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

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Medellin is 36.3% more expensive than Santa Marta without rent, and 4.1% cheaper with rent.
๐Ÿ˜ Family of 3: Medellin is 52.8% more expensive than Santa Marta without rent, and 25.3% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.97 COPย 21.9K
$3.57 COPย 13.1K
67.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$32.40 COPย 119.0K
$28.91 COPย 106.1K
12.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.13 COPย 26.2K
$6.00 COPย 22.0K
18.83%
Cappuccino
$1.65 COPย 6,043
$1.56 COPย 5,732
5.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.06 COPย 3,882
$0.67 COPย 2,452
58.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.77 COPย 2,839
$0.43 COPย 1,575
79.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.75 COPย 6,418
$0.84 COPย 3,076
108.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 COPย 11.2K
$1.71 COPย 6,261
78.95%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.10 COPย 4,026
$1.17 COPย 4,299
-5.98%
White Bread (500g)
$1.30 COPย 4,771
$1.23 COPย 4,527
5.69%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.34 COPย 4,905
$0.89 COPย 3,274
50.56%
Eggs
$2.26 COPย 8,299
$2.44 COPย 8,947
-7.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.50 COPย 16.5K
$3.59 COPย 13.2K
25.35%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.80 COPย 21.3K
$3.89 COPย 14.3K
49.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.96 COPย 32.9K
$7.98 COPย 29.3K
12.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.37 COPย 8,691
$1.80 COPย 6,611
31.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.07 COPย 3,939
$0.76 COPย 2,801
40.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.48 COPย 5,418
$0.99 COPย 3,629
49.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.36 COPย 5,011
$0.76 COPย 2,786
78.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.13 COPย 4,135
$0.51 COPย 1,856
121.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.13 COPย 4,161
$1.01 COPย 3,703
11.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.89 COPย 3,274
$1.02 COPย 3,734
-12.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.85 COPย 3,114
$0.51 COPย 1,877
66.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.28 COPย 8,361
$2.51 COPย 9,209
-9.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.15 COPย 37.3K
$10.16 COPย 37.3K
-0.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.19 COPย 4,359
$1.48 COPย 5,429
-19.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COPย 8,828
$1.47 COPย 5,390
63.27%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.84 COPย 3,074
$0.66 COPย 2,439
27.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.85 COPย 150.0K
$14.31 COPย 52.5K
185.46%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.48 COPย 5,417
$1.68 COPย 6,180
-11.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.89 COPย 6,949
$1.82 COPย 6,686
3.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.05 COPย 29.5K
$8.45 COPย 31.0K
-4.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 COPย 3,455
$0.90 COPย 3,310
4.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$17.7K COPย 65.1M
$21.2K COPย 78.0M
-16.50%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.4K COPย 96.8M
$25.9K COPย 95.2M
1.64%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$81.9 COPย 300.7K
$192 COPย 704.1K
-57.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.54 COPย 35.0K
$8.78 COPย 32.2K
8.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$23.68 COPย 87.0K
$24.31 COPย 89.3K
-2.59%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.85 COPย 94.9K
$19.54 COPย 71.7K
32.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.72 COPย 68.7K
$8.01 COPย 29.4K
133.71%
Cinema Ticket
$4.05 COPย 14.9K
$4.70 COPย 17.3K
-13.83%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$316 COPย 1.2M
$167 COPย 614.1K
88.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,971 COPย 21.9M
$4,922 COPย 18.1M
21.32%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.0 COPย 216.4K
$39.59 COPย 145.3K
48.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.49 COPย 119.3K
$36.05 COPย 132.4K
-9.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.9 COPย 366.7K
$78.6 COPย 288.4K
27.14%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 COPย 394.9K
$60.2 COPย 221.0K
78.70%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$491 COPย 1.8M
$284 COPย 1.0M
72.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$371 COPย 1.4M
$448 COPย 1.6M
-17.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$821 COPย 3.0M
$685 COPย 2.5M
19.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$731 COPย 2.7M
$550 COPย 2.0M
32.95%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,019 COPย 11.1M
$1,953 COPย 7.2M
54.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,332 COPย 4.9M
$954 COPย 3.5M
39.70%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Santa Marta
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$517 COPย 1.9M
$422 COPย 1.5M
22.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
13.43
8.62
55.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: January 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: January 12, 2026

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
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