Budget · Cartagena · Colombia
Cartagena on a budget
What a trip to Cartagena really costs, and where the savings are.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sgonzalezb, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cartagena is moderately priced for most international visitors. Budget roughly $40–$70 per person per day on a tight budget, $110–$200 mid-range and $350–$900 for luxury, excluding flights. Hotel prices are usually lowest in May and August–October.
Key facts
- Budget traveller
- $40–$70 a day
- Mid-range
- $110–$200 a day
- Luxury
- $350–$900 a day
- Local currency
- COP
- Free sights
- 7
Daily budget and trip cost
AMZBooking estimates per person in US dollars, excluding flights, reviewed October 2026. Accommodation is the biggest variable; prices rise in peak months.
| Style | Per day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | $40–$70 | $120–$210 | $200–$350 | $280–$490 |
| Mid-range | $110–$200 | $330–$600 | $550–$1,000 | $770–$1,400 |
| Luxury | $350–$900 | $1,050–$2,700 | $1,750–$4,500 | $2,450–$6,300 |
Typical prices
Approximate prices in Cartagena, October 2026. They change; use them for planning, not as quotes.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Arepa de huevo from a street stand | about COP 4,000–7,000 |
| Set lunch outside the walled city | about COP 18,000–30,000 |
| Limonada de coco in a café | about COP 10,000–18,000 |
| Taxi between the old town and Bocagrande | about COP 10,000–20,000 |
| Beer in an old-town bar | about COP 8,000–15,000 |
| Rosario Islands day tour with lunch | about COP 150,000–350,000 |
| Dinner at a mid-range restaurant | about COP 70,000–130,000 per person |
Money-saving tips
- Stay in Getsemaní or Bocagrande for better value than the walled city.
- Eat the main meal at lunch, when set menus are much cheaper.
- Agree all prices in advance with taxis, beach vendors and boat operators.
- Visit from February to April or in May and September, outside Colombian holiday peaks, for lower room rates.
- Withdraw cash from bank ATMs inside banks or malls and decline dynamic currency conversion on card payments.
- Free sights — the walls, the plazas, the Museo del Oro Zenú and Getsemaní's murals — fill a good part of any visit.
Free things to do
- The walled city — The old town inside the walls is the reason most people come: balconied colonial houses, churches, plazas and convents, entered through the Torre del Reloj gate from Plaza de los Coches.
- City walls and bastions — About 11 km of walls, built from the late 16th to the 18th century to defend against pirates and rival powers, encircle the old town.
- Getsemaní streets and Plaza de la Trinidad — Getsemaní's lanes are covered with murals by local artists, flags and hanging umbrellas, especially around Calle de la Sierpe and Callejón Angosto.
- Plaza Santo Domingo — One of the walled city's liveliest squares, in front of the 16th-century Iglesia de Santo Domingo, with café terraces and Fernando Botero's reclining bronze 'Gertrudis'.
- Museo del Oro Zenú — The Banco de la República's small gold museum on Plaza de Bolívar shows gold and ceramic work of the Zenú people, who lived in the plains south of Cartagena and engineered vast drainage canals.
- Las Bóvedas — Twenty-three vaults built into the walls in the late 18th century, once used as storerooms and later as a prison, now house craft and souvenir shops selling hammocks, mochila bags and Wayuu weavings.
Where to stay on a budget
$$ · Best for nightlife, budget, solo travellers and food lovers
Getsemaní
Former working-class barrio of murals, hostels, salsa bars and evening street life
$$ · Best for families, beach and budget
Bocagrande
High-rise hotels, the city beach and malls on a narrow peninsula
$$ · Best for budget and quiet stays
Manga
Residential island district with early-20th-century villas and marinas
Eating well for less
- Arepa de huevo — Street stands in Getsemaní and around the walled city in the morning and evening; La Boquilla's beach shacks.
- Carimañola — Breakfast stalls, bakeries and street vendors across the city.
- Coctel de camarones — Ceviche carts around the walled city, Plaza de la Trinidad and Bocagrande.
Getting around for less
The walled city, San Diego and Getsemaní are compact and best explored on foot. Taxis are the usual way to reach Bocagrande, La Popa and the airport, while boats from the Muelle de la Bodeguita serve the islands.
Questions travellers ask
+How much does a trip to Cartagena cost?
About $550–$1,000 per person for five days mid-range, excluding flights (estimate), or $200–$350 on a tight budget.
+Is Cartagena expensive?
It is moderately priced for international visitors. Stay in Getsemaní or Bocagrande for better value than the walled city.
+How much money do I need per day in Cartagena?
Roughly $40–$70 on a budget and $110–$200 mid-range (estimates).
+When are hotel prices lowest in Cartagena?
Usually in May and August–October.