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: $1,265 in Phuket versus $1,052 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,297 in Phuket versus $1,421 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,329 in Phuket versus $1,789 in Santa Marta.

Living in Phuket is roughly 20% more expensive than Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Phuket 6% lower, Santa Marta 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.70 ฿153

$3.56 COP 12.7K

32.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.37 ฿1,482

$28.12 COP 100.4K

61.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.43 ฿275

$6.21 COP 22.2K

35.75%

Cappuccino

$2.93 ฿95.6

$1.57 COP 5,615

86.62%

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

$0.69 ฿22.40

$0.68 COP 2,426

1.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 ฿11.99

$0.47 COP 1,663

-21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.88 COP 3,146

173.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 ฿122

$1.64 COP 5,865

126.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 ฿72.9

$1.12 COP 4,006

99.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.83 ฿59.8

$1.20 COP 4,294

52.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ฿70.8

$0.91 COP 3,244

138.46%

Eggs

$2.21 ฿72.3

$2.46 COP 8,782

-10.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.74 ฿645

$3.56 COP 12.7K

454.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.63 ฿119

$3.86 COP 13.8K

-5.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 ฿442

$8.02 COP 28.6K

68.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 ฿107

$1.81 COP 6,446

81.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 ฿52.6

$0.77 COP 2,736

109.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.41 ฿78.6

$0.99 COP 3,533

143.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 ฿68.1

$0.74 COP 2,647

181.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ฿49.93

$0.55 COP 1,955

178.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 ฿48.36

$0.98 COP 3,515

51.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 ฿32.29

$1.04 COP 3,718

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ฿16.67

$0.51 COP 1,827

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.41 ฿144

$2.49 COP 8,896

77.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.38 ฿633

$13.57 COP 48.5K

42.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ฿58.1

$1.48 COP 5,281

20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 ฿88.6

$1.49 COP 5,325

81.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ฿44.79

$0.72 COP 2,573

90.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.39 ฿372

$14.44 COP 51.6K

-21.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 ฿98.6

$1.66 COP 5,944

81.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ฿32.48

$1.79 COP 6,381

-44.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.10 ฿461

$8.51 COP 30.4K

65.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 ฿44.51

$0.92 COP 3,271

47.83%

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

$28.2K ฿921.1K

$21.7K COP 77.3M

30.21%

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

$32.9K ฿1.1M

$26.3K COP 93.8M

25.27%

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

$122 ฿3,975

$196 COP 699.7K

-37.89%

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

$13.57 ฿443

$8.85 COP 31.6K

53.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.31 ฿598

$24.02 COP 85.8K

-23.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.2 ฿1,967

$19.61 COP 70.0K

207.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.14 ฿560

$7.63 COP 27.3K

124.64%

Cinema Ticket

$8.69 ฿284

$4.78 COP 17.1K

81.80%

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

$693 ฿22.6K

$161 COP 576.7K

329.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K ฿512.3K

$4,882 COP 17.4M

221.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 ฿1,944

$40.46 COP 144.5K

47.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.77 ฿1,136

$35.11 COP 125.4K

-0.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 ฿3,743

$80.2 COP 286.3K

42.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.3 ฿2,720

$58.3 COP 208.2K

42.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$613 ฿20.0K

$281 COP 1.0M

118.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 ฿14.3K

$437 COP 1.6M

-0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,094 ฿68.4K

$697 COP 2.5M

200.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 ฿49.3K

$563 COP 2.0M

168.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,749 ฿122.5K

$1,900 COP 6.8M

97.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,616 ฿85.4K

$952 COP 3.4M

174.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$508 ฿16.6K

$468 COP 1.7M

8.59%

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: June 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $613 in Phuket and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $45.00 in Phuket vs $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $163 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 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Phuket pays 9% more on average, 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: $613 in Phuket versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $693 in Phuket versus $161 in Santa Marta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $1,265 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 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.