How much does Cartagena cost per day in 2026?

A dorm bed in Getsemaní costs 25,000-40,000 COP ($8-13) per night. The walled Ciudad Amurallada charges 2-3x more for the same tier, and the walk between the two neighborhoods takes about 10 minutes. Private rooms in Getsemaní hover around 80,000-120,000 COP ($26-39), though watch for surcharges that booking platforms tack on at checkout. A few hostels on Calle de la Media Luna add a 15,000 COP ($5) cleaning fee that appears only after you've confirmed. Three-star hotels in Bocagrande start at 130,000 COP ($42) per night. The luxury tier means colonial-mansion boutiques in the San Diego quarter at 615,000+ COP ($200+), where the rooms carry the scent of cedarwood and the courtyards have 400-year-old stonework. At $30 per day total, Cartagena runs cheaper than most Caribbean cities.

The corrientazo, Colombia's set lunch, is the best budget hack in Cartagena. In Getsemaní and the Bazurto area, a plate of rice, beans, fried plantain, a protein, and fresh juice costs 12,000-15,000 COP ($4-5). The same meal inside the Ciudad Amurallada costs 28,000-35,000 COP ($9-11). That 2x markup is a location surcharge, not a quality difference. Street vendors near Parque del Centenario sell arepas de huevo for 3,000 COP ($1), still hot and crackling with oil when they hand it to you. Dinner prices run 3-4x what lunch costs. A plate of ceviche at a tourist-facing restaurant on Plaza Santo Domingo goes for 45,000-65,000 COP ($15-21), but ceviche carts near Mercado de Bazurto sell the same portion for 8,000 COP ($2.60). Worth noting, Bazurto market is loud, sticky-floored, and heavy with the smell of fish and overripe mango. Not everyone's comfortable there, but a full meal for 10,000 COP ($3.25) is hard to argue with.

Transcaribe, Cartagena's BRT bus system, costs 2,800 COP ($0.91) per ride with a rechargeable card you can buy at any station for 5,000 COP ($1.60). Mind you, a budget day rarely needs more than 2 rides because the walled city, Getsemaní, and Bocagrande are all walkable from each other in 20-30 minutes. Cartagena taxis have no meters, and an unquoted ride often costs 3x the fair rate. A trip from Getsemaní to Bocagrande should run 8,000-10,000 COP ($2.60-3.25); if a driver quotes 25,000, walk. The Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas, dating to 1536, charges 33,000 COP ($10.70) for foreign adults. The city walls and the Puerta del Reloj cost nothing to visit. Iglesia de San Pedro Claver charges 18,000 COP ($5.85) for its museum and cloister.

Bancolombia ATMs charge 14,800 COP ($4.80) per foreign-card withdrawal, so pull 600,000 COP at a time to reduce the per-transaction hit. Water is a recurring expense when Cartagena's humidity sits around 88% and the felt temperature reaches 33°C. A 600ml bottle from a corner tienda costs 2,000 COP ($0.65), but restaurants charge 8,000-12,000 COP ($2.60-3.90) for the same size. Filling a refillable bottle at your hostel saves 6,000+ COP per restaurant visit. Sunscreen at pharmacies near the Ciudad Amurallada runs 35,000-50,000 COP ($11-16) for SPF 50, so bring your own. Day trips to Playa Blanca on Isla Barú are quoted at 25,000 COP ($8) round trip, but a beach chair costs 10,000 COP ($3.25) and an umbrella runs another 5,000 COP ($1.60) on arrival. The sand there gets hot enough to burn bare feet by noon, and renting shade adds 15,000 COP to the quoted boat price.