Cartagena vs Medellín
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cartagena edges it, 57 to 54, winning 3 of the 9 factors. Cartagena is stronger on climate; Medellín on cost of living. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.
Caribbean walled city with a nomad visa
Full Cartagena profile →Plan a trip to Cartagena →Spring weather year-round and a famous nomad scene
Full Medellín profile →Plan a trip to Medellín →Where they differ
- Climate. Cartagena leads on climate, 33 to 0, against Medellín. Comfortable months: 4 vs 0.
- Cost of living. Medellín leads on cost of living, 86 to 74, against Cartagena. Monthly cost, one person: $1,000 vs $791.
- Getting there & around. Medellín leads on getting there & around, 30 to 24, against Cartagena. Non-stop airport destinations: 28 vs 36.
Where they are close. Within five points on internet, safety, healthcare, visa ease, quality of life.
Pick Cartagena if you want
- faster internet (28.9 Mbps measured)
- a longer comfortable season (4 months against 0)
Pick Medellín if you want
- to spend about $209 less a month
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 | 86 ✓ |
| Safety | 25 | 25 |
| Healthcare | 81 | 81 |
| Internet | 65 ✓ | 61 |
| Visa ease | 77 | 77 |
| Getting there & around | 24 | 30 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 0 |
| Air quality | 75 ✓ | 70 |
| Quality of life | 56 | 56 |
Cost
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 | $791 ✓ |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $640 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 24.35 | 24.35 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 48.9 | 48.9 |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 82 |
| Life expectancy | 78.2 yrs | 78.2 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 28.9 Mbps ✓ | 22.6 Mbps |
| Upload | 14.3 Mbps ✓ | 11.5 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,605/mo | $1,605/mo |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 90 days |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 28 | 36 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Cartagena | Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 0 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.1 µg/m³ ✓ | 18.4 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Cartagena or Medellín?
- Medellín is cheaper: about $791 per month versus $1,000 for one person.
- Is Cartagena or Medellín safer?
- Cartagena and Medellín score the same on safety (25), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Cartagena or Medellín?
- Cartagena: a measured median of 28.9 Mbps versus 22.6 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Cartagena vs Villa de Leyva
- Cartagena vs Manizales
- Medellín vs Salento
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- All comparisons
Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); WhereNext city cost estimates 2026 (city pages); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map. Dataset 2026.11.3. See each city page for per-metric footnotes and the methodology.