Colombia · City guide

Living in Cartagena, Colombia: a guide for newcomers

What living in Cartagena is really like: the costs, weather, safety, neighbourhoods and day-to-day practicalities.

Source-checked67 sourcesChecked 13 Nov 2026Residents' reports labelledHow we check

ContributorJohn Robinson

A colourful street in Cartagena's walled city

Cartagena in brief

Altitude: Sea level
DenverCartagena
Population: 1 million
Currency: $1 = 3,302 pesos
$100 = COP 330,191
Rent, 1 bedroom: About $1,350 a month in Bocagrande
Weather: Days 88–90 °F, nights 75–79 °F
NightsDays
US travel advisory: Level 3: reconsider travel
Airport: CTG, about 2 miles out
Time zone: Same as New York in winter

Best for

Beach-tower living: Bocagrande and Castillogrande condos face the sea.
Easy trips home: non-stops to Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Atlanta.
Families: an American-accredited school and an IB school.
History lovers: a UNESCO-listed walled city you can walk.

Think twice if

You struggle with heat: highs near 90 °F and sticky humidity every month.
Safety comes first: homicides run nearly three times Medellín's rate.
You need specialist care nearby: serious cases often go to Bogotá or Barranquilla.
You want a seafront flat without flood worries: 2026 swells damaged the seafront.

Where to live

Most newcomers look at Bocagrande first; Castillogrande, Manga and the old city are the usual alternatives. Tap a neighbourhood for rents, safety and what residents say.

★ Stars show how often newcomers' accounts and guides name it: 5 most, 2 none.

Not covered yet: Pie de la Popa, Torices and the islands.

Things to do

DataIncludes residents' reports

Start inside the walls on foot, then cross to Castillo San Felipe. Check opening hours and fees before you go.

The yellow clock tower of the Puerta del Reloj above the old city wall — **Walled city**Colonial streets through the clock-tower gate

The carved stone doorway of the Palacio de la Inquisición — **Palacio de la Inquisición**History museum on Plaza de Bolívar

The red colonial front and wooden balcony of the Museo del Oro Zenú — **Museo del Oro Zenú**Gold and archaeology museum

The Santo Domingo bastion on the sea wall, flying Colombian flags — **The city walls**Walk the walls; sunset bar on a bastion

The sloping stone ramparts of Castillo San Felipe, with towers behind — **Castillo San Felipe**Huge Spanish fortress with tunnels

Cartagena's towers and the sea seen from La Popa hill — **Cerro de La Popa**Hilltop monastery and city views

Also worth a visit

Plaza de San Diego: a lively square of bars and restaurants, busiest at weekends.
Plaza de la Trinidad: the main square of Getsemaní, the arts and nightlife quarter.
Museo Naval del Caribe: naval museum by the walls.
Castillogrande beach: quiet and good for jogging; Bocagrande's beach is busier.

Sources (3)

Distances on the cards are straight-line from Parque de Bolívar. Old fees: Palacio de la Inquisición COP 17,000; San Felipe COP 30,000 for foreigners (July 2018). Current hours and fees aren't researched yet.

Day trips

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

Islands, beaches and a mud volcano are all within about an hour or two.

Boats moored off the long white beach of Playa Blanca, from the air — **Playa Blanca**The best beach near the city

The cone of the Totumo mud volcano with its wooden stairway — **Volcán del Totumo**A mud volcano you can bathe in

The low stone Fuerte de San Fernando at the water's edge — **Bocachica**Island fishing village and fort

Trip	Distance	Why go
Islas del Rosario	By boat from the Bodeguita pier	Island tours; slow boats take about 4 h to Playa Blanca
Playa Blanca (Barú)	25 mi, about 1 h 20 min, or by boat	The best beach near the city; quiet once tour boats leave
Volcán del Totumo	35 mi, about 1 h	Mud volcano you can bathe in; about $6 entry
Bocachica	By boat, every 30–45 min	Fishing village with a restored fort
La Boquilla mangroves	6 mi, about 15 min	Canoe trips through lagoons and mangroves
Jardín Botánico (Turbaco)	13 mi, about 35 min	Botanical garden
Barranquilla	74 mi, about 1 h 50 min	Colombia's other big Caribbean city
Santa Marta	139 mi, about 3 h 10 min	Gateway to the Sierra Nevada and Tayrona
Mompox	175 mi, about 3 h 40 min	Colonial river town; better overnight

Buy boat trips inside the marina or at a ticket office, not from touts. Canada warns of accidents with unlicensed tour boats.

Sources (7)

Road times are no-traffic estimates from the walled city. Totumo entrance COP 20,000 in May 2026; tips expected. Buses to Barranquilla and Santa Marta leave from Crespo every 20 minutes (Feb 2021); Santa Marta takes about 5½ hours by bus. Expect a port surcharge on island boats.

