Living in Cartagena
In Cartagena, rent averages €4.90 per m² a month (2022) and unemployment is 15.1% (2024).
Cartagena, a city in Spain, had a population of 220,704 at the start of 2025. For Cartagena, the foreign population count was 25,207 at the start of 2024. The unemployment rate was 15.1% in 2024.
Higher unemployment than 98% of Spanish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 79% of Spanish cities that publish it.
Which Spain-wide rules apply when you move to Cartagena?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
How much does it cost to rent in Cartagena?
Average net cold rent is 4.9 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges.
Published average over existing tenancies; a specific flat can sit either side of it. Asking-rent series, where present, are separate rows in the table.
- Average net rent (nettokalt): 4.9 EUR/m²/month · cdn.mivau.gob.es3
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 25.75 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/32Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 17.5 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/32Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 10 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/32Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 187.5 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/32Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Dwellings | 125,418 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 77,394 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| G05 Secondary Seasonal Vacant Dwellings | 48,024 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Average net rent (nettokalt) | 4.9 EUR/m²/monthcountry median €5.10 | 31 Dec 2022 | cdn.mivau.gob.es3Official |
| Official reference rent (median) | 500 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality25Official |
Is Cartagena a good place to live?
There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.
Worked out from these numbers
What does a 60 m² flat cost?
About 294 EUR a month in cold rent at the published average of 4.9 EUR/m² per month, before heating and operating charges.
Heating, water and operating charges come on top, and a specific flat can sit either side of an average.
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in Cartagena?
The unemployment rate is 15.1 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city12
Cartagena 15.1%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gigabit broadband availability | 95.83 % | 30 Jun 2025 | SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-202526Official |
| Public employment offices | 1 count | 15 Sept 2026 | SEF — Cartagena employment-office list24Official |
| People in employment | 77,466 people | 31 Dec 2021 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain17Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,806 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2024 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)13Official · regional context |
| Salary Net Avg Eur Month | 1,533 EUR/month | 30 Jun 2026 | Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/32Community estimate · Supplemental context |
| Unemployment rate | 15.1 %country median 4.4% | 31 Dec 2024 | INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city12Official |
Unemployment rate fell 42.9% between 2015 and 2024, from 26.4% to 15.1%.
What does a salary buy in Cartagena?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft over
Line-by-line breakdown and sources
| Each month | € |
|---|---|
| Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions. | €1,470 |
| Rent, 60 m²€4.90/m² · official · cdn.mivau.gob.es · 2022-12-31 | − €294 |
| Public transport pass€10 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-06-30 | − €10 |
| Utilities, 85 m²€188 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-06-30 | − €188 |
| Internet€26 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-06-30 | − €26 |
| Mobile plan€18 · market price · Numbeo city cost-of-living page · 2026-06-30 | − €18 |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €935 |
Public employment offices in Cartagena
SEF lists 1 public employment office in Cartagena (checked 2026-09-16). Use the official office finder for addresses and appointments; registration and job search are also available online through the national service below.
Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal — Public employment service
The office count comes from the service's own directory. Individual addresses and opening hours are not listed here yet. Sources checked through 16 Sept 2026.
Healthcare
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds per 100,000 residents | 569.8 beds per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202518Official |
| Hospitals | 6 count | 31 Dec 2025 | Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 202518Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Cartagena under the national coverage rules.
Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.
Open the official coverage guideSafety
How safe is Cartagena?
Police recorded about 4,578 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 4,578 offences per 100,000 · Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows1
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglaries per 100,000 residents | 172.6 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q47Official |
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 4,578 offences per 100,000country median 4,281 | 31 Dec 2024 | Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows1Official |
| Violent crime per 100,000 residents | 144.1 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q47Official |
Mobility and administration
Gigabit broadband availability was 95.8% in 2025.
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Cartagena. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
Escuelas Oficiales de Idiomas — public language education network — State Language Course
Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports / autonomous education authorities
For adult language learners, residents.
