How much does a villa cost in Cartagena?

What does each Cartagena villa budget get you?

A good villa in Cartagena costs roughly COP 2.5–10 billion in October 2026, with COP 3.5–5 billion the most useful budget for buyers who want something genuinely upscale rather than simply a large house.

That range is wide because “villa” covers several very different Cartagena markets. From about COP 615 million to COP 1.5 billion, we still find large conventional houses in Manga and Crespo. From COP 2.4 billion, Castillogrande becomes realistic. At COP 3.5–5.5 billion, buyers choose between a modern house with a pool near the northern beaches and a historic house in Getsemaní.

The Walled City sits on another level. Finca Raíz lists 68 houses in El Centro on 22 October 2026. On its first page, the finished colonial houses with a pool ask COP 6.85–13 billion, a 557 m² three-story colonial house asks COP 15.5 billion, and a few trophy buildings ask COP 24–33 billion.

The peso matters as much as the listing. At the official TRM of about COP 3,190 per US dollar, a COP 5 billion villa is about $1.57 million. At the end of 2025, with the dollar at COP 3,757, the same peso price was about $1.33 million.

Cartagena villa segment	Typical asking range now	Approx. USD	What that usually buys
Large conventional house	COP 0.6–1.5B	$193K–$470K	Manga, Crespo, older urban stock
High-end urban house	COP 2.4–3.5B	$752K–$1.1M	Castillogrande, larger Crespo houses
Luxury villa	COP 3.5–5.5B	$1.1M–$1.72M	Zona Norte, Getsemaní, upper Castillogrande
Prime historic villa	COP 7–12B	$2.19M–$3.76M	Restored Centro Histórico or San Diego house
Trophy historic property	COP 12B+	$3.76M+	Large colonial mansion or hotel-scale building

Why is it so hard to give one Cartagena villa price?

There is no useful single “Cartagena villa price” because a house in Manga, a villa with a pool in Manzanillo del Mar and a colonial mansion inside the Walled City behave like three separate property markets.

Colombian portals classify all of them simply as casas. A search mixes a 150 m² family house, a beach villa, a historic courtyard residence and a building sold for conversion into a boutique hotel.

The averages show the problem. TuLugar puts the median Cartagena house at $380,000 and $1,538 per m² on 22 October 2026 (four bedrooms: $380,000; five or more: $507,000). Meanwhile Finca Raíz lists a 378 m² Centro Histórico house at COP 7.5 billion and a 1,206 m² corner colonial house at COP 24 billion, and Castillogrande houses run from COP 2.4 to 6 billion.

So the citywide average tells you almost nothing about villas. Neighborhood, land, restoration quality and commercial potential explain more than the bedroom count.

Can we still buy a Cartagena villa for less than US$500,000?

Yes, US$500,000 still buys a substantial house in Cartagena, mainly in Manga and Crespo, but not the pool-and-rooftop colonial villa international buyers usually have in mind.

At the official exchange rate, US$500,000 is about COP 1.6 billion. That leaves real room outside the tourist districts.

Manga has 135 houses on Finca Raíz, and the first page alone shows a five-bedroom 149 m² house at COP 800 million, a 303 m² house at COP 950 million and several four-bedroom houses at COP 1–1.5 billion. Crespo, next to the airport and the sea, has 43 houses, from COP 615–820 million for 140–250 m² up to COP 2.2–3 billion for large plots.

Inside the historic districts, that budget mostly buys a project. A 120 m² Getsemaní property sold for a residential or tourist project asks about COP 980 million ($307,000). Finding a turnkey historic villa with a private pool at that level is not realistic.

What does US$750,000 to US$1.5 million buy in Cartagena?

US$750,000 to US$1.5 million is the strongest part of the Cartagena villa market, because it opens Castillogrande, larger modern houses and a real choice in Getsemaní.

At the current official rate, that range is about COP 2.39–4.79 billion.

