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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,250 in Phuket versus $1,078 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,284 in Phuket versus $1,454 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,317 in Phuket versus $1,830 in Santa Marta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 16% more expensive than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Marta 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ฿153

$3.66 COP 11.9K

24.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.18 ฿1,554

$28.29 COP 92.1K

63.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.84 ฿298

$6.22 COP 20.3K

42.12%

Cappuccino

$3.06 ฿103

$1.55 COP 5,037

97.42%

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

$0.73 ฿24.42

$0.73 COP 2,372

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 ฿13.40

$0.46 COP 1,502

-13.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 ฿81.8

$0.82 COP 2,676

196.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.78 ฿127

$1.68 COP 5,483

125.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 ฿76.0

$1.11 COP 3,629

103.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 ฿60.9

$1.19 COP 3,869

52.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 ฿75.8

$0.90 COP 2,919

150.00%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.6

$2.45 COP 7,960

-8.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.51 ฿656

$3.69 COP 12.0K

428.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.65 ฿123

$4.07 COP 13.2K

-10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 ฿439

$7.85 COP 25.5K

66.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 ฿109

$1.74 COP 5,680

85.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 ฿54.4

$0.76 COP 2,470

113.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 ฿80.2

$0.98 COP 3,197

142.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 ฿68.2

$0.71 COP 2,320

185.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿51.6

$0.51 COP 1,671

200.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 ฿50.5

$0.99 COP 3,231

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 ฿32.93

$1.04 COP 3,387

-5.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.40

$0.55 COP 1,791

-5.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 ฿149

$2.41 COP 7,835

84.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.32 ฿616

$15.04 COP 49.0K

21.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 ฿62.7

$1.46 COP 4,758

27.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ฿90.2

$1.41 COP 4,588

90.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.41 ฿47.49

$0.68 COP 2,208

107.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.70 ฿394

$14.46 COP 47.1K

-19.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 ฿105

$1.68 COP 5,481

85.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.04 ฿35.08

$1.79 COP 5,820

-41.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.11 ฿475

$8.42 COP 27.4K

67.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ฿44.13

$0.98 COP 3,194

33.67%

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

$27.8K ฿936.0K

$21.2K COP 69.0M

31.28%

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

$33.2K ฿1.1M

$26.2K COP 85.3M

26.80%

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

$122 ฿4,120

$192 COP 625.0K

-36.23%

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

$13.59 ฿457

$8.78 COP 28.6K

54.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.70 ฿629

$24.15 COP 78.6K

-22.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.5 ฿2,035

$19.49 COP 63.4K

210.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 ฿572

$7.94 COP 25.9K

113.85%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 ฿305

$4.87 COP 15.8K

86.24%

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

$706 ฿23.8K

$167 COP 543.1K

323.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K ฿531.8K

$4,906 COP 16.0M

222.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 ฿1,970

$39.94 COP 130.0K

46.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.36 ฿1,190

$35.37 COP 115.2K

-0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,885

$79.9 COP 260.0K

44.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.7 ฿2,818

$59.9 COP 194.9K

39.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 ฿21.1K

$281 COP 913.8K

122.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$445 ฿15.0K

$450 COP 1.5M

-1.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,040 ฿68.7K

$685 COP 2.2M

197.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 ฿50.2K

$564 COP 1.8M

164.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,483 ฿117.2K

$2,078 COP 6.8M

67.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,577 ฿86.7K

$996 COP 3.2M

158.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$500 ฿16.8K

$530 COP 1.7M

-5.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

8.62

-38.17%

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

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $626 in Phuket and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $289 vs $167 per month, with Santa Marta cheaper across the board.

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

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

Santa Marta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 6% lower in Santa Marta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $626 in Phuket versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $706 in Phuket versus $167 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $1,250 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Santa Marta is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Phuket, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Phuket 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 Santa Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.