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: $493 in Eldoret versus $1,477 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $855 in Eldoret versus $1,711 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,217 in Eldoret versus $1,946 in Santa Marta.

Living in Eldoret costs roughly 67% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Eldoret is 64% below, Santa Marta is 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 KES 205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 KES 4,504

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 KES 822

Cappuccino

$2.64 KES 342

$3.83 COP 12.0K

-31.07%

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

$0.33 KES 42.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 293

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

Milk (1 liter)

$0.67 KES 87.2

$1.61 COP 5,036

-58.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.50 KES 65.1

$2.28 COP 7,128

-78.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 KES 193

$1.18 COP 3,676

26.27%

Eggs

$1.53 KES 197

$2.48 COP 7,734

-38.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.82 KES 494

$8.40 COP 26.2K

-54.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.36 KES 563

$10.00 COP 31.2K

-56.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.34 KES 562

$11.34 COP 35.4K

-61.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 KES 306

$4.15 COP 13.0K

-42.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.02 COP 3,191

-0.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.73 KES 93.9

$1.08 COP 3,385

-32.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.87 KES 113

$2.08 COP 6,504

-58.17%

Potato (1kg)

$0.52 KES 67.0

$0.92 COP 2,883

-43.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 KES 61.5

$1.54 COP 4,811

-68.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 KES 95.0

$0.97 COP 3,045

-24.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 KES 85.7

$0.66 COP 2,049

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.49 KES 452

$4.13 COP 12.9K

-15.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 KES 765

$17.09 COP 53.4K

-65.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 KES 265

$1.42 COP 4,424

44.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 KES 194

$1.40 COP 4,382

7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.35 KES 175

$0.90 COP 2,827

50.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 KES 193

$3.26 COP 10.2K

-53.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 203

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 365

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 KES 192

$1.30 COP 4,063

13.85%

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

$20.8K KES 2.7M

$23.8K COP 74.5M

-12.58%

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

$19.6K KES 2.5M

$34.5K COP 107.9M

-43.21%

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

$40.06 KES 5,182

$159 COP 495.5K

-74.74%

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

$15.38 KES 1,989

$9.41 COP 29.4K

63.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.24 KES 4,558

$22.28 COP 69.6K

58.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.57 KES 4,989

$31.72 COP 99.1K

21.60%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 KES 644

$5.36 COP 16.7K

-7.09%

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

$64.5 KES 8,342

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$11.0K COP 34.5M

6.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.58 KES 1,498

$87.7 COP 274.1K

-86.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.82 KES 3,340

$62.3 COP 194.7K

-58.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.41 KES 2,511

$94.8 COP 296.2K

-79.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$34.57 KES 4,471

$89.2 COP 278.7K

-61.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.5 KES 12.2K

$1,094 COP 3.4M

-91.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$89.3 KES 11.6K

$755 COP 2.4M

-88.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 KES 35.0K

$645 COP 2.0M

-58.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$620 KES 80.2K

$1,101 COP 3.4M

-43.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 COP 3.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

19.54

-24.72%

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

Last update for Eldoret: August 29, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $94.5 in Eldoret and $1,094 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 200% 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 $739 in Eldoret and $2,216 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: $94.5 in Eldoret versus $1,094 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $493 per month in Eldoret versus $1,477 in Santa Marta – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $493 in Eldoret versus $1,477 in Santa Marta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $493 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 200% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.