Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Cali: $1,241 a month against $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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 Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,241

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,447

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,241 in Cali versus $1,447 in Santa Marta.

Cali $1,241
Santa Marta $1,447

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,856 in Cali versus $1,693 in Santa Marta.

Cali $1,856
Santa Marta $1,693

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,470 in Cali versus $1,939 in Santa Marta.

Cali $2,470
Santa Marta $1,939

Living in Cali costs roughly 14% less than in Santa Marta.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cali is 9% below, Santa Marta is 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.33 COP 17.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.5 COP 185.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.19 COP 20.0K

Cappuccino

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.86 COP 12.5K

-17.62%

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

$2.37 COP 7,642

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 7,114

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 COP 11.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 COP 11.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,394

$1.59 COP 5,139

5.03%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 COP 5,887

$2.17 COP 6,992

-16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,403

$1.22 COP 3,924

36.89%

Eggs

$3.08 COP 9,953

$2.46 COP 7,942

25.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 COP 28.3K

$8.39 COP 27.1K

4.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 COP 30.5K

$9.57 COP 30.9K

-1.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 COP 35.2K

$11.26 COP 36.4K

-3.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 COP 12.6K

$4.13 COP 13.3K

-5.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 COP 3,893

$1.04 COP 3,359

16.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,369

$1.11 COP 3,600

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,739

$1.99 COP 6,433

5.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,467

$0.93 COP 2,990

81.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,226

$1.54 COP 4,972

5.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 COP 3,281

$0.96 COP 3,085

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,752

$0.62 COP 1,989

37.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.54 COP 14.7K

$4.13 COP 13.3K

9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.12 COP 55.3K

$17.52 COP 56.6K

-2.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,091

$1.45 COP 4,684

8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 COP 6,354

$1.40 COP 4,533

40.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 COP 3,643

$0.96 COP 3,108

17.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 COP 217.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 COP 3,831

$3.07 COP 9,921

-61.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,849

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.39 COP 10.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,370

$1.35 COP 4,352

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

$34.7K COP 112.2M

$23.6K COP 76.2M

47.24%

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

$34.4K COP 111.0M

$34.2K COP 110.3M

0.64%

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

$102 COP 328.2K

$159 COP 512.4K

-35.96%

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

$15.18 COP 49.0K

$9.23 COP 29.8K

64.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.67 COP 89.3K

$21.79 COP 70.3K

26.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.03 COP 100.2K

$31.36 COP 101.2K

-1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 COP 33.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.11 COP 16.5K

$5.27 COP 17.0K

-3.04%

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

$404 COP 1.3M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.5K COP 37.2M

$10.9K COP 35.1M

6.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.3 COP 268.8K

$86.4 COP 279.0K

-3.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 COP 139.7K

$62.8 COP 202.7K

-31.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 374.5K

$92.6 COP 299.0K

25.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 COP 323.1K

$86.7 COP 279.8K

15.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$713 COP 2.3M

$1,096 COP 3.5M

-34.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 COP 1.3M

$752 COP 2.4M

-45.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 COP 4.7M

$1,095 COP 3.5M

33.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 COP 1.7M

$620 COP 2.0M

-12.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,750 COP 5.7M

$1,110 COP 3.6M

57.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 COP 4.8M

$1,191 COP 3.8M

24.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$589 COP 1.9M

$526 COP 1.7M

11.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

19.54

-28.97%

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

Last update for Cali: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$412 33.2%

Santa Marta

–

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$271 21.9%

Santa Marta

–

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$154 12.4%

Santa Marta

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$144 11.6%

Santa Marta

–

Eating Out

Cali

$142 11.5%

Santa Marta

–

Getting Around

Cali

$76 6.1%

Santa Marta

–

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$41 3.3%

Santa Marta

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $713 in Cali and $1,096 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cali pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

03:01 3:01 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

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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Between locations

Cali Santa Marta 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cali
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,241 in Cali and $1,447 in Santa Marta, so Cali is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Cali, 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: $713 in Cali versus $1,096 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,241 per month in Cali versus $1,447 in Santa Marta – Cali is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.