Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Asuncion

For one person, living is cheaper in Asuncion: $1,075 a month against $1,436 in Santa Marta, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Marta outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

60

Cost of Living Index in Santa Marta
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Santa Marta Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Asuncion
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Asuncion Living Index

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Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,436

/mo nomad

Asuncion

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$1,075

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Marta and in Asuncion

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Marta and in Asuncion actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,436 per month in Santa Marta vs $1,075 in Asuncion, rent included.

Santa Marta $1,436
Asuncion $1,075

A couple spends around $1,691 per month in Santa Marta vs $1,684 in Asuncion, rent included.

Santa Marta $1,691
Asuncion $1,684

A family of three spends $1,946 per month in Santa Marta vs $2,292 in Asuncion, rent included.

Santa Marta $1,946
Asuncion $2,292

Santa Marta costs about 34% more than Asuncion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Santa Marta sits 6% above the global median, while Asuncion is 20% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 ₲40.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.57 ₲247.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.10 ₲40.4K

Cappuccino

$3.85 COP 12.2K

$3.51 ₲20.0K

9.69%

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

$1.05 ₲5,980

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₲3,289

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 ₲10.8K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 ₲9,906

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 COP 4,834

$1.29 ₲7,321

17.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 COP 6,825

$1.50 ₲8,514

43.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,737

$1.39 ₲7,922

-15.11%

Eggs

$2.55 COP 8,070

$2.48 ₲14.1K

2.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 COP 25.9K

$9.74 ₲55.4K

-16.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 COP 31.0K

$5.19 ₲29.5K

88.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.43 COP 36.2K

$10.07 ₲57.2K

13.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.99 ₲17.0K

38.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,110

$1.32 ₲7,493

-25.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 COP 3,553

$1.19 ₲6,742

-5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,308

$2.47 ₲14.1K

-19.43%

Potato (1kg)

$0.91 COP 2,881

$1.40 ₲7,984

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,888

$1.33 ₲7,562

15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,081

$0.92 ₲5,243

5.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,037

$0.77 ₲4,372

-16.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 COP 13.0K

$2.43 ₲13.8K

68.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.44 COP 55.3K

$9.08 ₲51.6K

92.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 COP 4,566

$1.42 ₲8,064

1.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,507

$1.79 ₲10.2K

-20.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 COP 3,086

$0.58 ₲3,315

67.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.92 ₲215.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.20 COP 10.2K

$1.54 ₲8,735

107.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 ₲9,204

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.44 ₲59.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,104

$1.29 ₲7,320

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

$24.0K COP 75.9M

$17.5K ₲99.5M

36.81%

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

$33.6K COP 106.6M

$35.0K ₲199.2M

-4.05%

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

$154 COP 489.7K

$51.5 ₲293.0K

199.71%

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

$9.26 COP 29.3K

$17.68 ₲100.5K

-47.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.25 COP 70.6K

$22.35 ₲127.1K

-0.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.58 COP 100.1K

$36.60 ₲208.1K

-13.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.33 ₲87.2K

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 COP 16.1K

$8.89 ₲50.6K

-42.97%

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

$190 ₲1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K COP 34.1M

$5,930 ₲33.7M

81.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.9 COP 275.6K

$64.7 ₲368.0K

34.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 COP 201.4K

$57.9 ₲329.4K

9.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 COP 293.6K

$107 ₲610.0K

-13.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.2 COP 279.6K

$73.3 ₲416.8K

20.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,088 COP 3.5M

$645 ₲3.7M

68.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 COP 2.4M

$385 ₲2.2M

92.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 COP 3.5M

$1,061 ₲6.0M

3.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 COP 2.0M

$654 ₲3.7M

-3.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,098 COP 3.5M

$1,715 ₲9.8M

-35.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 COP 3.9M

$1,205 ₲6.9M

0.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$534 COP 1.7M

$747 ₲4.2M

-28.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

10.5

86.10%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Asuncion: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Marta

$743 51.8%

Asuncion

$385 35.9% 48.1% $357

Groceries & Markets

Santa Marta

$263 18.3%

Asuncion

$217 20.2% 17.3% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Marta

$186 13%

Asuncion

$92 8.5% 50.8% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Marta

$149 10.4%

Asuncion

$136 12.7% 8.5% $13

Eating Out

Santa Marta

$46 * 3.2%

Asuncion

$140 13% 203% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Marta

$42 2.9%

Asuncion

$54 5.1% 30.4% $13

Getting Around

Santa Marta

$7.1 * 0.5%

Asuncion

$50 4.6% 603% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,088 in Santa Marta versus $645 in Asuncion. 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 40% higher in Asuncion, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🇵🇾 Asuncion

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

03:54 3:54 AM

2 h ahead of Santa Marta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

742,023 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PYG, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Marta Asuncion 4,440 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Marta
Asuncion

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Marta vs Asuncion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Santa Marta is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,153 per month in Santa Marta and $1,613 in Asuncion. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Asuncion, 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 $1,436 in Santa Marta and $1,075 in Asuncion. That's a gap of about 34%.

Groceries cost about 21% more in Santa Marta, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Asuncion, where all-in costs run around $1,075, than in Santa Marta at $1,436. In Asuncion it covers expenses comfortably, while in Santa Marta it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Asuncion – 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 Asuncion. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Santa Marta makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.