Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Cartagena vs Cuenca

Cartagena vs Cuenca

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Cuenca 18% cheaper Cartagena +56 Mbps Moderate / Moderate

Cartagena

Mauro Lima/Unsplash

Cuenca

Fernando Tapia/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,580

Cartagena

$1,294

Cuenca

Internet

166

Mbps

110

Mbps

Safety

Moderate

Cartagena

Moderate

Cuenca

Air Quality

5/5

Cartagena

5/5

Cuenca

Healthcare

Moderate

Cartagena

Moderate

Cuenca

Population

845.8k

Cartagena

331.9k

Cuenca

Cartagena (Colombia) and Cuenca (Ecuador) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Cuenca has a modest cost advantage at $1294/mo compared to Cartagena's $1580/mo — a 18% gap that matters over time.

For families, Cartagena costs $2358.686949124318/mo compared to Cuenca's $2675.15625/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

For bandwidth-intensive work, Cartagena has a clear edge at 166 Mbps (#0 globally) compared to Cuenca's 110 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Cartagena and Cuenca share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Cartagena and Cuenca.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Cartagena is November (around 34 degrees, 3mm rain, score 443), while Cuenca peaks in November (24 degrees, 0mm rain, score 414). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

CartagenaCuenca

Nomad$1,580/mo$1,294/mo

Expat$993/mo$977/mo

Local$674/mo$764/mo

Family$2,359/mo$2,675/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

CartagenaCuenca

City Speed

166 Mbps

110 Mbps

Country Speed166 Mbps110 Mbps

Environment & Health

CartagenaCuenca

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionModerateModerate

ClimateModerateHigh

Humidity7986

Quality of Life

CartagenaCuenca

SafetyModerateModerate

HealthcareModerateModerate

Monthly Weather Comparison

Cartagena

Cuenca

Jan

38°

0mm433

22°

3mm311

Feb

37°

0mm421

23°

7mm250

Mar

39°

0mm421

22°

3mm311

Apr

40°

1mm404

22°

8mm219

May

38°

3mm371

22°

6mm234

Jun

36°

5mm371

20°

3mm296

Jul

39°

2mm391

17°

0mm379

Aug

37°

3mm371

19°

1mm385

Sep

37°

6mm355

20°

0mm399

Oct

36°

4mm350

23°

2mm332

Nov

34°

3mm443

24°

0mm414

Dec

37°

1mm424

22°

9mm250

Who Should Choose Cartagena?

Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 166 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2358.686949124318/mo for families
Peak season in November — 34 degrees, score 443

Who Should Choose Cuenca?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1294
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 110 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $2675.15625/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 331.9k residents
Peak season in November — 24 degrees, score 414

Overall Verdict

The data favors Cartagena as the more well-rounded choice. At $1580/mo versus Cuenca's $1294/mo, that is a 18% saving that adds up significantly on an extended stay.

Granular Price Comparison

Cartagena Cuenca

ItemCartagenaCuencaDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$10.54$10.54

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$42.15$34.25

19%

McMeal or equivalent combo$7.38$7.9

Cappuccino (regular)$1.52$1.26

17%

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.11$2.11

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.63$2.63

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$1.69$1.83

Water (0.33L)$1.05$0.97

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$0.69$0.68

White bread (500g)$0.85$0.66

22%

White rice (1kg)$0.53—

—

Eggs (12)$1.61$1.99

19%

Chicken fillets (1kg)$5.2$5.09

Beef round (1kg)$8.17$8.96

Local cheese (1kg)$7.69$10.54

27%

Apples (1kg)$2.11$1.57

26%

Bananas (1kg)$1.66$1.46

12%

Oranges (1kg)$1.26$0.63

50%

Tomatoes (1kg)$1$3.09

68%

Potatoes (1kg)$0.82$0.63

23%

Onions (1kg)$1$1.12

11%

Lettuce (1 head)$0.72$1.05

31%

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.38$1.02

63%

Wine, mid-range bottle$4.21$3.16

25%

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1$0.48

52%

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$1.37$1.11

19%

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$5.8$5.48

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$1.26$1.11

12%

Monthly transport pass$21.07—

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$6.32$3.74

41%

Taxi per 1km$2.11$0.9

57%

Taxi 1hr waiting$31.61$18.97

40%

Gasoline (1L)$1.63$1.52

Volkswagen Golf (new)$21,074.9$20,021.16

Toyota Corolla (new)$25,202.07$21,074.9

16%

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$106.43$152.79

30%

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$37.06$56.2

34%

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.32—

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$27.56$36.88

25%

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$18.44$10.54

43%

Cinema, 1 ticket$7.38$7.64

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$177.82—

—

International primary school/yr$3,652.98$3,161.24

13%

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$38.99$59.71

35%

Summer dress (chain store)$26.34$29.86

12%

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$50.05$89.57

44%

Men's leather business shoes$73.76$77.27

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$474.19—

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$368.81—

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$832.46—

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$658.59—

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,608.72$2,212.86

27%

Price per m², outside centre$1,238.15$1,264.49

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$1,854.59$1,185.46

36%

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$2.96$3.52

16%

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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