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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,477 in Santa Marta versus $493 in Eldoret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Santa Marta versus $855 in Eldoret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,946 in Santa Marta versus $1,217 in Eldoret.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 200% more expensive than in Eldoret, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 8% above, Eldoret is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.58 KES 205

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.82 KES 4,504

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.36 KES 822

Cappuccino

$3.83 COP 12.0K

$2.64 KES 342

45.08%

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

$0.33 KES 42.08

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.8

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 KES 293

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 KES 358

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,036

$0.67 KES 87.2

140.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,128

$0.50 KES 65.1

356.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,676

$1.49 KES 193

-20.81%

Eggs

$2.48 COP 7,734

$1.53 KES 197

62.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 COP 26.2K

$3.82 KES 494

119.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 COP 31.2K

$4.36 KES 563

129.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 COP 35.4K

$4.34 KES 562

161.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 COP 13.0K

$2.37 KES 306

75.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,191

$1.01 KES 130

0.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,385

$0.73 KES 93.9

47.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 COP 6,504

$0.87 KES 113

139.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,883

$0.52 KES 67.0

76.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,811

$0.48 KES 61.5

220.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,045

$0.73 KES 95.0

32.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,049

$0.66 KES 85.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 COP 12.9K

$3.49 KES 452

18.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 COP 53.4K

$5.91 KES 765

189.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,424

$2.05 KES 265

-30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,382

$1.50 KES 194

-6.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 COP 2,827

$1.35 KES 175

-33.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 COP 10.2K

$1.50 KES 193

117.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 KES 203

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 KES 365

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,063

$1.48 KES 192

-12.16%

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

$23.8K COP 74.5M

$20.8K KES 2.7M

14.40%

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

$34.5K COP 107.9M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

76.09%

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

$159 COP 495.5K

$40.06 KES 5,182

295.91%

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

$9.41 COP 29.4K

$15.38 KES 1,989

-38.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.28 COP 69.6K

$35.24 KES 4,558

-36.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 COP 99.1K

$38.57 KES 4,989

-17.76%

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 COP 16.7K

$4.98 KES 644

7.63%

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

$64.5 KES 8,342

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K COP 34.5M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-6.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 COP 274.1K

$11.58 KES 1,498

657.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 COP 194.7K

$25.82 KES 3,340

141.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 COP 296.2K

$19.41 KES 2,511

388.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 278.7K

$34.57 KES 4,471

158.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 COP 3.4M

$94.5 KES 12.2K

1057.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$89.3 KES 11.6K

744.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$271 KES 35.0K

138.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,101 COP 3.4M

$620 KES 80.2K

77.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 COP 3.7M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

14.71

32.83%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Santa Marta and $94.5 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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 Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,216 in Santa Marta and $739 in Eldoret to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Santa Marta versus $94.5 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 99% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,477 per month in Santa Marta versus $493 in Eldoret – a 200% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $493 in Eldoret versus $1,477 in Santa Marta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $493 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Eldoret hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.