Should you visit Cartagena or Cafayate?
Which city is more affordable and which is best for your travel style? If you're trying to figure out where to go next, comparing the travel costs between Cartagena and Cafayate can help you decide which place is right for you.
Cartagena
The capital of the Bolivar Department of Colombia, Cartagena is one of the most visited cities in the country. It sits on Colombia's northern coast by the Caribbean Sea. It's a port city with a population of almost 900,000, making it the fifth largest city in Colombia. The city has a rich history and was the first Spanish colony on the American continent. It was also one of the first sanctuaries for freed African slaves in the Americas.
Cafayate
Cafayate is located in the province of Salta, in the central zone of the Valles Calchaquies. The small town has about 12,000 residents and is 1,329 kilometers from Buenos Aires.
People head to the small town of Cafayate to explore its vineyards and unique rock formations. It has become an important tourist destination in the area and there is a large golf course under construction just outside of town.
Cafayate is an important wine production center. The wines in the area thrive from the low humidity mild weather of the valleys. The town receives less than 250 millimeters of precipitation a year.
Which city is cheaper, Cafayate or Cartagena?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
The average daily cost (per person) in Cartagena is $40, while the average daily cost in Cafayate is $86. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each city. Below is a breakdown of travel costs for Cartagena and Cafayate in more detail.
Accommodation
Cartagena's average price for two people sharing a typical double-occupancy hotel room is $46. A typical place to stay for one person, per day is $23.
Double occupancy rooms typically run around $64 in Cafayate For nicer amenities and a premiere location, you can expect to pay a bit more.
Food
In Cartagena travelers spend around $8.26 a day on food. You can save money by choosing casual restaurants or food stalls, or you can spend plenty more by dining in nicer restaurants at every meal.
While meal prices in Cafayate can vary, the average travelers spends about $35 per day on food. Based on the spending habits of previous travelers, when dining out, an average meal in Cafayate should cost around $14 per person. Breakfast prices are usually a little cheaper than lunch or dinner. The price of food in sit-down restaurants in Cafayate is often higher than fast food prices or street food prices.
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Food
Meals for one day
Cartagena $8.26
Cafayate $35
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Cartagena
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Cartagena.
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Cartagena Cuisine Cooking Experience:
$30
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BIKE & BITE food tour:
$52
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Street food tour with Julie:
$64
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Food Tour in Cartagena Walled City:
$66
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Street Food & Local Food Tour:
$66
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SkyKitchen 4 Course Cooking Class:
$81
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Bazurto Market Tour and Cooking Class in Cartagena:
$92
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Cartagena - Food Tour:
$100
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Caribbean Cuisine Cooking Class:
$105
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Shared Local Cooking Class and Lunch in Cartagena:
$110
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Bazurto Local Market Tour & Cooking Class:
$115
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Colombian Cooking Workshop:
$201
Typical Food prices in Cafayate
Here are some examples of typical meal expenses from previous travelers to Cafayate:
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Dinner (Empanadas)
$0.22
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Sandwich
$0.10
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Pizza
$0.17
Local Transportation
The average price of local transportation around Cartagena is $6.30 per person, per day. As this average includes both taxis and public transport, keep in mind that the prices of private drivers and taxis are significantly more expensive than public transportation.
Public transportation tends to be much less expensive in Cafayate than paying for a taxi or private car service, as is expected. Typically, people spend $18 on transportation in Cafayate on average per day.
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Cartagena
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Cartagena:
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One way private water transfer between Cartagena and the Islands (6 ppl max):
$530
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Private Transfer from La Manga Club to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport:
$259
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Private Transfer from Cartagena to Alicante–Elche (ALC) Airport:
$249
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Private Transfer Cartagena to Palomino (or vice versa):
$195
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Private transfer to Barranquilla from Cartagena- Traslado privado a Barranquilla:
$170
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Departure Private Transfer Cartagena City to Cartagena Airport CTG by Minivan:
$96
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Transfer to Tayrona Park, Santa Marta or Barranquilla City from Cartagena:
$84
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Departure Private Transfer Cartagena City to Cartagena Airport CTG by 2x4 Car:
$72
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Private transfer Cartagena airport -Mamonal:
$65
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Transfer Cartagena:
$50
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Transfer service in Cartagena:
$50
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Private Transfer: Cartagena to Rafael Núñez International Airport (CTG):
$40
Entertainment
Cartagena's costs for entertainment, tickets, attractions, and tours will often cost around $18 per person, per day. This cost can vary widely by the type of activity, however, as this includes admission tickets, day tours, museums, and other things to do.
Sightseeing expenses in Cafayate, including the cost of admission tickets for day tours, museums, and attractions, usually cost an average of $38 per day, per person.
Tours and Activities in Cartagena
Here are a few actual costs in Cartagena for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
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2 Hour Panoramic tour for cruise ship passengers:
$40
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4-Hour Fishing Experience with Locals Near Cartagena:
$103
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6 Hr Cartagena Fishing Experience:
$974
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Accessible sightseeing tour of Cartagena:
$140
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Audio Guide - Walking Tour with Interactive (Cartagena de Indias):
$10
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Aviario National Park Shared Tour:
$63
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Bar Tour for Guys and Bachelor Parties:
$20
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Bazurto Market + La Popa Convent Cartagena City Tour 4H:
$81
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Bazurto Market Half day tour in Cartagena:
$125
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Biking Tour Cartagena:
$19
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Birdwatching & Photography experience at the National Aviary in Barú:
$279
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Bolivar Pirate Island Experience with Lunch:
$75
Tours and Activities in Cafayate
Also, here are some specific examples of entertainment, tickets, and activities for Cafayate.
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Tour Quebrada De Las Conchas - Cafayate - Salta:
$27
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Cafayate and Calchaqui Valley Winery Tour:
$50
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From Salta: Full-Day Wine and Valley Tour to Cafayate:
$53
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Cachi Full-Day Tour:
$58
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Half-Day Wine Road Premium Tour From Cafayate:
$109
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Quebrada De Las Conchas Bike Tour from Cafayate:
$182
Alcohol
While the amount that someone spends on alcohol while visiting Cartagena may vary from person to person, on average a person spends $7.74 per day on alcoholic beverages.
Alcoholic beverages can often be a significant portion of a traveler's budget, and the costs can vary greatly from person to person. In Cafayate, the average amount that a visitor spends on alcoholic beverages per day is $36.
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Cartagena and Cafayate, we can see that Cafayate is more expensive. And not only is Cartagena much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Cartagena would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Cartagena and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Cafayate would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Cafayate than you might in Cartagena.
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