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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,443 in Santa Marta versus $797 in Gjilan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,710 in Santa Marta versus $1,192 in Gjilan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,976 in Santa Marta versus $1,588 in Gjilan.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 81% more expensive than in Gjilan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 5% above, Gjilan is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 €3.74

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.65 €20.38

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.93 €5.11

Cappuccino

$3.77 COP 11.6K

$1.43 €1.23

163.64%

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

$1.11 €0.96

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 €0.81

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 €1.47

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 €1.21

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 COP 4,810

$1.30 €1.12

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 COP 6,758

$0.44 €0.38

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 COP 3,812

$1.38 €1.19

-10.14%

Eggs

$2.56 COP 7,881

$1.84 €1.58

39.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.43 COP 25.9K

$8.27 €7.13

1.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.98 COP 30.7K

$6.59 €5.68

51.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 COP 34.6K

$13.23 €11.40

-15.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 COP 12.8K

$1.70 €1.46

144.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 COP 3,193

$1.65 €1.42

-36.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 COP 3,455

$1.77 €1.53

-36.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 COP 6,327

$1.77 €1.53

16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 COP 2,869

$1.00 €0.86

-7.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,846

$0.85 €0.73

84.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 COP 3,050

$0.87 €0.75

13.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 1,920

$0.52 €0.45

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 COP 12.4K

$3.62 €3.12

11.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.75 COP 54.6K

$5.96 €5.14

197.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 COP 4,419

$0.97 €0.83

48.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,494

$1.30 €1.12

12.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 COP 2,980

$0.56 €0.48

73.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 COP 9,941

$2.34 €2.01

38.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.55 €0.48

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 €2.94

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,042

$1.48 €1.28

-11.49%

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

$24.3K COP 74.8M

$23.5K €20.3K

3.28%

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

$34.7K COP 106.7M

$26.6K €23.0K

30.18%

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

$161 COP 495.2K

$108 €92.7

49.62%

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

$9.48 COP 29.2K

$11.72 €10.10

-19.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.23 COP 68.4K

$24.22 €20.88

-8.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.38 COP 99.7K

$20.19 €17.41

60.38%

Cinema Ticket

$5.40 COP 16.6K

$4.66 €4.02

15.88%

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

$174 €150

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K COP 34.6M

$1,534 €1,322

633.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.1K

$43.30 €37.32

101.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 COP 195.3K

$32.70 €28.19

94.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.2 COP 299.0K

$66.3 €57.1

46.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.4 COP 268.9K

$82.9 €71.4

5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,113 COP 3.4M

$286 €246

289.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 COP 2.4M

$235 €203

227.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 COP 3.4M

$488 €421

128.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 COP 2.0M

$379 €327

69.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,129 COP 3.5M

$947 €816

19.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,199 COP 3.7M

$725 €625

65.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$538 COP 1.7M

$463 €399

16.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

4.44

340.09%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: September 7, 2026

Last update for Gjilan: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,113 in Santa Marta and $286 in Gjilan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 16% 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 Gjilan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta and Gjilan differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,443 vs $797 including rent). Gjilan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 16% 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: $1,113 in Santa Marta versus $286 in Gjilan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,443 per month in Santa Marta versus $797 in Gjilan – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $797 in Gjilan versus $1,443 in Santa Marta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gjilan but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Gjilan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Gjilan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gjilan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.