Cartagena vs Santa Marta for Digital Nomads
🇨🇴 Cartagena vs 🇨🇴 Santa Marta · updated 2026-07
Verdict
Cheaper: Santa Marta · Faster internet: Cartagena · Higher Nomad Score: Santa Marta.
Head-to-head
| 🇨🇴 Cartagena | 🇨🇴 Santa Marta | |
|---|---|---|
| Comfortable / month | $1,200 | $1,015 ★ |
| 1-bed rent | $600 | $480 ★ |
| Food | $280 | $250 ★ |
| Coworking | $100 | $90 ★ |
| Internet (Mbps) | 75 ★ | 70 |
| Affordability | 88 | 92 ★ |
| Weather | 82 | 82 |
| Community | 70 ★ | 64 |
| Nomad Score | 79 | 79 |
| Climate | Tropical Caribbean | Tropical coastal |
★ = better on that row. Figures are aggregated estimates.
FAQ
Is Cartagena or Santa Marta cheaper for digital nomads?
Santa Marta is cheaper — about $1,015/month vs $1,200/month for a comfortable solo setup.
Which has faster internet, Cartagena or Santa Marta?
Cartagena has faster average broadband (75 Mbps vs 70 Mbps).
Which has the higher Nomad Score?
Santa Marta scores 79 vs 79 on our composite of affordability, connectivity, weather and community.