Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Santa Marta Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Santa Marta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $752 in Cali versus $1,047 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,212 in Cali versus $1,414 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,672 in Cali versus $1,781 in Santa Marta.

Living in Cali costs roughly 28% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 44% lower, Santa Marta 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.57 COP 12.9K

$3.72 COP 13.4K

-4.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.24 COP 105.5K

$28.78 COP 103.9K

1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 COP 27.0K

$5.95 COP 21.5K

25.55%

Cappuccino

$1.64 COP 5,920

$1.54 COP 5,561

6.49%

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

$0.87 COP 3,146

$0.73 COP 2,641

19.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.56 COP 2,036

$0.47 COP 1,686

19.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.04 COP 3,759

$0.83 COP 2,979

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,919

$1.70 COP 6,154

45.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,593

$1.11 COP 4,019

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 COP 5,361

$1.20 COP 4,320

23.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 COP 4,492

$0.95 COP 3,439

30.53%

Eggs

$2.53 COP 9,120

$2.40 COP 8,670

5.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.29 COP 15.5K

$3.69 COP 13.3K

16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.53 COP 19.9K

$3.84 COP 13.9K

44.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 COP 28.1K

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 COP 8,759

$1.72 COP 6,223

41.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 COP 3,260

$0.75 COP 2,713

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 COP 4,306

$0.98 COP 3,552

21.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,763

$0.75 COP 2,691

76.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.86 COP 3,119

$0.55 COP 1,975

56.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,836

$1.00 COP 3,613

6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 COP 2,681

$1.00 COP 3,618

-26.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,380

$0.55 COP 1,985

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 COP 10.7K

$2.41 COP 8,695

22.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.44 COP 41.3K

$13.81 COP 49.9K

-17.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,980

$1.47 COP 5,294

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 COP 6,795

$1.47 COP 5,300

27.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,612

$0.72 COP 2,613

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.29 COP 73.3K

$14.28 COP 51.6K

42.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 COP 5,624

$1.73 COP 6,259

-9.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 COP 6,815

$1.84 COP 6,627

2.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.60 COP 34.6K

$8.54 COP 30.8K

12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,405

$0.98 COP 3,521

-4.08%

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

$21.9K COP 78.9M

$21.1K COP 76.2M

3.58%

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

$30.2K COP 109.0M

$26.5K COP 95.7M

13.83%

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

$82.4 COP 297.3K

$191 COP 690.4K

-56.94%

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

$8.75 COP 31.6K

$8.70 COP 31.4K

0.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.48 COP 88.4K

$24.27 COP 87.6K

0.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.72 COP 71.2K

$19.22 COP 69.4K

2.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.66 COP 52.9K

$7.89 COP 28.5K

85.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.89 COP 17.6K

$4.98 COP 18.0K

-1.81%

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

$230 COP 832.0K

$167 COP 603.4K

37.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,948 COP 21.5M

$4,881 COP 17.6M

21.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 COP 229.2K

$40.77 COP 147.2K

55.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 COP 159.3K

$34.85 COP 125.8K

26.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.7 COP 280.6K

$78.1 COP 282.1K

-0.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 321.8K

$59.6 COP 215.1K

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 857.6K

$280 COP 1.0M

-15.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$189 COP 682.9K

$444 COP 1.6M

-57.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.2M

$702 COP 2.5M

-11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$409 COP 1.5M

$566 COP 2.0M

-27.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,146 COP 4.1M

$1,929 COP 7.0M

-40.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$920 COP 3.3M

$941 COP 3.4M

-2.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$514 COP 1.9M

$486 COP 1.8M

5.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

8.62

34.34%

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

Last update for Cali: April 27, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $238 in Cali and $280 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Cali vs $29.00 in Santa Marta. Groceries flip the comparison at $183 vs $163, with Santa Marta cheaper for home cooking.

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

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

Cali and Santa Marta differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($752 vs $1,047 including rent). Cali is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cali pays 6% more on average, 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: $238 in Cali versus $280 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $230 in Cali versus $167 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Cali gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Marta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.