Junín de los Andes vs Cartagena
In short
Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.
Rent
✓in Junín de los Andes cheaper — −39%
Ready-made house
✓in Junín de los Andes cheaper — −51%
In numbers
Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.
House or apartment rent
per month✓Junín de los Andes≈ $545–1,410ARS 850k – 2.2Mcheaper by 39%Cartagena≈ $1,070–2,140COP 3.5–7.04MWinter
averageJunín de los Andes4 °C4 °CCartagena24–31 °C24–31 °CPrecipitation
per yearJunín de los Andes540 mm540 mmCartagena1,017 mm1,017 mmReady-made house
purchase✓Junín de los Andes$122–210k$122–210kcheaper by 51%Cartagena≈ $228–453kCOP 750–1,487.5M
By topic
A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.
Housing
Junín de los Andes
Roughly from USD 122k for 66 m² to USD 210k for 248 m²; a 250 m² family complex on a 2,500 m² plot is USD 300k.
SpecialistListings for land and houses for sale — Zonaprop, Mercado Libre, Argenprop · checked 1 Sep 2026
There is no reliable median: listings get mixed with San Martín. A single house at a local agency is ARS 2.2 million a month; good houses quickly move into the expensive segment.
SpecialistGrupo Patagonia SMA — local agency · checked 30 Aug 2026
There is almost nothing on offer. As of 1 October 2026 there were two listings: a 35 m² cabin with 1 bedroom at ARS 850,000, and a furnished 80 m² house in the center at ARS 2,200,000 a month.
SpecialistMercado Libre - Propiedades en alquiler en Junín de los Andes (as of 1 October 2026) · checked 1 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
Junín de los Andes
Regional estimate: the minimum food basket for a family of four in Patagonia is ARS 708,288 a month (June 2026). This is not a measurement in the town itself.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 Oct 2026
Regional estimate: the poverty line excluding rent for a family of four is ARS 1,784,886 a month (June 2026, Patagonia). Add rent on top. Not a measurement in the town.
OfficialIPIEC (Tierra del Fuego) - Evolución de las canastas básicas, región Patagonia, first half of 2026 · checked 1 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
Junín de los Andes
In March 2026, Escuela Primaria Nº153 opened in Nehuén Che for growing neighborhoods, for about 900 families: a shortage of primary school places in the eastern corridor is less likely.
OfficialNew primary school Nº153 in Junín de los Andes · checked 31 Aug 2026
Cartagena
Nothing yet
Healthcare
Junín de los Andes
The nearest regional hospital is Hospital Dr. Ramón Carrillo in San Martín, about 40 km along RN 40.
OfficialBoletín Oficial Neuquén — staffing of Hospital Ramón Carrillo, 2026 · checked 27 Aug 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
Junín de los Andes
About 40 km along RN 40, with regular intercity service and the Chapelco airport between the towns. 30–45 minutes by car; check the road in winter on the spot.
OfficialAviador Carlos Campos airport (Chapelco) · checked 27 Aug 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
Junín de los Andes
About 540 mm a year, almost three times drier than San Martín. The western lake zones are noticeably wetter; the transition to steppe begins at Junín.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 2026
The average January temperature is about 17.3 °C, according to the territorial plan.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 2026
The average July temperature is about 3.9 °C, according to the territorial plan.
OfficialStrategic territorial development plan of Junín de los Andes · checked 24 Aug 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
Junín de los Andes
Neuquén province in 2025: 5.7 per 100k, the highest of all provinces (average 3.6), up 32.5% from 2024. The figure is driven by the provincial capital; there is no separate data for Junín.
OfficialSNIC — Informe del Sistema Nacional de Información Criminal, year 2025, table 5 (intentional homicides by province) · checked 9 Sep 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
Internet and phone
Junín de los Andes
COTESMA publishes an address-level fiber coverage map for Junín: the same network as in San Martín, up to 1,000 Mbps.
SpecialistCOTESMA — coverage in Junín de los Andes · checked 2 Sep 2026
Cartagena
Nothing yet
Services
Junín de los Andes
Piped gas is supplied by Camuzzi, which has accepted connection requests again since 5 January 2026, including in Junín. Electricity: EPEN, with an office in the town. The table has no tariffs specifically for Junín.
SpecialistCamuzzi — gas connections resume in the Cordillera · checked 1 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

