena has a tropical climate. It is on the coast.
Is healthcare good in Cartagena?
Healthcare in Cartagena is rated 3 out of 5 overall, which is reasonable. Public healthcare is 3/5 and private healthcare 4/5.
How easy is it to move to Colombia?
Arcadia rates the ease of getting residency in Colombia at 4 out of 5, which is good. The place page lists the visa routes that apply and which depend on your passport.
Is Cartagena actually right for you?
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