Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Bogota: $1,380 a month against $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent and utilities included – about $800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Marta outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,380

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bogota 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 Bogota and in Santa Marta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,380 per month in Bogota vs $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Bogota $1,380
Santa Marta $1,447

A couple spends around $2,167 per month in Bogota vs $1,693 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Bogota $2,167
Santa Marta $1,693

A family of three spends $2,953 per month in Bogota vs $1,939 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Bogota $2,953
Santa Marta $1,939

Bogota is about 5% cheaper than Santa Marta.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.82 COP 25.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.50 COP 137.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.29 COP 33.2K

Cappuccino

$2.60 COP 8,386

$3.86 COP 12.4K

-32.64%

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

$1.30 COP 4,187

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,936

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.02 COP 6,506

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 COP 12.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 COP 5,405

$1.59 COP 5,132

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 COP 8,146

$2.17 COP 6,982

16.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,450

$1.22 COP 3,918

38.52%

Eggs

$3.51 COP 11.3K

$2.46 COP 7,931

42.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 COP 26.6K

$8.39 COP 27.0K

-1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.46 COP 24.1K

$9.57 COP 30.9K

-22.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$11.26 COP 36.3K

-13.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 COP 11.4K

$4.13 COP 13.3K

-14.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,926

$1.04 COP 3,354

76.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,437

$1.11 COP 3,595

80.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 COP 5,940

$1.99 COP 6,424

-7.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,578

$0.93 COP 2,986

52.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,468

$1.54 COP 4,965

-9.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 COP 4,169

$0.96 COP 3,081

34.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,680

$0.62 COP 1,986

83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 COP 14.2K

$4.13 COP 13.3K

6.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.52 COP 40.4K

$17.52 COP 56.5K

-28.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,732

$1.45 COP 4,678

1.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 COP 10.4K

$1.40 COP 4,526

131.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 COP 3,525

$0.96 COP 3,104

13.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.4 COP 162.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.39 COP 7,700

$3.07 COP 9,907

-22.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 COP 7,877

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.55 COP 30.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,384

$1.35 COP 4,346

0.74%

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

$34.8K COP 112.3M

$23.6K COP 76.1M

47.63%

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

$34.8K COP 112.1M

$34.2K COP 110.2M

1.74%

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

$125 COP 402.3K

$159 COP 511.7K

-21.38%

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

$16.34 COP 52.7K

$9.23 COP 29.7K

77.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.01 COP 96.8K

$21.79 COP 70.3K

37.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.66 COP 108.5K

$31.36 COP 101.1K

7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 COP 49.4K

Cinema Ticket

$7.72 COP 24.9K

$5.27 COP 17.0K

46.49%

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

$555 COP 1.8M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,491 COP 24.2M

$10.9K COP 35.1M

-31.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 COP 267.0K

$86.4 COP 278.6K

-4.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.40 COP 156.1K

$62.8 COP 202.4K

-22.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 COP 464.8K

$92.6 COP 298.6K

55.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 346.8K

$86.7 COP 279.4K

24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$749 COP 2.4M

$1,096 COP 3.5M

-31.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 COP 1.6M

$752 COP 2.4M

-33.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 COP 4.6M

$1,095 COP 3.5M

30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 COP 3.3M

$620 COP 2.0M

62.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 COP 9.3M

$1,110 COP 3.6M

160.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,231 COP 7.2M

$1,191 COP 3.8M

87.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$806 COP 2.6M

$526 COP 1.7M

53.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

19.54

-34.44%

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

Last update for Bogota: October 24, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bogota

$502 36.4%

Santa Marta

–

Groceries & Markets

Bogota

$265 19.2%

Santa Marta

–

Clothing & Footwear

Bogota

$172 12.5%

Santa Marta

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bogota

$171 12.4%

Santa Marta

–

Eating Out

Bogota

$152 11%

Santa Marta

–

Getting Around

Bogota

$69 5%

Santa Marta

–

Sport & Entertainment

Bogota

$49 3.6%

Santa Marta

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $749 in Bogota versus $1,096 in Santa Marta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Bogota, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Bogota

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

23:27 11:27 PM

Same time as Bogota

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,181,047 Capital

500,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bogota Santa Marta 730 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bogota
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

Bogota vs Santa Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,070 per month in Bogota and $2,171 in Santa Marta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bogota, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $749 there versus $1,096 in Santa Marta.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bogota costs $1,380 versus $1,447 in Santa Marta. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.