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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $584 in Guizhou versus $1,078 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $934 in Guizhou versus $1,454 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,284 in Guizhou versus $1,830 in Santa Marta.

Living in Guizhou costs roughly 46% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guizhou 56% lower, Santa Marta 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 ¥14.56

$3.66 COP 11.9K

-41.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.32 ¥131

$28.29 COP 92.0K

-31.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 ¥36.40

$6.22 COP 20.2K

-13.50%

Cappuccino

$3.07 ¥20.75

$1.55 COP 5,030

98.06%

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

$0.37 ¥2.51

$0.73 COP 2,369

-49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 ¥1.77

$0.46 COP 1,500

-43.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 ¥4.94

$0.82 COP 2,673

-10.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ¥9.30

$1.68 COP 5,476

-18.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 ¥13.79

$1.11 COP 3,624

83.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.43 ¥9.66

$1.19 COP 3,864

20.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 ¥5.69

$0.90 COP 2,915

-6.67%

Eggs

$2.04 ¥13.84

$2.45 COP 7,949

-16.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.77 ¥93.2

$3.69 COP 12.0K

273.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 ¥32.12

$4.07 COP 13.2K

16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 ¥72.3

$7.85 COP 25.5K

36.05%

Apples (1kg)

$1.64 ¥11.08

$1.74 COP 5,673

-5.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 ¥10.17

$0.76 COP 2,467

97.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 ¥6.88

$0.98 COP 3,193

4.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 ¥7.35

$0.71 COP 2,317

53.52%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ¥3.02

$0.51 COP 1,668

-11.76%

Onion (1kg)

$0.58 ¥3.93

$0.99 COP 3,227

-41.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 ¥3.22

$1.04 COP 3,383

-53.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.50 ¥3.35

$0.55 COP 1,788

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ¥18.35

$2.41 COP 7,824

12.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.41 ¥50.1

$15.04 COP 48.9K

-50.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 ¥5.34

$1.46 COP 4,752

-45.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 ¥17.76

$1.41 COP 4,582

85.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 ¥2.30

$0.68 COP 2,205

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.57 ¥112

$14.46 COP 47.0K

14.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.70 ¥11.54

$1.68 COP 5,474

1.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 ¥1.74

$1.79 COP 5,813

-85.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 ¥44.49

$8.42 COP 27.4K

-21.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ¥8.07

$0.98 COP 3,190

21.43%

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

$14.0K ¥94.5K

$21.2K COP 68.9M

-34.09%

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

$15.2K ¥102.7K

$26.2K COP 85.2M

-42.07%

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

$27.28 ¥185

$192 COP 624.2K

-85.79%

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

$5.64 ¥38.19

$8.78 COP 28.6K

-35.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.93 ¥60.4

$24.15 COP 78.5K

-63.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$17.54 ¥119

$19.49 COP 63.4K

-10.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.75 ¥93.0

$7.94 COP 25.8K

73.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.92 ¥46.82

$4.87 COP 15.8K

42.09%

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

$298 ¥2,018

$167 COP 542.4K

78.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.7K ¥72.6K

$4,906 COP 16.0M

118.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.40 ¥240

$39.94 COP 129.8K

-11.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.57 ¥166

$35.37 COP 115.0K

-30.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 ¥416

$79.9 COP 259.6K

-22.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$39.84 ¥270

$59.9 COP 194.6K

-33.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$275 ¥1,864

$281 COP 912.6K

-1.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$134 ¥908

$450 COP 1.5M

-70.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 ¥2,375

$685 COP 2.2M

-48.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 ¥1,531

$564 COP 1.8M

-59.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,811 ¥12.3K

$2,078 COP 6.8M

-12.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,084 ¥7,335

$996 COP 3.2M

8.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$684 ¥4,632

$530 COP 1.7M

29.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

8.62

-60.56%

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

Last update for Guizhou: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $275 in Guizhou and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Guizhou vs $28.00 in Santa Marta. Groceries flip the comparison at $204 vs $167, 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

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

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Guizhou, 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: $275 in Guizhou versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guizhou runs roughly 15% less than in Santa Marta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $298 in Guizhou versus $167 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

For families, Guizhou 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.

Safety-wise, Guizhou and Santa Marta are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Guizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.