Venezuela
ColombiaCaracas makes sense if
- Neither city offers an easy safety picture: Caracas carries much more severe risk, while Cartagena still warrants caution after dark.
Caracas vs Cartagena
Caracas has severe violent-crime and healthcare problems that shape how residents move and plan daily life. Cartagena's preserved walled centre is a striking setting, but crime and stretched hospital capacity mean it still requires care and planning.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Cartagena makes sense if
- You want the easier housing and budget equation in this comparison.
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Cartagena52
Leads on money, city life, safety & health, work & family and moving & settling in; stands out for safer roads and digital government.
- 2Caracas41
Leads on nature & outdoors; stands out for mountains and hiking.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena73Caracas68
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
$135/mo$2,444/mo
- $255/mo
- $377/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- >100%
- ~82%, leads
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 46
- 46
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 6–34%
- 0–39%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 111 days
- 120 days
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 351 days, leads
- 365 days
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 22.2 µg/m³
- 17.3 µg/m³, leads
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Caracas63Cartagena41
Beach & sea
110
- 6/10
- 9/10, leads
Mountains
110
- 9/10, leads
- 2/10
City parks
110
- 5/10, leads
- 4/10
Weekend escapes
110
- 8/10, leads
- 6/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena60Caracas37
Walkability
110
- 5/10
- 7/10, leads
Public transport
110
- 4/10, leads
- 3/10
Restaurants
110
- 4/10
- 8/10, leads
Public spaces
110
- 5/10
- 8/10, leads
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena47Caracas19
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 40
- 35.6, leads
Feels safe day to day
110
- 2/10
- 5/10, leads
Healthcare quality
110
- 3/10
- 6/10, leads
English-speaking care
110
- 4/10
- 7/10, leads
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena43Caracas27
Job market
110
- 1/10
- 4/10, leads
Jobs in English
110
- 3/10
- 6/10, leads
Work–life balance
110
- 4/10
- 4/10
Schools
110
- 3/10
- 4/10, leads
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena49Caracas32
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 6/10
- 4/10, leads
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 7/10
- 6/10, leads
Openness to newcomers
110
- 6/10
- 8/10, leads
Flight connections
110
- 4/10
- 6/10, leads
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 4/10
- 7/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 3/10
- 7/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 5/10
- 6/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 5/10
- 4/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Caracas
The city stretches along its valley as a dense, car-leaning sprawl of towers, highways, and hillside barrios. Walkability is modest and uneven, neighbourhood quality varies sharply block to block, and getting around without a car is harder than in most Colombian cities.
Cartagena
Beyond the old quarter, getting around often means a car, and neighbourhood quality is uneven. The pace is slow and the scale modest compared with Bogotá or Medellín.
Safety
Caracas
Caracas carries one of the worst violent-crime burdens of any city in this set, with night safety at the floor and perceived safety below even Bogotá or Mexico City. Residents organise their daily lives around avoiding risk, and many areas are off-limits after dark.
Cartagena
Cartagena deserves more caution than its relaxed tourist image suggests. Political stability is also weak, so calm daytime streets should not be read as a full safety picture.
Work and healthcare
Caracas
The local career market is severely constrained, with little industry breadth and few English-language or startup opportunities. Healthcare is a serious concern.
Cartagena
The local market is thin, with limited industry breadth, few English-language roles, and little startup depth. Healthcare is workable but not a standout.
Culture and public life
Caracas
Culture is one of the brighter notes. Caracas is crisis-hit and neglected, its infrastructure decaying and upkeep scarce.
Cartagena
Cartagena has a strong sense of its own Caribbean culture, with lively nightlife, a solid restaurant and cafe scene, and music woven into daily life. Cartagena keeps its walled old town beautifully, its colonial plazas, ramparts, and waterfront among the finest in the Americas, though the outskirts are noticeably rougher.
Summary
Neither city offers an easy safety picture: Caracas carries much more severe risk, while Cartagena still warrants caution after dark. Cartagena has more workable private clinics; Caracas's healthcare system is a serious concern.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.