FIRE Number for Cartagena, Colombia

A frugal furnished studio or one-bedroom in Getsemaní or the residential fringe of the old center puts colonial streets, the sea wall, and market stalls within walking distance. Days lean on almuerzo corriente, fresh ceviche from a neighborhood spot, and produce from the mercado, with mototaxis and buses covering the rest. The air conditioning runs sparingly to keep the electricity bill down against the relentless coastal heat, and cover is an entry Colombian prepagada plan. Beach afternoons and free walks along the ramparts fill the calendar. A genuinely economical life, though the tourist-enclave rent floor keeps housing from collapsing to bare-local levels.

A prime furnished apartment inside the Walled City's colonial streets, or a high-floor Bocagrande unit with sea breezes, sets the tone for a well-appointed early-retirement life. Dining is frequent and good — standout kitchens like Carmen and Celele are within reach — and the health plan is a top prepagada with a supplement. Island boat trips, diving, and domestic flights to Bogotá, Medellín, or coffee country open up the calendar. This sits comfortably above what most residents of the city spend, with real headroom in the budget.

A handsome restored casa inside the historic walls, or a top Bocagrande penthouse over the bay, kept by resident household staff — a housekeeper-cook and a gardener-caretaker with a driver on call. Dining is uncapped, with an imported cellar and lavish entertaining, and healthcare is a worldwide concierge plan with medical evacuation. Multiple vehicles, private-boat days out to Barú and the Rosario Islands, and chartered or first-class flights handle movement, and the discretionary budget stretches to art, yacht charters, and philanthropy across the region. This is the top of what the Colombian Caribbean offers, well beyond anything the local market requires.