Climate and air quality
Annual PM2.5 was 10.9 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Is the air quality good in Cartagena?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
mm
hours
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Cartagena 10.9
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 20 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MOMPEAN)4Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM10 — annual mean | 26 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MOMPEAN)5Official · nearest-station reading |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 10.9 µg/m³country median 8.7 | 31 Dec 2024 | EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair6Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme High C | Jan 21.82 · Feb 22.98 · Mar 26.47 · Apr 27.75 · May 30.34 · Jun 34.12 · Jul 35.58 · Aug 35.62 · Sep 35.86 · Oct 30.63 · Nov 26.68 · Dec 22.2 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center19Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme Low C | Jan 1.43 · Feb 1.8 · Mar 3.16 · Apr 6.71 · May 9.79 · Jun 14.32 · Jul 18.73 · Aug 18.77 · Sep 14.21 · Oct 8.94 · Nov 5.48 · Dec 1.83 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center19Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan 11.75 · Feb 12.04 · Mar 13.93 · Apr 16.09 · May 19.19 · Jun 23.17 · Jul 25.8 · Aug 26.36 · Sep 23.75 · Oct 20.43 · Nov 15.59 · Dec 12.69 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center19Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 38.1 · Feb 22.9 · Mar 28.4 · Apr 23.9 · May 18.8 · Jun 4.6 · Jul 1 · Aug 7.8 · Sep 40.1 · Oct 31.9 · Nov 41.1 · Dec 42 mm | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO20Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average sunshine by month | Jan 188.2 · Feb 189.9 · Mar 222.2 · Apr 249.7 · May 299.6 · Jun 327.8 · Jul 344.7 · Aug 314.9 · Sep 243 · Oct 218.1 · Nov 182.8 · Dec 172.7 hours | 31 Dec 1991 | NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO21Official · nearest-station reading |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Cartagena?
The published population was 220,704 people in January 2025. Source: Cartagena - official stats2
By nationality
National passport88.6%Foreign residents11.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cars per 1,000 residents | 504.2 cars per 1000 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat8Official |
| City area | 558.1 km² | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat GISCO, European Commission10Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 11.5 % | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat9Official |
| Foreign residents | 25,207 people | 1 Jan 2024 | Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España.22Official |
| Population density | 392.8 people/km² | 31 Dec 2024 | Eurostat GISCO / Eurostat Urban Audit10Official |
| Population Female | 109,754 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)14Official |
| Population Male | 108,296 people | 31 Dec 2023 | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE)14Official |
| Population | 220,704 people | 1 Jan 2025 | Cartagena - official stats2Official |
Population rose 19.5% between 2001 and 2025, from 184,686 to 220,704.
Foreign residents fell 11.3% between 2010 and 2025, from 29,752 to 26,382.
International community in Cartagena
Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.
Country of birth
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 215,826 | 100.0% |
| Spain | 186,992 | 86.6% |
| Africa | 13,043 | 6.0% |
| South America | 7,467 | 3.5% |
| Rent of Europe | 3,333 | 1.5% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 3,046 | 1.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 888 | 0.4% |
| Asia | 857 | 0.4% |
| North America | 185 | 0.1% |
| Oceania | 15 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15
Citizenship
Population resident in Spain; both sexes; official INE Census 2021 municipal table · 2021 Census
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TOTAL | 215,826 | 100.0% |
| Spanish | 192,333 | 89.1% |
| Africa | 12,879 | 6.0% |
| Rent of Europe | 3,283 | 1.5% |
| South America | 3,153 | 1.5% |
| European Union (without Spain) | 2,611 | 1.2% |
| Asia | 873 | 0.4% |
| Central America and Caribbean | 579 | 0.3% |
| North America | 102 | 0.0% |
| Oceania | 8 | 0.0% |
| Statelens | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source16
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Cartagena
Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.
Torrevieja as a Cartagena alternative in the same region
49 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 47.6% Torrevieja vs 11.5% Cartagena+314%
- Rent: €5.70/m² Torrevieja vs €4.90/m² Cartagena+16%
- Annual PM2.5: 7.0 µg/m³ Torrevieja vs 10.9 µg/m³ Cartagena−36%
- Residents: 98,533 Torrevieja vs 220,704 Cartagena−55%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 9,809 Torrevieja vs 4,578 Cartagenano percentage
- Nearest airport: 35.6 km Torrevieja vs 25.5 km Cartagena+40%
- Hospital beds, per 100k: 485.5 Torrevieja vs 569.8 Cartagena−15%
Pamplona as a Cartagena alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 583 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k and foreign residents cannot be compared like for like.
- Unemployment: 8.5% Pamplona vs 15.1% Cartagena−43%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,449 Pamplona vs €1,806 Cartagena+36%
- Nearest airport: 5.2 km Pamplona vs 25.5 km Cartagena−80%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 7,766 (2025) Pamplona vs 4,578 (2024) Cartagenano percentage
- Annual PM2.5: 12.3 µg/m³ Pamplona vs 10.9 µg/m³ Cartagena+13%
- Foreign residents: 13.4% Pamplona vs 11.5% Cartagenano percentage
- Residents: 209,094 Pamplona vs 220,704 Cartagena−5%
Tallinn as a Cartagena alternative in another country
A move, not a commute, at 3040 km, better on 2 of 2 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0. Rent and median gross pay, region cannot be compared like for like.
