cost
Cost of Living Index
Bucaramanga83.3 / 0
Cartagena77.4 / 100
Comparison
Side-by-side data for relocation, travel, hiring, and investment decisions. Values are shown with source-backed metric definitions so trade-offs are easy to compare.
Bars and radar use 0-100 better scores. Tooltips keep the raw source values visible.
Chart summary: Cartagena leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Bucaramanga leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Cartagena leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Bucaramanga leads House Price to Income with 100 out of 100. A complete normalized score table follows.
| Metric | Place | Raw value | Normalized score | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of Living Index | Bucaramanga | 83.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Cartagena | 77.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Bucaramanga | 72.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Cartagena | 61.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Bucaramanga | $3,294 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Cartagena | $3,174 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Bucaramanga | 9.6x | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Cartagena | 11.6x | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Bucaramanga | $1,567/mo | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Average Salary | Cartagena | $1,069/mo | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Bucaramanga | 8.8% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Cartagena | 8.2% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Bucaramanga | 62.3 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Healthcare Access Index | Cartagena | 67.7 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Bucaramanga | 72.4 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Cartagena | 75.2 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Cartagena wins on 12 of 22 metrics compared to Bucaramanga.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Bucaramanga leads safety, housing, and salary; Cartagena leads cost, rent, and jobs.
cost
Bucaramanga
83.3
Cartagena
77.4
safety
Bucaramanga
72.4
Cartagena
61.3
housing
Bucaramanga
$3,294
Cartagena
$3,174
housing
Bucaramanga
9.6x
Cartagena
11.6x
jobs
Bucaramanga
$1,567/mo
Cartagena
$1,069/mo
jobs
Bucaramanga
8.8%
Cartagena
8.2%
health
Bucaramanga
62.3
Cartagena
67.7
health
Bucaramanga
72.4 years
Cartagena
75.2 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Bucaramanga
1.7%
Cartagena
1.3%
education
Bucaramanga
61.4
Cartagena
71.7
transport
Bucaramanga
61.5
Cartagena
83.7
safety
Bucaramanga
17.0 per 100k
Cartagena
32.5 per 100k
safety
Bucaramanga
40.3 per 100k
Cartagena
46.9 per 100k
health
Bucaramanga
27.9%
Cartagena
20.3%
quality
Bucaramanga
5.7
Cartagena
6.5
housing
Bucaramanga
$12,968/sqm
Cartagena
$12,398/sqm
religion
Bucaramanga
18.6%
Cartagena
51.8%
religion
Bucaramanga
76.0%
Cartagena
34.2%
religion
Bucaramanga
37.8%
Cartagena
76.6%
Some city-level values are modeled estimates when official city-level data is unavailable.
Each metric keeps its source, year, last refreshed date, and confidence label visible. Review methodology or Data Sources.