Córdoba vs Cartagena
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Córdoba cheaper — −64%
Family budget
✓in Cartagena cheaper — −34%
Ready-made house
✓in Córdoba cheaper — −32%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Córdoba≈ $511–647ARS 790k – 1Mcheaper by 64%Cartagena≈ $1,070–2,140COP 3.5–7.04MPiped gas
✓Córdoba≈ $0.21 per m³ARS 329.29 per m³cheaper by 72%Cartagena≈ $0.77 per m³COP 2,539 per m³Family budget
per monthCórdoba≈ $974ARS 1,505,487✓Cartagena≈ $639COP 2,099,220cheaper by 34%Winter
averageCórdoba11 °C11 °CCartagena24–31 °C24–31 °CPrecipitation
per yearCórdoba855 mm855 mmCartagena1,017 mm1,017 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Córdoba$163,500–296,250$163,500–296,250cheaper by 32%Cartagena≈ $228–453kCOP 750–1,487.5M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
Córdoba
A two-bedroom apartment: Centro about 790k pesos a month, General Paz 950k, Nueva Córdoba 1 million (520–660 dollars). Building fees on top.
SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent, city of Córdoba · checked 6 Oct 2026
A three-bedroom house in the city by listings is most often 165–295k dollars, median about 208k. Sellers quote prices in dollars.
SpecialistMercado Libre: three-bedroom houses for sale, city of Córdoba · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
A three-bedroom apartment by listings: median 5.5 million pesos a month (about 1,640 dollars), half within 3.5-7 million. In stratum 6 the median is 6.8 million.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in Cartagena · checked 6 Oct 2026
A resale three-bedroom by listings: median 975 million pesos (about 290 thousand dollars), half within 750 million - 1.49 billion. Mostly Bocagrande and Castillogrande.
SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in Cartagena · checked 6 Oct 2026
Money and prices
Córdoba
The minimum food basket for a family of four in the Pampas region (INDEC) is about 678k pesos a month, June 2026. There is no separate figure for Córdoba.
OfficialIPEC Santa Fe, INDEC series: basic food basket (extreme poverty line) per adult equivalent, Pampas region, 2017 to June 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
The poverty line for a family of four in the Pampas region is 1.51 million pesos a month (June 2026), without rent. With a rented two-bedroom: 2.3–2.5 million.
OfficialIPEC Santa Fe, INDEC series: total basic basket (poverty line) per adult equivalent, Pampas region, 2017 to June 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
The DANE minimum food basket for Cartagena is 238,308 pesos per person a month, about 953 thousand (285 dollars) for a family of four. Figures for 2025.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026
A family of four in Cartagena counts as poor with income below 2.1 million pesos a month, about 630 dollars (2025). 34.6% of residents are poor, more than in Medellín and Cali.
OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026
Family and kids
Córdoba
Córdoba's most expensive schools in March 2026: primary 0.8–1.08 million pesos a month, secondary 0.9–1.24 million. Subsidised private schools are cheaper.
SpecialistInfoNegocios: a map of fees and enrolment charges at Córdoba's most expensive schools, 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Córdoba
Córdoba's provincial hospitals do not charge foreigners without residence. Only two national hospitals charge them: Hospital de Clínicas and Maternidad Nacional.
SpecialistLa Voz de San Justo: in Córdoba, foreigners without residence will be charged only in two hospitals · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
Hospital Serena del Mar of the Santa Fe de Bogotá foundation: in Colombia's top 20 in the Newsweek 2026 ranking and first in Cartagena and the Caribbean region. Over 60 specialties.
SpecialistEl Universal: Hospital Serena del Mar, first in Cartagena in the Newsweek 2026 ranking · checked 6 Oct 2026
Transport
Córdoba
In 2025 Córdoba had direct flights to Madrid, Panama, Santiago, Lima, Rio and São Paulo. Buenos Aires (Aeroparque) carried 1.44 million passengers a year.
OfficialArgentina's Ministry of Tourism, “Conectividad Aérea”: main air routes by year (flights and passengers) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
In 2025 about 7.2 million passengers passed through Cartagena airport, 1.7 million of them international. The most popular destinations are Lima, New York, Mexico City, Madrid and Miami.
OfficialAerocivil, open data: commercial air traffic by origin-destination, 2020-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Climate
Córdoba
The average July temperature is 10.7 degrees: about 18 by day and 4 at night. Cold nights reach -4, snow is rare. Winter is dry; the north wind can bring 30.
SpecialistClimates to Travel: climate of Córdoba, normals 1991–2020 · checked 6 Oct 2026
January averages 23.7 degrees, about 30 by day and 17 at night. From September to February there are heat waves up to 38–40, the record is 40.8 in January 2012.
SpecialistClimates to Travel: climate of Córdoba, normals 1991–2020 · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 855 mm a year, almost all of it from October to April, often in thunderstorms. May to September is dry: 6–8 mm a month in June–August.
SpecialistClimates to Travel: climate of Córdoba, normals 1991–2020 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
There is no winter: even in the coolest month, January, it averages 23.6 degrees at night and 30.5 during the day. In June-July, 25.7 at night and 31.6 during the day.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cartagena 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026
About 1,020 mm a year. From December to April it is almost dry (1-35 mm a month), rains from May to November, most of all in October: 235 mm and 16 rainy days.
OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cartagena 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Safety
Córdoba
Córdoba province, 2025: 96 victims of intentional homicide, 2.4 per 100k residents; in 2024 there were 117 and 3.0. There is no separate figure for the city.
OfficialSNIC: victims of intentional homicide and rate per 100,000 residents, Córdoba province · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
According to Ministry of Defense open data, Cartagena had 360 homicides in 2025 and 381 in 2024. In January-August 2026 there were 191, against 244 in the same period of 2025.
OfficialColombian Ministry of Defense, open data: homicides by municipality (HOMICIDIO) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Services
Córdoba
EPEC electricity without subsidy from 1 October 2026: 250 pesos per kWh up to 120 kWh, 301 pesos beyond, plus 2.9k a month. 300 kWh is about 87k pesos (57 dollars).
OfficialEPEC: summary tariff schedule, in force from 1 October 2026 (published 29 September 2026) · checked 6 Oct 2026
Ecogas gas in Córdoba without subsidy: 329 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge from 4.8k (R1), before taxes. 100 m³ in winter is about 37.7k pesos (25 dollars).
OfficialENReGE (formerly ENARGAS): natural gas tariffs of all distributors from 1 September 2026 (Excel), Distribuidora de Gas del Centro, Córdoba · checked 6 Oct 2026
Cartagena
Water with sewerage for 15 m³ at the Aguas de Cartagena tariff: stratum 4 about 136 thousand pesos a month (41 dollars), stratum 5 about 241 thousand, stratum 6 about 289 thousand.
OfficialAguas de Cartagena: water and sewerage tariffs, second half of 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Surtigas piped gas for homes: 2,539 pesos per m³ plus 3,942 pesos a month per bill. 30 m³ comes to about 80 thousand pesos (24 dollars). Strata 5-6 pay 20% more.
OfficialSurtigas: piped gas tariffs for regulated users, September 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026
Since September 2026 a kWh from Afinia costs 1,033 pesos, the price for stratum 4. 300 kWh a month is about 310 thousand pesos (93 dollars), a typical amount for a family with air conditioning.
SpecialistEl Universal: Afinia's price per kWh rose from 950 to 1,033 pesos from September 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026