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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $533 in Eldoret versus $1,078 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $937 in Eldoret versus $1,454 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,341 in Eldoret versus $1,830 in Santa Marta.

Living in Eldoret costs roughly 51% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Eldoret 60% lower, Santa Marta 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.47 KES 707

$3.66 COP 11.9K

49.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.33 KES 5,081

$28.29 COP 92.1K

39.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.62 KES 855

$6.22 COP 20.3K

6.43%

Cappuccino

$2.39 KES 309

$1.55 COP 5,037

54.19%

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

$0.76 KES 98.1

$0.73 COP 2,372

4.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.4

$0.46 COP 1,502

17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 304

$0.82 COP 2,676

186.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 KES 368

$1.68 COP 5,483

69.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 KES 97.6

$1.11 COP 3,629

-31.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.4

$1.19 COP 3,869

-59.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 KES 160

$0.90 COP 2,919

37.78%

Eggs

$1.63 KES 211

$2.45 COP 7,960

-33.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.95 KES 511

$3.69 COP 12.0K

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 KES 466

$4.07 COP 13.2K

-11.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.33 KES 560

$7.85 COP 25.5K

-44.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 KES 404

$1.74 COP 5,680

79.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 KES 123

$0.76 COP 2,470

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 KES 211

$0.98 COP 3,197

66.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.05 KES 136

$0.71 COP 2,320

47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 KES 73.0

$0.51 COP 1,671

9.80%

Onion (1kg)

$0.82 KES 106

$0.99 COP 3,231

-17.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 KES 88.6

$1.04 COP 3,387

-33.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 KES 89.0

$0.55 COP 1,791

25.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 KES 401

$2.41 COP 7,835

28.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 KES 761

$15.04 COP 49.0K

-60.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 KES 228

$1.46 COP 4,758

20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.41 COP 4,588

12.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 KES 184

$0.68 COP 2,208

108.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 203

$1.68 COP 5,481

-6.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 KES 204

$1.79 COP 5,820

-11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 KES 385

$8.42 COP 27.4K

-64.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 KES 199

$0.98 COP 3,194

57.14%

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

$22.0K KES 2.8M

$21.2K COP 69.0M

4.04%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$26.2K COP 85.3M

-22.93%

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

$34.65 KES 4,476

$192 COP 625.0K

-81.95%

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

$16.69 KES 2,157

$8.78 COP 28.6K

90.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.58 KES 5,114

$24.15 COP 78.6K

63.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.34 KES 5,082

$19.49 COP 63.4K

101.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.9K

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 KES 639

$4.87 COP 15.8K

1.64%

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

$64.3 KES 8,309

$167 COP 543.1K

-61.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,995 KES 1.0M

$4,906 COP 16.0M

62.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.55 KES 1,493

$39.94 COP 130.0K

-71.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.32 KES 3,142

$35.37 COP 115.2K

-31.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.65 KES 2,539

$79.9 COP 260.0K

-75.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.90 KES 4,509

$59.9 COP 194.9K

-41.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$91.7 KES 11.8K

$281 COP 913.8K

-67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$90.6 KES 11.7K

$450 COP 1.5M

-79.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$272 KES 35.1K

$564 COP 1.8M

-51.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$631 KES 81.5K

$2,078 COP 6.8M

-69.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

39.21%

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

Last update for Eldoret: July 14, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $91.7 in Eldoret and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Eldoret vs $28.00 in Santa Marta. Groceries flip the comparison at $138 vs $167, with Eldoret 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

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

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 102% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $800 in Eldoret and $1,617 in Santa Marta to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $91.7 in Eldoret versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $533 per month in Eldoret versus $1,078 in Santa Marta – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $533 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Eldoret hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 102% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.