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: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $524 in Eldoret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $920 in Eldoret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $1,316 in Eldoret.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 101% more expensive than Eldoret, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Eldoret 61% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$5.49 KES 712

-35.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.4K

$38.82 KES 5,029

-27.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$6.84 KES 887

-9.21%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,615

$2.47 KES 321

-36.44%

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

$0.68 COP 2,426

$0.70 KES 91.0

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,663

$0.54 KES 69.9

-12.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,146

$2.28 KES 295

-61.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,865

$2.86 KES 370

-42.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 4,006

$0.74 KES 96.0

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,294

$0.44 KES 57.5

172.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,244

$1.22 KES 158

-25.41%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,782

$1.59 KES 206

54.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$3.79 KES 491

-6.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$3.61 KES 468

6.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$4.19 KES 543

91.41%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,446

$3.16 KES 409

-42.72%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,736

$0.95 KES 124

-18.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,533

$1.69 KES 218

-41.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,647

$1.00 KES 130

-26.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,955

$0.52 KES 67.9

5.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,515

$0.87 KES 113

12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,718

$0.64 KES 83.3

62.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,827

$0.64 KES 83.2

-20.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,896

$3.03 KES 393

-17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

$5.71 KES 740

137.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$1.73 KES 224

-14.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,325

$1.56 KES 203

-4.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,573

$1.41 KES 182

-48.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,944

$1.52 KES 197

9.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,381

$1.58 KES 205

13.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.4K

$2.95 KES 382

188.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,271

$1.55 KES 201

-40.65%

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

$21.7K COP 77.3M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

-1.10%

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

$26.3K COP 93.8M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

33.70%

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

$196 COP 699.7K

$33.82 KES 4,381

479.33%

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

$8.85 COP 31.6K

$16.72 KES 2,166

-47.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.8K

$38.62 KES 5,004

-37.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 70.0K

$38.66 KES 5,008

-49.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.1K

$5.15 KES 667

-7.18%

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

$161 COP 576.7K

$65.2 KES 8,443

147.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$8,154 KES 1.1M

-40.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.5K

$11.84 KES 1,533

241.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.4K

$24.36 KES 3,156

44.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 286.3K

$19.10 KES 2,474

319.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 208.2K

$34.89 KES 4,520

67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$94.3 KES 12.2K

197.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$90.6 KES 11.7K

382.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$270 KES 35.0K

108.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

$615 KES 79.6K

209.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

-28.17%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $94.3 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $39.00 in Eldoret. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $135, with Eldoret 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 Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 101% 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 $1,579 in Santa Marta and $786 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $94.3 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,052 per month in Santa Marta versus $524 in Eldoret – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Eldoret 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 Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $524 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 101% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.