Castillogrande gives a clean baseline. Finca Raíz shows a 304 m² four-bedroom house at COP 2.4 billion and a 308 m² duplex at COP 2.6 billion. A 458 m² property on a 388 m² lot with mixed residential and commercial zoning asks about COP 4.48 billion. The jump from COP 2.5 to 4.5 billion is mostly about condition, land and what can be built or run there.

Getsemaní now overlaps this band. A 188 m² four-level colonial-style house with a pool and a rooftop asks COP 3.9 billion, an eight-bedroom 180 m² house COP 4 billion, and a remodeled 366 m² house with a pool and two terraces near Plaza de la Trinidad also COP 4 billion.

Just above the band, modern coastal villas come in. In Manzanillo del Mar, a 388 m² four-bedroom house with a private pool asks COP 5.5 billion ($1.72 million). North of the city you usually get more land and newer construction than in the historic districts, but less walkability.

Current example	Asking price	Approx. USD	Size	Market
Castillogrande house	COP 2.4B	$752K	304 m²	Prime urban residential
Castillogrande duplex	COP 2.6B	$815K	308 m²	Prime urban residential
Getsemaní house with pool	COP 3.9B	$1.22M	188 m²	Historic/tourism district
Getsemaní remodeled house with pool	COP 4.0B	$1.25M	366 m²	Historic/tourism district
Castillogrande property	COP 4.48B	$1.4M	458 m²	Mixed-use zoning, development potential

How much does a colonial villa in Cartagena’s Historic Center cost?

A finished colonial villa in Cartagena’s Historic Center now takes more than $2 million: the restored houses with a pool on Finca Raíz ask COP 6.85–13 billion ($2.15–4.07 million), well above the US$1 million figure buyers still associate with Cartagena.

The lower end exists, but it is not a villa. A 300 m² three-bedroom classic house with a central patio and wood beams asks COP 3.8 billion and is pitched for offices or a residential project. A 240 m² house with a mezzanine asks COP 5.4 billion.

Turnkey houses rise fast. A 326 m² colonial house with a private pool asks COP 6.85 billion, a remodeled 434 m² San Diego house with pool and jacuzzi COP 7.25 billion, and a five-bedroom 378 m² house near La Serrezuela COP 7.5 billion after a price cut. Fully remodeled 452 m² houses with a pool in the patio ask COP 10–11 billion.

The top goes much higher: a 740 m² colonial house with a pool and rooftop jacuzzi at COP 13 billion, a 557 m² three-story colonial house at COP 15.5 billion, a 1,206 m² corner house with shops on the ground floor at COP 24 billion, and a renovated 17th-century house of 844 m² advertised at COP 30–33 billion (the listing shows both figures).

Historic property	Asking price	Approx. USD	Size	What stands out
Classic house to adapt	COP 3.8B	$1.19M	300 m²	Central patio, sold for offices or a project
Colonial house with pool	COP 6.85B	$2.15M	326 m²	3 bedrooms, good condition
San Diego remodeled house	COP 7.25B	$2.27M	434 m²	Pool, jacuzzi, furnished
Centro house near La Serrezuela	COP 7.5B	$2.35M	378 m²	5 bedrooms, price reduced
Fully remodeled house	COP 10B	$3.13M	452 m²	Large pool, jacuzzi
Colonial luxury house	COP 13B	$4.07M	740 m²	Pool, rooftop jacuzzi
Three-story colonial house	COP 15.5B	$4.86M	557 m²	7 bedrooms, original structure
Corner colonial building	COP 24B	$7.52M	1,206 m²	Shops on the ground floor

Is Getsemaní still cheaper than Cartagena’s Walled City?

Getsemaní is still generally cheaper than prime Centro Histórico, but the gap has narrowed enough that a large Getsemaní house can now cost as much as a good house inside the walls.

