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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,477 in Santa Marta versus $608 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Santa Marta versus $962 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,946 in Santa Marta versus $1,316 in Guizhou.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 143% more expensive than in Guizhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 8% above, Guizhou is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.67 ¥17.89

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.89 ¥140

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.61 ¥37.62

Cappuccino

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$2.87 ¥19.23

33.45%

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

$0.46 ¥3.10

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ¥1.66

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.77 ¥5.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ¥12.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,076

$1.81 ¥12.17

-11.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,184

$1.71 ¥11.50

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,705

$0.80 ¥5.40

47.50%

Eggs

$2.48 COP 7,795

$1.92 ¥12.85

29.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 COP 26.4K

$7.34 ¥49.24

14.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 COP 31.5K

$4.54 ¥30.49

120.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 COP 35.7K

$10.80 ¥72.5

5.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 COP 13.1K

$2.00 ¥13.40

107.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,216

$1.61 ¥10.77

-36.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,412

$1.51 ¥10.13

-28.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 COP 6,556

$1.48 ¥9.90

40.54%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,906

$0.67 ¥4.52

37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,849

$0.77 ¥5.16

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,069

$0.39 ¥2.61

148.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,066

$0.54 ¥3.65

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$2.99 ¥20.05

38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 COP 53.8K

$7.30 ¥48.96

134.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.85 ¥5.69

67.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,417

$1.22 ¥8.16

14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 COP 2,850

$0.36 ¥2.39

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.11 ¥182

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

$1.52 ¥10.17

114.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 ¥2.11

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.98 ¥33.40

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,095

$1.23 ¥8.26

5.69%

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

$23.8K COP 75.1M

$18.6K ¥124.5K

28.56%

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

$34.5K COP 108.7M

$15.7K ¥105.3K

120.08%

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

$159 COP 499.5K

$29.10 ¥195

445.02%

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

$9.41 COP 29.6K

$6.33 ¥42.49

48.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.28 COP 70.2K

$6.03 ¥40.45

269.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 COP 99.9K

$21.96 ¥147

44.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.69 ¥78.5

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 COP 16.9K

$7.59 ¥50.9

-29.38%

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

$243 ¥1,630

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K COP 34.8M

$11.0K ¥73.9K

0.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 COP 276.2K

$32.94 ¥221

166.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 COP 196.3K

$22.68 ¥152

174.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 COP 298.5K

$74.2 ¥498

27.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 280.9K

$42.26 ¥284

111.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 COP 3.4M

$270 ¥1,809

305.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$134 ¥902

461.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.5M

$377 ¥2,528

190.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$245 ¥1,644

163.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,101 COP 3.5M

$1,839 ¥12.3K

-40.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 COP 3.8M

$1,108 ¥7,437

7.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.7M

$690 ¥4,629

-21.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

3.4

474.71%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Santa Marta and $270 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

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 Guizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 143% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Guizhou. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,094 in Santa Marta versus $270 in Guizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $608 in Guizhou – a 143% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $608 in Guizhou versus $1,477 in Santa Marta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guizhou but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Guizhou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Guizhou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Marta, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Guizhou 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 Guizhou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.