Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Santa Marta

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Marta: $1,436 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Medellin despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Santa Marta
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Santa Marta Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,436 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Santa Marta $1,436

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,691 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Santa Marta $1,691

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,946 in Santa Marta, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Santa Marta $1,946

Medellin costs about 12% more than Santa Marta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Santa Marta sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Santa Marta by 6%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.85 COP 12.2K

-19.22%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.52 COP 4,834

-4.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.15 COP 6,825

9.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.18 COP 3,737

42.37%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.55 COP 8,070

12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.18 COP 25.9K

24.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$9.79 COP 31.0K

-2.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.43 COP 36.2K

22.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-1.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.98 COP 3,110

53.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.12 COP 3,553

93.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.99 COP 6,308

16.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.91 COP 2,881

112.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.54 COP 4,888

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.97 COP 3,081

16.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.64 COP 2,037

95.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.10 COP 13.0K

-2.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$17.44 COP 55.3K

-23.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.44 COP 4,566

18.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.42 COP 4,507

66.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.97 COP 3,086

24.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.20 COP 10.2K

-58.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.29 COP 4,104

0.78%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$24.0K COP 75.9M

16.86%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.6K COP 106.6M

5.33%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$154 COP 489.7K

11.43%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$9.26 COP 29.3K

44.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$22.25 COP 70.6K

29.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$31.58 COP 100.1K

43.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$5.07 COP 16.1K

23.87%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$10.8K COP 34.1M

-16.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$86.9 COP 275.6K

-0.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$63.5 COP 201.4K

-10.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$92.6 COP 293.6K

47.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$88.2 COP 279.6K

11.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,088 COP 3.5M

-3.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$743 COP 2.4M

-17.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$1,098 COP 3.5M

72.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$628 COP 2.0M

62.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,098 COP 3.5M

269.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,216 COP 3.9M

38.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$534 COP 1.7M

22.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.54

-44.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Santa Marta

$743 51.8% 20.6% $127

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Santa Marta

$263 18.3% 10.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Santa Marta

$186 13% 13.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Santa Marta

$149 10.4% 12.4% $21

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Santa Marta

$46 * 3.2% 72.5% $122

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Santa Marta

$7.1 * 0.5% 92.4% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Santa Marta

$42 2.9% 27.8% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,088 in Santa Marta. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🕒 Local time

02:07 2:07 AM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

500,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Medellin Santa Marta 570 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 12%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,153 in Santa Marta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Santa Marta, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,436 in Santa Marta. That's a gap of about 12%.

Groceries cost about 12% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Santa Marta, where all-in costs run around $1,436, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Santa Marta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Santa Marta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Santa Marta. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.