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: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $515 in Depok.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $794 in Depok.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $1,074 in Depok.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 104% more expensive than Depok, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Depok 62% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$1.26 Rp 22.6K

182.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.2K

$12.07 Rp 216.3K

132.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$3.44 Rp 61.7K

80.52%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,605

$1.48 Rp 26.5K

6.08%

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

$0.68 COP 2,422

$0.55 Rp 9,929

23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,660

$0.25 Rp 4,458

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,140

$2.82 Rp 50.5K

-68.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,854

$4.32 Rp 77.4K

-62.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 3,999

$1.17 Rp 20.9K

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,287

$1.06 Rp 19.0K

13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,238

$0.94 Rp 16.9K

-3.19%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,766

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

56.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$6.28 Rp 112.7K

-43.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$3.13 Rp 56.2K

23.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$7.96 Rp 142.8K

0.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,435

$2.41 Rp 43.2K

-24.90%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,731

$1.33 Rp 23.8K

-42.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,527

$1.64 Rp 29.3K

-39.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,642

$1.51 Rp 27.2K

-50.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,952

$1.46 Rp 26.1K

-62.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,509

$2.65 Rp 47.6K

-63.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,711

$0.90 Rp 16.1K

15.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,824

$0.42 Rp 7,558

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,881

$2.57 Rp 46.0K

-3.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.4K

$20.89 Rp 374.4K

-35.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,271

$2.17 Rp 38.8K

-31.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,316

$3.06 Rp 54.8K

-51.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,568

$0.24 Rp 4,298

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.5K

$9.29 Rp 166.6K

55.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,933

$0.72 Rp 12.9K

130.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,370

$0.37 Rp 6,675

383.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.3K

$2.51 Rp 44.9K

239.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,266

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

17.95%

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

$21.7K COP 77.2M

$30.2K Rp 540.7M

-28.20%

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

$26.3K COP 93.6M

$32.5K Rp 583.3M

-19.28%

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

$196 COP 698.5K

$43.79 Rp 785.0K

347.43%

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

$8.85 COP 31.5K

$4.67 Rp 83.7K

89.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.6K

$26.87 Rp 481.7K

-10.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 69.9K

$9.49 Rp 170.1K

106.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.2K

$4.25 Rp 76.2K

79.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.0K

$3.01 Rp 53.9K

58.80%

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

$161 COP 575.7K

$92.2 Rp 1.7M

75.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$7,508 Rp 134.6M

-34.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.2K

$42.10 Rp 754.7K

-3.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.2K

$31.16 Rp 558.6K

12.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 285.8K

$59.9 Rp 1.1M

33.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 207.8K

$63.7 Rp 1.1M

-8.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$118 Rp 2.1M

137.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$46.93 Rp 841.2K

831.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

$182 Rp 3.3M

283.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$122 Rp 2.2M

360.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

$842 Rp 15.1M

125.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

$706 Rp 12.6M

34.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

$359 Rp 6.4M

30.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

9.15

-5.79%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Depok: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $118 in Depok. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 30% 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: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $12.00 in Depok. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $202, with Santa Marta cheaper for home cooking.

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 104% 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.

Santa Marta pays 30% 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $118 in Depok. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 24% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Depok – a meal for two runs $12.00 versus $28.00 in Santa Marta. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Depok gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Depok delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $515 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 104% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.