Food and markets

Casual meal: about $7 · Dinner for two, mid-range: about $130 · Draft beer: about $3. Prices as of Nov 2026.

A whole fried fish with salad, beside a plate of rice — **Fried fish**The typical set meal near the beach

A pot of dark Caribbean coconut rice — **Arroz con coco**Coconut rice, served with most meals

Two flattened fried plantain patacones on a plate — **Patacones**Fried green plantain

Also try

Coco loco and seafood on Playa Blanca: sold on the beach; agree the price before an oyster seller's "free" tasting.

Markets

Stalls and umbrellas along a street at the Bazurto market — **Mercado de Bazurto**The city's big market

The long yellow arcade of Las Bóvedas — **Las Bóvedas**Crafts in the old vaults

Supermarkets: Olímpica, Ara, Carulla, D1 and Megatiendas are all over town; several deliver for a small fee.

Sources (3)

Meal prices: Numbeo crowd averages, 13 Nov 2026 (inexpensive meal COP 24,250; dinner for two COP 425,000, range COP 164,265–657,060). An older interview advised visiting the Bazurto area with a trusted local.

Healthcare

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

Basic care is adequate at a few hospitals, but residents send serious cases to Bogotá or Barranquilla. Check English and direct billing with each hospital and your insurer: neither is confirmed.

Clínica Cartagena del Mar: private, some English-speaking staff · Pie de la Popa.
Hospital Serena del Mar: private, with an international-patient desk · Zona Norte.
Nuevo Hospital de Bocagrande: hospital · Castillogrande, by Bocagrande.
Clínica Quirúrgica de Manga: clinic · Manga.
Hospital Naval: has a decompression chamber for diving accidents · by the walled city.

Legal residents can join the public health system, and many retirees add private prepaid cover.

Dengue, Zika and other mosquito-borne diseases are listed as risks for Colombia.

Sources (9)

Clínica Cartagena del Mar is the only Cartagena facility on the UK government list (Sept 2025). Residents' views from two US diplomats (2019, 2020). The Naval Hospital's chamber is from a 2015 listing. Medihelp in Bocagrande couldn't be checked. JCI status wasn't checked.

Families and schools

DataIncludes residents' reports

Two schools have confirmed international programmes. Confirm fees with each school.

Colegio Británico de Cartagena: IB Diploma and a US high school diploma · Castillogrande and Zona Norte.
Colegio Jorge Washington: American (Cognia-accredited), US and Colombian dual diploma · Zona Norte.
Gimnasio Bilingüe Altamar and Colegio Montessori: bilingual; curricula to confirm · Manga Not confirmed

Two older diplomats' reports mention bullying of American children; some families homeschool.

Sources (7)

Curricula from each school's own site. A directory says Colegio Jorge Washington offers the IB Diploma; its own pages don't, so none is claimed. No school publishes fees; Numbeo's crowd figure for international primary school is about COP 40 million (about $12,100) a year.

Nightlife

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

The cathedral tower lit up at night — The cathedral at night

Getsemaní is the lively quarter, with rooftop bars; the walled city has the sunset drinks.

Getsemaní: rooftop bars and clubs around Calle del Arsenal and Plaza de la Trinidad.
Walled city: bars around Plaza San Diego, busy at weekends; sunset drinks on the walls.
Bocagrande: hotel bars.
Places to try: Bazurto Social Club, Taboo and La Casa de la Cerveza in Getsemaní; Babar in the Centro.

Rules worth knowing

Watch your drink: Canada names Cartagena among the cities where drugging happens most.
Book taxis: don't hail them in the street at night.

Sources (5)

Warnings from the UK and Canadian governments. Arsenal disco entry was COP 10,000–20,000 (undated). A venue on the map isn't proof it's open now.

Getting there and getting around

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

The control tower at Rafael Núñez airport — Rafael Núñez airport

The airport is close: about 10 minutes from the old city, with non-stops to seven US cities by the end of 2026.

Not yet verified Route list from a public route table, not confirmed with the airlines.

Airline	Non-stop US destinations
American	Miami
Avianca	Miami and New York JFK (seasonal)
Delta	Atlanta
JetBlue	Fort Lauderdale, New York JFK
United	Houston and Washington Dulles, from 17 Dec 2026
Frontier	Orlando, from 19 Dec 2026

From the airport

Walled city, Getsemaní, Manga: 3½–4 miles, about 10–15 min without traffic.
Bocagrande, Castillogrande: 5–6 miles, about 15–20 min.
Crespo: right next door; Zona Norte: 3–6 miles, about 15 min.
Taxis: the airport stand gives a receipt with the fare.

