There’s a moment in every one of these matchups where I’m reminded why this series works.

On paper, a lot of these cities look close. Similar stats. Similar prices. Similar “you can make it work if you choose the right neighborhood” logic.

But then the votes come in… and the audience basically grabs the spreadsheet, closes the laptop, and says:

“Cool. But I’m living there. Not visiting.”

That’s exactly what happened in the last matchup.

On the data side, it was tight. Healthcare was strong in both cities. Cost of living leaned slightly toward Bucaramanga, but not dramatically. This one really came down to lifestyle preference more than fundamentals.

And then the vote showed up like a brick.

That’s not a “lean.” That’s a landslide.

And I loved seeing where the votes came from—people watching from all over, not just one region, not just one type of expat. Folks like Ruth in Atlanta, Brian in London, Irene in Halifax, Bill in Costa Rica, and Kurt in North Carolina (hey Kurt—I lived in Greensboro too for most of my adult life). Cali had real support too—Victor in Houston, Dorene in Colorado (Dorene, you’re my tribe), Andre in Cyprus, and others.

But the takeaway was consistent:

When the question is long-term living—not weekend fun—people prioritize predictability and low friction.

One of the best comments summed it up perfectly: Cali offers scale and opportunity, sure. But bigger city often equals heavier traffic, more complexity, more planning. Meanwhile, Bucaramanga’s strength is that it’s just… easier.

So Bucaramanga moves on. Cali is out.

And now we get into today’s matchup—two Caribbean cities that people constantly confuse in the “vibe” category, but that function very differently in real life.

Some coastal cities are built to be lived in. Others are built to be admired.

One functions like a working city. The other functions like a global destination.

But living somewhere isn’t about how it looks on a postcard. It’s about how it works when you wake up there on a random Tuesday and you need:

So let’s put them head-to-head using the same framework we always use in the Colombian Expat World Cup:

Cost of living, healthcare, internet/infrastructure, safety, climate, transportation, and long-term livability.

And at the end? We vote—one city moves on, one city goes home.

Quick update because a lot of you asked after the last dinner: we’re turning this into a monthly thing under the name Bogota Nomads.

The meetup mentioned in the transcript was scheduled for Friday, January 30, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Usaquén area, with an optional entrepreneur cocktail meetup after at 8:00 p.m.

If you’re reading this after that date (which you probably are), the move is simple: get on the email list so you get the location + RSVP link for the next one. We don’t post exact locations publicly for safety—details go by email only.

Same vibe every time: good people, good conversations, zero weirdness.

Barranquilla is Colombia’s largest Caribbean metro. It’s a commercial and logistics hub—port access, business-first identity, and “this city exists to function.”

Cartagena is a historic coastal city built around tourism. Internationally famous old city, beaches, cruise-ship economy—meaning daily life is shaped by visitors in a way Barranquilla just isn’t.

So the core question becomes:

Coastal cities separate fast here—not just by prices, but by how much volatility you deal with month-to-month.

Translation:
If you hate financial surprises, Barranquilla is calmer. If you want the Cartagena lifestyle, you’re paying an “atmosphere tax” in one way or another.

Healthcare depth is a real strength:

That last part matters: it creates redundancy. More layers. More backup options when something complicated comes up.

Healthcare is solid for routine and emergency care.
But at the higher end—specialists, complex procedures—referrals to larger cities are more common.

So this category isn’t “Cartagena is bad.”
It’s: what happens when you need more than routine care?

This category isn’t about peak speed. It’s about “does it work every day without drama?”

Built for work:

More variability:

If your income depends on the internet, this category gets real very fast.

Safety isn’t just crime stats. It’s how much mental energy daily life requires.

Translation:
Barranquilla tends to feel more predictable. Cartagena can feel safe, but it asks for more vigilance.

Both are coastal, both are warm. The difference is how the city feels while you’re living your life inside it.

Also—real talk—Cartagena tends to win on the “beach experience” category in a way most people notice quickly.

This is where it gets nuanced.

However: Barranquilla is often cited for brutal traffic—at one point TomTom rankings have put it in the global conversation for congestion. (Yes, really.) The difference is that even with traffic, it’s still a city engineered more for resident routines than for visitor flows.

Cartagena is easy to visit. Barranquilla is easier to operate (most days).

This is where everything stacks over time.

Barranquilla’s strength is that it’s a working city:

Trade-off: it’s not trying to impress you daily. It’s trying to work.

Cartagena’s strength is atmosphere:

Trade-off: tourism influences everything:

So here’s the real question:

With heavier weight given to cost stability and healthcare (because long-term, those matter most):

And when it totals out, it’s close enough that the audience vote can absolutely change the outcome.

Because—like we just saw with Bucaramanga vs. Cali—people don’t vote based on what looks cool.

They vote based on what they could actually live with.