Finca Raíz lists 23 houses in Getsemaní. A 140 m² three-story house with a rooftop jacuzzi asks COP 1.9 billion, a 155 m² house with a permit to extend COP 2.7 billion, and most houses with a pool or a terrace sit at COP 3.9–4.9 billion.

Then it jumps. Furnished 840 m² houses with a pool and 360° views ask COP 10.5–12.1 billion, and a restored 850 m² house sold as a guesthouse asks COP 14 billion, above many restored houses in Centro.

Getsemaní still works for someone who wants Cartagena’s historic atmosphere without the full Centro premium. But it is no longer the automatic cheap option: restaurants, boutique hotels and short-term rentals have pushed its best buildings far beyond ordinary residential prices, and the evening noise is part of the deal.

How much does a villa cost in Castillogrande today?

A good Castillogrande house costs around COP 2.4–6 billion, with a median near COP 4 billion, which makes it one of the clearest options for an expensive Cartagena address without colonial-house prices.

The supply is small: Finca Raíz shows only 14 houses for sale in Castillogrande on 22 October 2026. That makes the range easy to read.

The cheapest substantial houses ask COP 2.4–2.6 billion for about 300 m², with a 401 m² duplex to remodel at COP 3.2 billion. At the top, a 575 m² furnished duplex asks COP 5.2 billion and a 320 m² duplex about 100 m from the beach asks COP 6 billion.

That COP 6 billion property has commercial units on the ground floor, which explains its high price per m². In Castillogrande the site and what you can do with it often matter more than the house.

For a buyer who mainly wants four bedrooms, outdoor space, the sea nearby and a quiet residential area, the COP 2.5–4 billion part of Castillogrande is much easier to justify than paying twice that for historic character.

Castillogrande example	Asking price	Approx. USD	Size	Implied COP/m²
4-bedroom house	COP 2.4B	$752K	304 m²	COP 7.9M
4-bedroom duplex	COP 2.6B	$815K	308 m²	COP 8.4M
5-bedroom house with elevator	COP 3.3B	$1.03M	340 m²	COP 9.7M
Property with development potential	COP 4.48B	$1.4M	458 m²	COP 9.8M
Furnished duplex	COP 5.2B	$1.63M	575 m²	COP 9.0M
Duplex near the beach, shops below	COP 6.0B	$1.88M	320 m²	COP 18.8M

Where do we get the most villa for our money in Cartagena?

Manga, Crespo and the northern coastal corridor give far more house for the money than Centro Histórico or Getsemaní.

Manga works for buyers who want a house rather than a trophy address. A five-bedroom 149 m² house asks COP 800 million, a 270 m² house COP 1.5 billion (both about COP 5.4–5.6 million per m²), and large 500–700 m² properties run to COP 5–5.9 billion.

Crespo follows the same pattern. Houses below COP 1 billion still appear, while large properties of 400–700 m² ask COP 2.2–3 billion. Aircraft noise near the flight path is the main thing to check there.

Zona Norte changes the equation again. Around Manzanillo del Mar and the gated developments north of the city, about COP 5.5 billion buys a modern house of nearly 400 m² with a private pool, at roughly COP 14 million per m².

Inside the walls, restored houses work out at about COP 20 million per m² or more. Buyers are choosing between space and modern comfort on one side, and walkability, architecture and tourist demand on the other.

Does villa size tell us much about the price in Cartagena?

Villa size alone tells us surprisingly little about Cartagena prices, because two houses of similar size can differ by several billion pesos.

The current listings make it plain. A 458 m² Castillogrande property asks about COP 4.48 billion. A 378 m² house in Centro Histórico asks COP 7.5 billion. A 557 m² colonial house in Centro asks COP 15.5 billion.

Even inside one neighborhood, it is messy. Castillogrande has a 575 m² duplex at COP 5.2 billion and a much smaller 320 m² property at COP 6 billion. The smaller one sits about 100 m from the beach and has commercial units on the ground floor, so the site carries the value.

