Cost of living: Cartagena vs. New York
Thinking of moving to the US? Compare the cost of living in any city with your hometown.
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At a glance
The upside: its subway is so extensive that most New Yorkers skip a car — a real monthly saving. Sending money home? Ria makes it fast and secure.
Life in New York
New York City spreads across five boroughs on New York Harbor, one of the world's largest natural harbors, tied together by a subway that runs around the clock. Wall Street anchors an economy built on finance, tech, media and culture. An estimated 800 languages are spoken here, and Washington Heights in Upper Manhattan is the most prominent Dominican community in the United States.
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Over 800 languages are spoken here — the most linguistically diverse city in the world.
Monthly breakdown
What everyday life costs in each city, side by side.
| Total |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | $700 | $2,389 |
| Healthcare | $60 | $373 |
| Groceries | $110 | $487 |
| Utilities | $130 | $343 |
| Transit | $35 | $150 |
| Other | $70 | $535 |
Estimated monthly costs for one adult: typical rent across the metro area, USDA's moderate-cost food plan and U.S. government spending data — a typical budget, not a minimum.
Sources, updated September 2026: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (Regional Price Parities, 2024); U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Consumer Expenditure Surveys, 2024; Consumer Price Index); U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Plans, July 2026); Federal Communications Commission (Urban Rate Survey, 2026); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (Fair Market Rents, FY2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration (weekly retail gasoline prices); official fare pages of each city's transit agency; Latin America: crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, used for reference.
Cartagena figures are collected from online sources.
Cost of living by US city
15 cities, ranked by monthly cost for one person
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Frequently asked questions
Is New York more expensive than Cartagena?
For one adult, New York is 3.9× more expensive than Cartagena: about $4,277 a month, compared with about $1,105 in Cartagena.
What is the monthly cost difference between Cartagena and New York?
About $3,172 a month for one adult: $4,277 in New York versus $1,105 in Cartagena. Change the number of adults above to see your household's figures.
Which costs change the most between Cartagena and New York?
Other shows the biggest jump: it costs 7.6× as much in New York as in Cartagena.
How does rent compare between Cartagena and New York?
A one-bedroom apartment rents for about $2,389 a month in New York and about $700 in Cartagena. Rents exclude utilities.
Can a minimum-wage job cover the costs in New York?
A full-time minimum-wage job in New York ($17.00 an hour) pays about $2,947 a month before taxes. Typical costs for one adult there are about $4,277 a month. Add your income above to see what would be left each month.
How is the cost of living measured?
We add up typical monthly costs for one adult in six categories: housing, healthcare, groceries, utilities, transit and other everyday spending. U.S. figures are calculated from government data (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, HUD and the Energy Information Administration) plus transit agencies' published fares. Latin American figures come from crowdsourced cost-of-living platforms, and their healthcare costs are a modeled estimate. Minimum wages are each city's local rate where it has one, otherwise the state rate published by the U.S. Department of Labor. Both cities' figures were last updated in 2026.
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