Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Mayari Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Lucia and Mayari

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,276 in Santa Lucia versus $1,522 in Mayari.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,800 in Santa Lucia versus $1,904 in Mayari.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,324 in Santa Lucia versus $2,287 in Mayari.

Living in Santa Lucia costs roughly 16% less than in Mayari, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Lucia is 5% below, Mayari is 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.84 CUP 236

$5.96 CUP 143

65.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.90 CUP 718

$19.66 CUP 472

52.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 CUP 173

$6.62 CUP 159

8.76%

Cappuccino

$3.29 CUP 78.9

$1.27 CUP 30.54

159.06%

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

$1.08 CUP 26.02

$2.18 CUP 52.4

-50.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 CUP 20.97

$1.23 CUP 29.63

-29.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 CUP 47.35

$2.45 CUP 58.8

-19.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 CUP 73.2

$3.07 CUP 73.8

-0.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 CUP 47.83

$3.03 CUP 72.7

-34.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 CUP 43.38

$0.83 CUP 20.03

118.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.57

$2.49 CUP 59.8

-38.96%

Eggs

$3.56 CUP 85.5

$3.19 CUP 76.5

11.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 CUP 149

$5.96 CUP 143

4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.72 CUP 137

$5.40 CUP 130

5.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.80 CUP 259

$11.73 CUP 282

-7.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.76 CUP 66.3

$5.01 CUP 120

-44.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CUP 36.46

$1.18 CUP 28.28

28.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 CUP 49.88

$1.37 CUP 32.82

51.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 CUP 55.5

$1.49 CUP 35.65

55.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 CUP 48.79

$1.89 CUP 45.24

7.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 CUP 41.15

$2.92 CUP 70.2

-41.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$1.01 CUP 24.26

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.69

$1.08 CUP 25.84

-8.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 CUP 95.0

$3.46 CUP 83.0

14.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.94 CUP 287

$10.05 CUP 241

18.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 CUP 39.35

$1.70 CUP 40.75

-3.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 CUP 57.4

$1.90 CUP 45.52

25.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.22 CUP 5.33

$0.19 CUP 4.47

15.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.27 CUP 606

$19.67 CUP 472

28.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CUP 78.3

$2.30 CUP 55.3

41.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 CUP 9.17

$0.42 CUP 9.97

-9.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.20 CUP 365

$20.33 CUP 488

-25.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 CUP 25.80

$1.23 CUP 29.63

-13.01%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$71.4K CUP 1.7M

-0.14%

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

$81.4K CUP 2.0M

$78.8K CUP 1.9M

3.35%

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

$35.39 CUP 849

$35.35 CUP 848

0.11%

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

$14.82 CUP 356

$40.35 CUP 968

-63.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$247 CUP 5,930

$246 CUP 5,914

0.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.37 CUP 945

$39.71 CUP 953

-0.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.01 CUP 360

$14.84 CUP 356

1.15%

Cinema Ticket

$0.98 CUP 23.40

$0.99 CUP 23.65

-1.01%

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

$162 CUP 3,888

$118 CUP 2,836

37.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,930 CUP 94.3K

$17.4K CUP 416.7K

-77.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 CUP 1,690

$55.4 CUP 1,328

27.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 CUP 1,331

$39.55 CUP 949

40.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.2 CUP 2,358

$45.31 CUP 1,088

116.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CUP 2,554

$49.82 CUP 1,196

113.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 CUP 13.3K

$211 CUP 5,062

162.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$348 CUP 8,341

$665 CUP 16.0K

-47.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$746 CUP 17.9K

$384 CUP 9,216

94.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$499 CUP 12.0K

$689 CUP 16.5K

-27.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$344 CUP 8,264

$392 CUP 9,404

-12.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$369 CUP 8,859

$349 CUP 8,382

5.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$56.9 CUP 1,366

$21.67 CUP 520

162.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

-50.60%

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

Last update for Santa Lucia: April 28, 2026

Last update for Mayari: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $554 in Santa Lucia and $211 in Mayari. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Lucia pays 163% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $30.00 in Santa Lucia vs $20.00 in Mayari. Groceries flip the comparison at $243 vs $247, with Santa Lucia cheaper for home cooking.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Santa Lucia vs Mayari: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucia wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Lucia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Santa Lucia pays 163% 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: $554 in Santa Lucia versus $211 in Mayari. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Lucia – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $20.00 in Mayari. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,276 per month in Santa Lucia versus $1,522 in Mayari – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,276 in Santa Lucia versus $1,522 in Mayari, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Lucia but tight or insufficient in Mayari. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Santa Lucia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Mayari. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.