Around the city

Transcaribe buses: about $1.18 a ride with a card bought at stations; drivers don't take cash.
Taxis have no meters: agree the fare first, or use Uber, DiDi or InDriver.
On foot: the walled city, Getsemaní and most of Bocagrande are walkable; Zona Norte needs a car.

Sources (9)

Routes from Wikipedia's CTG list, edited 18 Oct 2026. Drive times are no-traffic estimates. Transcaribe fare COP 3,900 from 23 Jan 2026 (COP 2,900 for eligible older and subsidised users from May 2026), as reported by the local press; one report says COP 4,000. Route T102 links the old town and the airport area.
Airport taxi fares on the receipt are 2019 prices; current fares aren't researched yet.

Expat community and coworking

DataIncludes residents' reports

A street of flowered balconies near Plaza de San Diego — Near Plaza de San Diego

The foreign community is small, and many live close together in high-rise flats near the sea. It draws retirees from North America and Europe, and Spanish is essential.

Gringo Tuesdays: weekly language exchange, then a party Not confirmed
Cowork Cartagena (Getsemaní) and Virtualis (Manga): coworking spaces Not confirmed
Spaces and Regus: day passes from about $23 and $33; locations to confirm.

Call coworking spaces ahead for hours and prices.

Sources (6)

No official count of foreign residents. Community descriptions from US diplomats' reports (Aug 2019, Feb 2020) and Expat.com (May 2026). No InterNations Cartagena group was found. Spaces day pass COP 75,000 and Regus day coworking COP 109,000, from search results of the operators' pages.

Learning Spanish

DataIncludes residents' reports

A tiger in sunglasses painted on an old wall in Getsemaní — Street art, Getsemaní

You'll need Spanish, and the local Caribbean accent is strong, unlike the Spanish of Colombia's inland cities.

BABEL International Language Institute: courses and private lessons; about $328 for 20 group and 5 private lessons a week · walled city.
Nueva Lengua: Spanish school · Getsemaní Not confirmed
Centro Catalina: language school · San Diego Not confirmed

Sources (5)

BABEL's price is from an undated aggregator listing. Nueva Lengua's site didn't respond and Centro Catalina's timed out on 13 Nov 2026.

Neighbourhood areas are approximate; a circle marks an area OpenStreetMap has only as a point. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Cost of living

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

Rent is the big number: about $860–1,350 a month for a 1-bed in the main areas. Prices as of Nov 2026.

1-bed asking rents by neighbourhood

Bigger places: 3-bedrooms ask about $1,360 in Marbella, $1,640 in Manga and $2,390 in Castillogrande.
Utilities: about $135 a month, more with heavy air conditioning.
Old guides run low: today's asking rents are well above guide figures, and the peso has strengthened.
Long-term flats are scarce in the old city and Getsemaní.

A month's budget

Per month	One person, modest	One person, comfortable	Couple, modest	Couple, comfortable
Rent	$863	$1,345	$863	$1,635
Groceries	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet
Utilities	$134	$134	$134	$134
Phone and home internet	$45	$45	$62	$62
Transport	$52	Not sourced yet	$104	Not sourced yet
Eating out	$59	$187	$118	$375
Health insurance	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet
Other	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet	Not sourced yet

Modest: Zona Norte 1-bed, Transcaribe, cheap meals. Comfortable: Bocagrande 1-bed, more restaurant meals. Couple, comfortable: Manga 3-bed.

No total yet: groceries, health insurance and taxi costs aren't priced.

Sources (15)

Dollar figures at the official TRM, COP 3,301.91 per $1 (13 Nov 2026); COP 3,719.71 a year earlier. Rents: Fincaraíz asking prices, ads online 13 Nov 2026; city-wide medians COP 3,000,000 (1-bed) and COP 4,800,000 (3-bed). Bocagrande furnished 1-bed COP 4,800,000 vs COP 3,550,000 for the rest.
Utilities: Numbeo crowd average for an 85 m² flat, COP 443,750. Guide figures: Expat.com (May 2026) gives $500–700 for a central 1-bed. Utility tariffs depend on the building's class (estrato).
Not yet researched: groceries, health insurance (ages 40–65), Afinia and water tariffs, 2-bed rents, a reliable taxi fare.

A sentry box on the old walls, with Bocagrande's towers behind — Bocagrande beyond the walls

Climate

Data

Hot and humid all year. About 42 inches of rain fall a year, mostly May to November.

Days and nights through the year

NightsDays

Dry season (Dec–Apr): highs 88–89 °F, nights 75–78 °F; almost no rain January to March.
First rains (May–Jun): the hottest months, highs about 90 °F and nights about 79 °F; 3½–4½ inches a month.
July and August: highs about 90 °F; about 5 inches a month.
Wettest (Sep–Nov): up to 9 inches in October, and the most humid month is November.

