Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Marta: $1,425 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Santa Marta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Santa Marta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,425 in Santa Marta.

Austin, TX $2,689
Santa Marta $1,425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,680 in Santa Marta.

Austin, TX $4,112
Santa Marta $1,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $1,934 in Santa Marta.

Austin, TX $5,534
Santa Marta $1,934

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 89% more expensive than in Santa Marta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Santa Marta 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.71 COP 12.0K

50.94%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.59 COP 5,138

-29.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.15 COP 6,939

68.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.21 COP 3,897

189.26%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.57 COP 8,310

73.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.29 COP 26.8K

58.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$9.71 COP 31.4K

43.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$11.30 COP 36.5K

45.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.15 COP 13.4K

13.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.97 COP 3,140

54.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.08 COP 3,477

329.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.00 COP 6,455

126.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.97 COP 3,135

162.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.60 COP 5,157

49.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.92 COP 2,974

100.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.65 COP 2,092

227.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.17 COP 13.5K

141.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$17.17 COP 55.4K

-13.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.40 COP 4,531

101.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.42 COP 4,591

131.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.97 COP 3,145

26.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.16 COP 10.2K

-15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.27 COP 4,098

-22.83%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.4K $34.4K

$23.3K COP 75.2M

47.54%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.6K COP 111.6M

-22.39%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$252 $252

$153 COP 494.7K

64.64%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$9.54 COP 30.8K

527.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$21.84 COP 70.5K

218.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$31.88 COP 103.0K

89.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$5.25 COP 17.0K

161.90%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$10.9K COP 35.2M

143.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$88.5 COP 285.8K

-40.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$62.2 COP 201.0K

-26.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$92.1 COP 297.4K

-7.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$87.4 COP 282.1K

21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,096 COP 3.5M

100.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$736 COP 2.4M

72.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,107 COP 3.6M

261.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$620 COP 2.0M

288.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,082 COP 3.5M

581.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,181 COP 3.8M

151.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$527 COP 1.7M

857.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

19.54

-65.10%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Santa Marta

–

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Santa Marta

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Santa Marta

–

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Santa Marta

–

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Santa Marta

–

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Santa Marta

–

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Santa Marta

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,096 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 9.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

06:24 6:24 AM

07:24 7:24 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

500,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Marta 3,220 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Marta

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Austin, TX vs Santa Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Marta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 9.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,096 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,425 in Santa Marta – Santa Marta is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Santa Marta is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Marta wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.