cost
Cost of Living Index
Medellín67.4 / 100
Cartagena77.4 / 0
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: Medellín leads Cost of Living Index with 100 out of 100; Cartagena leads Safety Index with 100 out of 100; Medellín leads Median Monthly Rent with 100 out of 100; Medellín 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 | Medellín | 67.4 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Cost of Living Index | Cartagena | 77.4 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Safety Index | Medellín | 47.8 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Safety Index | Cartagena | 61.3 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | UNData / UNSD |
| Median Monthly Rent | Medellín | $2,466 | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Median Monthly Rent | Cartagena | $3,174 | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| House Price to Income | Medellín | 7.8x | 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 | Medellín | $2,838/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 | Medellín | 4.9% | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Unemployment Rate | Cartagena | 8.2% | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | World Bank Open Data |
| Healthcare Access Index | Medellín | 63.2 | 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 | Medellín | 78.2 years | 100 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
| Life Expectancy | Cartagena | 75.2 years | 0 out of 100 | 2026 | WHO Global Health Observatory |
cost
safety
housing
housing
jobs
jobs
health
health
Winner
Medellín wins on 14 of 22 metrics compared to Cartagena.
Winner logic counts row wins after applying each metric direction. Exact ties do not count. Methodology
Top trade-offs
Medellín leads cost, rent, and housing; Cartagena leads safety, health, and connectivity.
cost
Medellín
67.4
Cartagena
77.4
safety
Medellín
47.8
Cartagena
61.3
housing
Medellín
$2,466
Cartagena
$3,174
housing
Medellín
7.8x
Cartagena
11.6x
jobs
Medellín
$2,838/mo
Cartagena
$1,069/mo
jobs
Medellín
4.9%
Cartagena
8.2%
health
Medellín
63.2
Cartagena
67.7
health
Medellín
78.2 years
Cartagena
75.2 years
environment
environment
infrastructure
demographics
Medellín
3.0%
Cartagena
1.3%
education
Medellín
70.1
Cartagena
71.7
transport
Medellín
71.9
Cartagena
83.7
safety
Medellín
24.1 per 100k
Cartagena
32.5 per 100k
safety
Medellín
41.7 per 100k
Cartagena
46.9 per 100k
health
Medellín
17.9%
Cartagena
20.3%
quality
Medellín
6.4
Cartagena
6.5
housing
Medellín
$12,044/sqm
Cartagena
$12,398/sqm
religion
Medellín
45.7%
Cartagena
51.8%
religion
Medellín
62.0%
Cartagena
34.2%
religion
Medellín
55.5%
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.