How much does it cost to travel to Cartagena? (2026)
Budget, mid-range and luxury daily estimates for Cartagena, in USD and COP.
Daily and weekly costs
| Tier | Per day (USD) | Per day (COP) | 7 days (USD) | 7 days (COP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BudgetHostel bed, cheap meals, public transport | $35 | COP 140,000 | $245 | COP 990,000 |
| Mid-rangeThree-star hotel, restaurants, some taxis | $80 | COP 320,000 | $560 | COP 2,300,000 |
| LuxuryFour- or five-star hotel, dining out | $170 | COP 690,000 | $1,190 | COP 4,800,000 |
Every amount in this table is an estimateestimate, derived from the World Bank price level for Colombia rather than quoted by any seller.
How this is calculated
A US baseline of 90, 210 and 450 USD a day for the three tiers is multiplied by the price level of Colombia (0.3781564117330556, World Bank 2025) and by a city-size factor of 1, then rounded to the nearest 5 dollars. Local amounts use the World Bank exchange rate of 4053.13583333333 COP to the dollar, rounded to two significant digits.
These are modeled estimates, not quoted prices. Read the full formula on the methodology page.
Sample prices in Cartagena
Typical prices, every one an estimateestimate rather than a quoted price.
Hostel dorm bed
Estimate for a shared budget-tier room in the city.
$12
Mid-range hotel double room
Estimate for a private double room with standard amenities.
$70
Cheap local meal
Estimate for a set lunch or simple plate at a casual eatery.
$6
Restaurant meal for two
Estimate for a sit-down dinner with drinks for two people.
$40
Local bus or public transport ride
Estimate for a single fare on city public transport.
$1
Coffee at a café
Estimate for a standard brewed coffee.
$2
Entrance ticket to a historic fort or attraction
Estimate for admission to a major sightseeing site.
$10
Prepaid SIM card with data
Estimate for a tourist SIM with a basic data package.
$10
Where the money goes
The three daily tiers reflect where the money goes: the $35 budget figure covers basic lodging, simple meals and public transport, the $80 mid-range figure allows for better accommodation and restaurant meals, and the $170 luxury figure covers higher-end lodging, dining and private transport. Over a full week these scale to $245, $560 and $1,190 respectively, giving a sense of total trip cost at each comfort level.
The lowest prices and quietest conditions align with the off-season months of May, June and August. These daily and weekly figures are estimates meant to guide planning rather than fixed prices, and actual spending will vary with individual choices.
Cheapest months by climate demand: May, Jun and Aug.
Keep reading
More on Cartagena
Sources
- GeoNames city database — CC BY 4.0, fetched September 14, 2026
- World Bank price level and exchange rate — CC BY 4.0, data year 2025
AI-written interpretation reviewed against the data above — claude-sonnet-5, generated September 21, 2026. Every number on this page comes from a dataset named here; the formulas are public.