Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Tarija Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Tarija

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $802 per month in Santa Cruz vs $747 in Tarija, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,332 per month in Santa Cruz vs $985 in Tarija, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Santa Cruz vs $1,224 in Tarija, rent included.

Santa Cruz costs about 7% more than Tarija, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Santa Cruz and Tarija are more affordable than the global median – Santa Cruz 40% lower, Tarija 44% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.88 BOB 30.62

$3.59 BOB 38.25

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.73 BOB 285

$14.28 BOB 152

87.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 BOB 76.7

$6.31 BOB 67.2

14.10%

Cappuccino

$2.85 BOB 30.34

$2.48 BOB 26.39

14.92%

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

$0.78 BOB 8.32

$1.48 BOB 15.78

-47.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 BOB 6.99

$1.00 BOB 10.64

-34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 BOB 15.26

$1.56 BOB 16.57

-8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 BOB 20.65

$2.24 BOB 23.90

-13.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 BOB 11.56

$0.77 BOB 8.22

41.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 BOB 14.39

$1.43 BOB 15.22

-5.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 BOB 13.84

$1.18 BOB 12.52

10.17%

Eggs

$1.76 BOB 18.70

$2.58 BOB 27.50

-31.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.75 BOB 50.5

$4.83 BOB 51.4

-1.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.04 BOB 43.01

$5.20 BOB 55.4

-22.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.29 BOB 67.0

$6.34 BOB 67.5

-0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 BOB 28.79

$1.49 BOB 15.90

81.21%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 BOB 10.29

$1.28 BOB 13.59

-24.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.15 BOB 12.21

$1.11 BOB 11.86

3.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 BOB 10.99

$2.23 BOB 23.71

-53.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 BOB 9.73

$1.49 BOB 15.88

-38.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 BOB 10.63

$1.43 BOB 15.27

-30.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.79 BOB 8.42

$0.35 BOB 3.76

125.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 BOB 11.78

$1.33 BOB 14.20

-16.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.24 BOB 23.85

$2.84 BOB 30.23

-21.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 BOB 77.7

$3.70 BOB 39.44

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 BOB 15.03

$1.90 BOB 20.21

-25.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 BOB 21.66

$1.89 BOB 20.10

7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 BOB 3.15

$0.28 BOB 2.95

7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.01 BOB 224

$31.22 BOB 333

-32.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 BOB 31.42

$1.07 BOB 11.37

175.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 BOB 15.23

$1.19 BOB 12.66

20.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.42 BOB 79.0

$4.85 BOB 51.6

52.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 BOB 6.20

$0.51 BOB 5.44

13.73%

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

$29.1K BOB 310.2K

$19.6K BOB 209.1K

48.37%

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

$27.4K BOB 291.7K

$21.6K BOB 229.6K

27.07%

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

$55.4 BOB 590

$51.2 BOB 545

8.21%

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

$22.26 BOB 237

$27.84 BOB 297

-20.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.17 BOB 353

$42.31 BOB 451

-21.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.35 BOB 345

$35.41 BOB 377

-8.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.67 BOB 231

$4.43 BOB 47.21

389.16%

Cinema Ticket

$7.37 BOB 78.5

$7.38 BOB 78.6

-0.14%

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

$203 BOB 2,161

$60.8 BOB 648

233.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,245 BOB 45.2K

$1,327 BOB 14.1K

220.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.54 BOB 453

$25.34 BOB 270

67.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.82 BOB 509

$29.21 BOB 311

63.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 BOB 896

$39.55 BOB 421

112.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 BOB 637

$21.81 BOB 232

174.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$415 BOB 4,415

$320 BOB 3,409

29.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$258 BOB 2,747

$226 BOB 2,406

14.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$739 BOB 7,867

$514 BOB 5,477

43.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 BOB 6,849

$116 BOB 1,231

456.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,502 BOB 16.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$988 BOB 10.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$475 BOB 5,061

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

5.5

21.27%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: July 11, 2026

Last update for Tarija: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $415 in Santa Cruz versus $320 in Tarija. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Santa Cruz versus $14.00 in Tarija. Groceries tell a different story – $166 in Santa Cruz vs $173 in Tarija – so Santa Cruz wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Santa Cruz vs Tarija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Cruz is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,202 per month in Santa Cruz and $1,121 in Tarija. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 4% cheaper in Santa Cruz – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $27.00 in Santa Cruz and $14.00 in Tarija. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,200 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $802 in Santa Cruz and $747 in Tarija, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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