Historic properties add another layer. Courtyards, double-height ceilings, terraces, commercial permissions and tourist demand are things a simple price per m² misses.

We still use price per square meter as a quick check, but it is a poor primary valuation tool for Cartagena villas.

Are Cartagena villa asking prices trustworthy?

Cartagena asking prices are useful for understanding the market, but they are not proof of what buyers actually pay.

Most public data from Finca Raíz, Metrocuadrado and international brokers is advertised inventory. Colombia has no easy, address-level closed-sales database like those buyers know from the United States.

The gap is bigger for villas than for standard apartments. A luxury colonial house can sit on the market for a long time while the owner waits for a hotel investor or a foreign buyer, and two sellers on the same street can expect very different prices because their houses have different restoration histories or permits.

The market is also slower than the asking prices suggest. In Bolívar, sales of non-VIS new homes, the segment above social housing, fell 28.8% to 1,513 units in the first half of 2026 (El Universal), and DANE puts Cartagena new-home price growth at 6.28% a year in Q2 2026, below the national 8.80%. Some sellers are already cutting: the 378 m² Centro house above is marked as reduced.

What we can trust is the hierarchy across many listings. Castillogrande sits above Manga and Crespo, Getsemaní above ordinary residential areas, and restored Centro Histórico houses at the top. The exact COP 7.5 billion or 15.5 billion is negotiable; the gap between these neighborhoods is not.

Is renovating a cheap colonial house actually cheaper?

Buying an old colonial house and renovating it can work, but we would not assume the finished villa will cost less than buying a restored one.

The apparent discount is clear in the listings. In Centro, a 300 m² classic house sold for offices or a residential project asks COP 3.8 billion. In Getsemaní, a 155 m² house with a permit to extend asks COP 2.7 billion, and a 563 m² heritage property with an approved preliminary design for a boutique hotel or a residence asks about COP 4.82 billion.

Those prices look cheap beside finished historic houses at COP 6.85–15.5 billion. The gap can disappear quickly once structural work starts.

The Historic Center is protected, and on 26 June 2026 the national heritage council approved its Plan Especial de Manejo y Protección (PEMP), which sets what can be changed, added or converted in each building. Façades, historic elements, structural work and changes of use all need approval, so check the building's PEMP classification before you price the renovation.

The city has also had to step in on historic buildings with failing roofs, façades, balconies or structures. Buyers need to know whether they are buying a renovation project or a conservation problem.

With local architects, contractors and heritage experience, the cheaper house can make sense. For a foreign buyer who wants a home quickly, a restored villa costs more partly because someone else has already carried that risk.

How much should we budget on top of the Cartagena villa price?

Budget about 3% of the price for closing costs, legal work and title checks, plus half of the stamp tax on expensive deeds: on a COP 5 billion villa, that is roughly COP 200 million, or about 4%.

The statutory buyer costs are about 2–2.5%: notary fees (0.3% plus VAT, usually split with the seller), registration rights of about 1.333% at this price level and the departmental registration tax of 0.5–1%. A lawyer and a title study bring it to about 3%. The seller usually pays the 1% withholding and the broker's commission of around 3%.

Expensive villas also pay the stamp tax (impuesto de timbre): 1.5% on the part of the deed between about COP 1.05 billion and COP 2.62 billion, and 3% above that, usually split 50/50. On a COP 5 billion deed the total is about COP 95 million, so about COP 47.5 million for the buyer; on a COP 7.5 billion deed, about COP 85 million each.

Historic properties deserve a bigger due-diligence budget for architectural, structural and heritage advice. If the house is meant for short-term rentals, a hotel or another business, check that the use is allowed before you pay for projected rental income.

Two other points matter for a foreign buyer. Register the money you bring in as foreign investment with Banco de la República, or you will struggle to take it out later. Any villa above COP 612.8 million in your own name can also support a Visa M investor application.

