Cartagena vs Mexico City
for digital nomads
Under balanced weights Cartagena edges it, 57 to 55, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cartagena is stronger on air quality, cost of living; Mexico City on getting there & around, visa ease. 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 →Vast, cultured, and 180 days visa-free
Full Mexico City profile →Plan a trip to Mexico City →Where they differ
- Air quality. Cartagena leads on air quality, 75 to 56, against Mexico City. PM2.5: 16.1 µg/m³ vs 25 µg/m³.
- Getting there & around. Mexico City leads on getting there & around, 41 to 24, against Cartagena. Non-stop airport destinations: 28 vs 109.
- Visa ease. Mexico City leads on visa ease, 90 to 77, against Cartagena.
Where they are close. Within five points on safety, internet, quality of life.
Pick Cartagena if you want
- to spend about $296 less a month
- stronger healthcare
- a dedicated digital-nomad visa
- cleaner air
Pick Mexico City if you want
- more flights and easier getting around
Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | 74 ✓ | 62 |
| Safety | 25 | 28 ✓ |
| Healthcare | 81 ✓ | 75 |
| Internet | 65 ✓ | 63 |
| Visa ease | 77 | 90 ✓ |
| Getting there & around | 24 | 41 ✓ |
| Climate | 33 ✓ | 25 |
| Air quality | 75 ✓ | 56 |
| Quality of life | 56 | 57 ✓ |
Cost
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost, one personcountry-level estimate for at least one city | $1,000 ✓ | $1,296 |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | $777 |
Safety and health (country-level)
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Homicides per 100k | 24.35 ✓ | 25.64 |
| Political stability (0–100) | 48.9 | 55 ✓ |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 ✓ | 79 |
| Life expectancy | 78.2 yrs ✓ | 75.3 yrs |
Internet (M-Lab measured medians)
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Download | 28.9 Mbps | 30.5 Mbps ✓ |
| Upload | 14.3 Mbps ✓ | 6.7 Mbps |
Visa
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad visitor visa (Visa V) ✓ | none listed |
| Minimum income for the visa | $1,605/mo | no data |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, EU passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days ✓ |
Getting there and around
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Non-stop airport destinations | 28 | 109 ✓ |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 4 ✓ |
Climate and air
| Metric | Cartagena | Mexico City |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable months per year | 4 ✓ | 3 |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.1 µg/m³ ✓ | 25 µg/m³ |
✓ marks the better value in each row; ties and missing data are left unmarked.
Frequently asked
- Which is cheaper, Cartagena or Mexico City?
- Cartagena is cheaper: about $1,000 per month versus $1,296 for one person.
- Is Cartagena or Mexico City safer?
- Mexico City scores higher on safety (28 vs 25), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.
- Where is the internet faster, Cartagena or Mexico City?
- Mexico City: a measured median of 30.5 Mbps versus 28.9 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).
More comparisons
- Cartagena vs Villa de Leyva
- Cartagena vs Manizales
- Mexico City vs Baños
- Mexico City vs Pachuca
- 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); 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.