- Annual PM2.5: 3.0 µg/m³ Tallinn vs 10.9 µg/m³ Cartagena−72%
- Rent: €7.33/m² (2008) Tallinn vs €4.90/m² (2022) Cartagenano percentage
- Nearest airport: 5.6 km Tallinn vs 25.5 km Cartagena−78%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,068 (2025) Tallinn vs €1,806 (2024) Cartagenano percentage
Cities near Cartagena
Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.
- Rent
- 4.6 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 4 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 5.1 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
- Rent
- 3.5 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2022-12-31
Alternative cities in Spain
Other cities in Spain to compare with Cartagena, nearest in population first.
How does Cartagena compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Cartagena's.
Cartagena in rankings
School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 16. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: Regional reception programmes (aulas de enlace Madrid / aules d acollida Catalonia etc). How to enrol a child (educacionfpydeportes.gob.es).
A country-wide rule for Spain; Cartagena's school authority applies it locally.
Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.
Common questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Cartagena?
The published population was 220,704 people in January 2025. Source: Cartagena - official stats.
How much does it cost to rent in Cartagena?
Average net cold rent is 4.9 EUR/m² per month (2022), excluding heating and operating charges. For a 70 m² flat that is about 343 EUR a month before utilities. Source: cdn.mivau.gob.es.
Is the air quality good in Cartagena?
The annual PM2.5 mean is 10.9 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair.
How safe is Cartagena?
Police recorded about 4,578 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows.
What is the unemployment rate in Cartagena?
The unemployment rate is 15.1 % (2024). Source: INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city.
What is the typical salary around Cartagena?
The median gross salary is 1,806 EUR/month. Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE).
Is Cartagena a good place to live?
Cartagena may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.
Which cities are near Cartagena?
Unión, La, Torre-Pacheco, Alcázares, Los, Fuente Álamo de Murcia are near Cartagena. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.
How many people born in Africa live in Cartagena?
The official country of birth distribution records 13,043 people (6.0%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.
Cite this page
Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.
APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 19). Cartagena, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version c182e0533e19452d0522c90191b3fd2e]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/cartagena/ Retrieved 2026-09-19. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_cartagena-spain-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_0d573d9cf865,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Cartagena, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-19},
version = {c182e0533e19452d0522c90191b3fd2e},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/cartagena/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-19. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Cartagena, Spain: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/es/cartagena/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version c182e0533e19452d0522c90191b3fd2e; retrieved 2026-09-19; built 2026-09-19.This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.
Sources
- Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 — III. Total infracciones penales, municipal rows Balance de Criminalidad 2024 Q4 · estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-07-26
- Cartagena - official stats ine.es · checked 2026-07-14
- cdn.mivau.gob.es cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-08-26
- EEA air quality statistics — ES NO2 annual mean 2024 (station MOMPEAN) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA air quality statistics — ES PM10 annual mean 2024 (station MOMPEAN) EEA air quality statistics · air.discomap.eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-31
- EEA City Trend — Spain 2024 PM2.5 provenance repair EEA City Trend · eea.europa.eu · checked 2026-07-29
- ES-MinInterior-1509012-2025Q4 estadisticasdecriminalidad.ses.mir.es · checked 2026-09-15
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
- Eurostat ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-02
- Eurostat GISCO, European Commission gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-08-03
Show 22 more sources
- GISCO Urban Audit 2021 — Functional Urban Areas (URAU_RG_100K_2021_4326_FUA) GISCO Urban Audit 2021 · gisco-services.ec.europa.eu · checked 2026-09-19
- INE Urban Indicators — unemployment rate by city INE Urban Indicators · servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-07-26
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-06
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadistica (INE), Spain servicios.ine.es · checked 2026-08-30
- Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), Spain ine.es · checked 2026-08-07
- Ministerio de Sanidad – Catálogo Nacional de Hospitales 2025 sanidad.gob.es · checked 2026-08-03
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information / WMO nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-06
- Official INE municipal population by country of nationality; foreign total derived as Total nationality minus España. ine.es · checked 2024-01-01
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- SEF — Cartagena employment-office list SEF · sefcarm.es · checked 2026-09-15
- SERPAVI — VDP001_01 — rental price and surface indicators by municipality SERPAVI · cdn.mivau.gob.es · checked 2026-09-12
- SETELECO Cobertura Banda Ancha España 2021-2025 digital.gob.es · checked 2025-06-30
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Numbeo city cost-of-living page — /cities/es/cartagena/ Numbeo city cost-of-living page · de.numbeo.com · checked 2026-09-05
Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.