Can a Cartagena villa pay its way as a holiday rental?

Sometimes, but only if the rules allow it, and the averages are less exciting than the listings suggest.

Any stay under 30 days needs an RNT tourism registration for each unit, renewed every year between 1 January and 31 March, and a land use and building rules that allow tourist accommodation. The city is enforcing it: in Centro Histórico it ordered tourist rentals to stop at the Santo Domingo II building because its permits set residential use (Alcaldía de Cartagena).

The demand is real but not unlimited. AirDNA counts 9,730 active Cartagena listings in the year to September 2026, with 53% average occupancy and an average nightly rate of $122. Those figures are mostly apartments; a large villa earns more per night but fills fewer nights.

Before paying a premium for “rental income”, ask for the RNT, the land-use certificate and a year of real bookings. A non-resident owner pays 35% income tax on Colombian rental profit, after paying a manager, often around 20% of revenue, plus staff, the pool and the electricity bill.

Is US$1 million still enough for a good villa in Cartagena?

US$1 million is still a serious Cartagena budget, but it falls short of most restored villas inside the Walled City.

At about COP 3,190 per US dollar, US$1 million is roughly COP 3.19 billion. That covers several Castillogrande houses (from COP 2.4 billion), almost any house in Manga or Crespo, and the smaller Getsemaní houses at COP 1.9–2.7 billion.

It can also reach historic projects: the 155 m² Getsemaní house with a permit to extend at COP 2.7 billion fits, and the cheapest Centro house in our sample, at COP 3.8 billion, is just above.

The problem is condition. A finished colonial house with a pool, several bedrooms and a good Centro location starts at about COP 6.85 billion today, and more often COP 7.5–13 billion.

So US$1 million buys a very good Cartagena house. Buyers picturing a large, restored Walled City villa should plan for at least about US$2.2 million, and US$3–5 million for the better properties.

Has the strong peso made Cartagena villas dearer for dollar buyers?

Yes. The dollar closed 2025 at about COP 3,757 and stands at about COP 3,190 on 22 October 2026, so a dollar buys about 15% fewer pesos than in January.

A COP 5 billion villa that cost about $1.33 million at the start of the year now costs about $1.57 million, roughly $236,000 or 18% more, with no change in the peso price. A COP 3 billion Castillogrande house went from about $799,000 to $940,000.

Forecasters disagree on what comes next: BBVA expected about COP 3,640 per dollar at the end of 2026, while Bancolombia's forecast of a 3,420 average is closer to today. Nobody can promise a rebound, so don't wait for one.

The practical answer is to negotiate in pesos, not in dollars. Many sellers still think in the old dollar amounts, and with fewer high-end sales in 2026, a buyer paying in cash is in a good position to push the peso price down.

How much does a villa in Cartagena really cost?

A realistic Cartagena villa budget today is about COP 3–5 billion for a strong high-end house and COP 7–15 billion for the kind of restored colonial villa that made the city famous.

Below COP 1.5 billion, we still find surprisingly large houses in Manga and Crespo. From about COP 2.4 billion to COP 4 billion, Castillogrande is one of the strongest options in the city. Around COP 3.5–5.5 billion, Getsemaní houses with a pool and modern villas in the northern corridor enter the picture.

Centro Histórico changes the scale. Current listings run from a COP 3.8 billion house to adapt to finished colonial houses at COP 6.85–15.5 billion, and trophy buildings at COP 24 billion and more. That spread is too consistent across 68 listings to dismiss as a few extravagant asks.

For four or five bedrooms, good outdoor space, a desirable neighborhood and a genuinely premium house, start with COP 3–5 billion, roughly $940,000–1.57 million at the current official rate, plus about 4% for costs and taxes.

For the classic Cartagena villa with colonial architecture, an inner courtyard, a pool, a rooftop and a prime spot in the historic core, budget at least COP 7 billion and treat COP 10–15 billion as normal for the better houses on the market now.