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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Santa Marta versus $539 in Depok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,761 in Santa Marta versus $811 in Depok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,028 in Santa Marta versus $1,082 in Depok.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 177% more expensive than in Depok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 9% above, Depok is 61% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.44 Rp 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.16 Rp 251.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.44 Rp 61.0K

Cappuccino

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$1.50 Rp 26.7K

165.33%

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

$0.45 Rp 8,012

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 Rp 4,638

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.71 Rp 48.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 Rp 56.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 COP 5,011

$1.27 Rp 22.5K

25.20%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,202

$1.04 Rp 18.4K

119.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 COP 3,771

$0.87 Rp 15.4K

37.93%

Eggs

$2.51 COP 7,904

$1.54 Rp 27.3K

62.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 COP 26.1K

$7.37 Rp 130.8K

12.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 COP 31.3K

$2.89 Rp 51.3K

242.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 COP 37.3K

$7.81 Rp 138.6K

51.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 COP 13.2K

$2.24 Rp 39.8K

86.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,202

$1.12 Rp 19.8K

-8.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,464

$1.55 Rp 27.6K

-29.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 COP 6,802

$0.95 Rp 16.9K

127.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,207

$1.06 Rp 18.9K

-3.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,137

$2.00 Rp 35.5K

-18.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 COP 3,172

$0.65 Rp 11.5K

55.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 COP 1,973

$0.44 Rp 7,724

43.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 COP 13.3K

$2.77 Rp 49.2K

52.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 COP 56.1K

$21.29 Rp 377.9K

-16.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 4,707

$1.86 Rp 33.1K

-19.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,608

$3.13 Rp 55.5K

-53.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 COP 2,990

$0.22 Rp 3,890

331.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.18 Rp 233.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$0.86 Rp 15.3K

276.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 Rp 6,218

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.28 Rp 40.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,136

$0.79 Rp 14.1K

65.82%

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

$24.7K COP 77.8M

$21.5K Rp 380.8M

14.92%

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

$35.3K COP 111.5M

$29.4K Rp 521.2M

20.34%

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

$159 COP 503.0K

$34.60 Rp 614.1K

360.90%

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

$9.78 COP 30.8K

$4.34 Rp 77.1K

125.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 COP 72.2K

$19.30 Rp 342.5K

18.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 COP 102.5K

$3.35 Rp 59.5K

869.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.64 Rp 100.1K

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 COP 17.0K

$2.90 Rp 51.4K

85.17%

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

$93.8 Rp 1.7M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 35.0M

$8,237 Rp 146.2M

34.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 COP 283.4K

$45.47 Rp 807.0K

97.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 COP 201.6K

$29.02 Rp 515.1K

120.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 COP 307.1K

$73.2 Rp 1.3M

33.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 COP 283.4K

$72.4 Rp 1.3M

24.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 COP 3.6M

$214 Rp 3.8M

429.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 COP 2.4M

$107 Rp 1.9M

600.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 COP 3.6M

$258 Rp 4.6M

336.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 COP 2.0M

$143 Rp 2.5M

341.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,108 COP 3.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 COP 3.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 1.7M

$230 Rp 4.1M

135.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

9.46

106.55%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: September 13, 2026

Last update for Depok: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Santa Marta and $214 in Depok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 136% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 Depok: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Depok wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Depok the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Santa Marta, 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: $1,133 in Santa Marta versus $214 in Depok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,494 per month in Santa Marta versus $539 in Depok – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $539 in Depok versus $1,494 in Santa Marta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Depok but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Depok the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Depok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Depok hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Depok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.