Hurricanes are uncommon here but can reach the Caribbean coast.

Sources (6)

IDEAM 1991–2020 normals, Rafael Núñez airport station (2 m): 1,073.8 mm (42 in) a year on about 70 days; mean 28.0 °C; humidity 80.9% (78.8–82.5%). October is the wettest month (236.5 mm). Hurricane note: UK government.

A sentry box silhouetted against an orange sunset — Sunset over the walls

Safety

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

Use big-city care: street theft and drugging are the main risks for newcomers. Cartagena isn't one of Colombia's Level 4 areas.

US travel advisory

Level 3: reconsider travel

Homicides are high: 40.5 per 100,000 in 2025, nearly three times Medellín's rate.
But falling this year: 191 from January to July, against 228 a year earlier.
53% of residents feel unsafe, up from 40% the year before.
Theft hot spots: the Centro, Bocagrande and Getsemaní had the most street thefts in a 2023 count.
Dating apps and bars: Canada names Cartagena for drugging and robbery.
Taxis: use app or phone taxis, not street hails.
Getsemaní is fine by day but gets seedy at night.

Sources (17)

US State Department, 31 Mar 2026: Colombia Level 3; Bolívar isn't a Level 4 area. UK FCDO, 30 Oct 2026: street crime on the Caribbean coast, scopolamine drugging, express kidnappings. Canada, 2 Nov 2026. Homicides: Medicina Legal (410 in 2025; rate from Cartagena Cómo Vamos; Medellín 14.5, Bogotá 15.1). Thefts from persons: 4,645 Jan–Sep 2026 vs 4,768 (Policía open data). Perception: Cartagena Cómo Vamos 2025 survey.
No official crime figures by barrio; the 2023 hot-spot count is from El Universal citing the police. Natural hazards: see the flood question below.

The avenue and plaza outside the Puerta del Reloj — Outside the Puerta del Reloj

Internet and remote work

Official sourcesDataIncludes residents' reports

Check the building has fibre: 900 Mbps plans are sold in the main areas from about $23–29 a month.
Speeds slipped in 2025: the city's typical upload fell to about 66 Mbps, tenth among Colombia's capitals.
Phone plan with data: about $17 a month.
Main providers: Tigo (now running Movistar), Claro and Starlink.
Power: the grid operator is on a supervised improvement plan, and planned cuts are announced by neighbourhood.
Time zone: same as New York in US winter, an hour behind in summer.

Sources (11)

Plans from Selectra's Cartagena table (23 Apr 2026): Movistar fibre 900 Mb COP 75,992 introductory, then COP 94,990; Claro 5G home 200 Mb COP 79,900; Tigo 500 Mb COP 84,900; Starlink COP 150,000. Mobile: Numbeo crowd average COP 55,000.
CRC (Ookla data), June 2025: median fixed upload 65.83 Mbps, down from 84.10; the download figure wasn't read. Afinia's Cartagena lines had long unplanned outages in 2024 (line hours, not household hours). Residents reported home-internet outages in 2019–20. Time zone: UTC-5 all year.

Castillogrande's apartment towers lit up at night — Castillogrande at night

Living in Colombia long-term

Staying beyond a visit means residency. Our Colombia guides cover the routes, the documents and what you'd pay in tax, with the law behind each rule.

Bocagrande's skyline seen from the bay — Bocagrande from the bay

Questions people ask

Is Cartagena safe?

Riskier than most big Colombian cities: homicides run nearly three times Medellín's rate. For newcomers the main worries are street theft and drugging in bars or via dating apps, so book taxis and never leave a drink alone.

How much does it cost to live there?

Rent is the big number: about $860–1,350 a month for a 1-bed in the main areas. Utilities run about $135 a month, more if you run the air conditioning hard.

Where do expats live?

Mostly Bocagrande, then Castillogrande, El Laguito, Manga, Getsemaní and the old city. Most 1-bed ads, though, are in the newer condos of Zona Norte, past the airport.

How hot is it, and when should I visit?

Hot all year: highs near 90 °F, nights 75–79 °F and high humidity. December to April is dry, but Christmas and Holy Week are very crowded.

Can I fly there non-stop from the US?

Yes: Miami, Fort Lauderdale, New York JFK and Atlanta, with Houston, Washington Dulles and Orlando from December 2026. The airport is about 10 minutes from the old city.

Does Cartagena flood?

Low areas flood after heavy rain and high seas, and that's expected to grow with sea-level rise. Swells in February 2026 damaged the Bocagrande, Marbella and El Cabrero seafront; defence works are under way.

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