Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Marta: $1,425 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,425

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,425 in Santa Marta.

Calgary $2,297
Santa Marta $1,425

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $1,680 in Santa Marta.

Calgary $3,378
Santa Marta $1,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $1,934 in Santa Marta.

Calgary $4,459
Santa Marta $1,934

Living in Calgary is roughly 61% 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: Calgary 70% above, Santa Marta 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.23

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.9

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.38

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.21

$3.71 COP 12.0K

-0.27%

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

$2.07 CA$2.91

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.87

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.08

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$8.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.78

$1.59 COP 5,138

24.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$2.15 COP 6,939

23.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$1.21 COP 3,897

382.64%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.36

$2.57 COP 8,310

48.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.20

$8.29 COP 26.8K

30.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.50

$9.71 COP 31.4K

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.14

$11.30 COP 36.5K

58.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.87

$4.15 COP 13.4K

17.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.04

$0.97 COP 3,140

49.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.84

$1.08 COP 3,477

284.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$2.00 COP 6,455

99.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.12

$0.97 COP 3,135

202.06%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.25

$1.60 COP 5,157

88.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.75

$0.92 COP 2,974

190.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$0.65 COP 2,092

141.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.84

$4.17 COP 13.5K

238.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.73

$17.17 COP 55.4K

-10.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.52

$1.40 COP 4,531

78.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.47

$1.42 COP 4,591

123.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$4.00

$0.97 COP 3,145

193.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$127

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$3.16 COP 10.2K

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.62

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.27 COP 4,098

-7.09%

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

$27.9K CA$39.2K

$23.3K COP 75.2M

19.56%

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

$21.1K CA$29.6K

$34.6K COP 111.6M

-39.06%

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

$182 CA$256

$153 COP 494.7K

18.67%

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

$36.01 CA$50.7

$9.54 COP 30.8K

277.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.6

$21.84 COP 70.5K

123.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.6

$31.88 COP 103.0K

53.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.42

$5.25 COP 17.0K

176.57%

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

$542 CA$762

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.8K

$10.9K COP 35.2M

94.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$83.1

$88.5 COP 285.8K

-33.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.5

$62.2 COP 201.0K

-31.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$92.1 COP 297.4K

2.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$153

$87.4 COP 282.1K

24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,707

$1,096 COP 3.5M

10.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,457

$736 COP 2.4M

40.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,876

$1,107 COP 3.6M

84.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,327

$620 COP 2.0M

166.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,137

$1,082 COP 3.5M

237.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,476

$1,181 COP 3.8M

169.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,526

$527 COP 1.7M

511.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

19.54

-77.33%

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

Last update for Calgary: 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

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Santa Marta

–

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Santa Marta

–

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Santa Marta

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Santa Marta

–

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Santa Marta

–

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Santa Marta

–

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Santa Marta

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $1,096 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calgary pays about 6.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

09:02 9:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

500,000

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.711 USD

1 CAD = 0.633 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.711 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 CAD (1 CAD = 0.633 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Calgary Santa Marta 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

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

Santa Marta is about 38% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Calgary is about 6.1 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: $1,214 in Calgary 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 48% higher in Calgary. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $1,425 in Santa Marta – Santa Marta is about 38% 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, Calgary on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.