---
title: "Cartagena vs Oaxaca City for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cartagena-vs-oaxaca
description: "Under balanced weights Cartagena edges it, 52 to 52, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cartagena is stronger on cost of living, internet; Oaxaca City on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Cartagena vs Oaxaca City for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Cartagena edges it, 52 to 52, winning 5 of the 9 factors. Cartagena is stronger on cost of living, internet; Oaxaca City on visa ease. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 65 | 52 | Cartagena |
| Safety | 16 | 23 | Oaxaca City |
| Healthcare | 73 | 65 | Cartagena |
| Internet | 59 | 47 | Cartagena |
| Visa ease | 71 | 90 | Oaxaca City |
| Getting there & around | 24 | 22 | Cartagena |
| Climate | 33 | 42 | Oaxaca City |
| Air quality | 75 | 74 | Cartagena |
| Quality of life | 53 | 54 | Oaxaca City |

## Cost

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $1,042 | $1,400 | Cartagena |
| Central one-bedroom rent | no data | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 35.7 | 28.2 | Oaxaca City |
| Political stability (0–100) | 49.3 | 53.7 | Oaxaca City |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 82 | 79 | Cartagena |
| Life expectancy | 74.5 yrs | 70.8 yrs | Cartagena |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 28.9 Mbps | 18.8 Mbps | Cartagena |
| Upload | 14.3 Mbps | 5 Mbps | Cartagena |

## Visa

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Visa V Trabajador Remoto / Nómadas Digitales | none listed | Cartagena |
| Minimum income for the visa | no data | no data | — |
| Visa-free days, US passport | 90 days | 180 days | Oaxaca City |
| Visa-free days, EU passport | 90 days | 180 days | Oaxaca City |
| Visa-free days, UK passport | 90 days | 180 days | Oaxaca City |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 31 | 14 | Cartagena |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 2 | 2 | tie |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Cartagena | Oaxaca City | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 4 | 5 | Oaxaca City |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 16.1 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | Cartagena |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cartagena or Oaxaca City?

Cartagena is cheaper: about $1,042 per month versus $1,400 for one person.

### Is Cartagena or Oaxaca City safer?

Oaxaca City scores higher on safety (23 vs 16), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Cartagena or Oaxaca City?

Cartagena: a measured median of 28.9 Mbps versus 18.8 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Cartagena](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/cartagena) · [Oaxaca City](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/oaxaca). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Digital Nomad Visas 2026; Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population; 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); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); 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).

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/cartagena-vs-oaxaca