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: $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $584 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Santa Marta versus $934 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,830 in Santa Marta versus $1,284 in Guizhou.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 85% more expensive than in Guizhou, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 19% lower, Guizhou 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 COP 11.9K

$2.15 ¥14.56

70.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 COP 92.0K

$19.32 ¥131

46.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 COP 20.2K

$5.38 ¥36.40

15.61%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,030

$3.07 ¥20.75

-49.51%

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

$0.73 COP 2,369

$0.37 ¥2.51

97.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,500

$0.26 ¥1.77

76.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,673

$0.73 ¥4.94

12.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,476

$1.37 ¥9.30

22.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,624

$2.04 ¥13.79

-45.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 COP 3,864

$1.43 ¥9.66

-16.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,915

$0.84 ¥5.69

7.14%

Eggs

$2.45 COP 7,949

$2.04 ¥13.84

20.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 12.0K

$13.77 ¥93.2

-73.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.2K

$4.75 ¥32.12

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.5K

$10.68 ¥72.3

-26.50%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,673

$1.64 ¥11.08

6.10%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$1.50 ¥10.17

-49.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,193

$1.02 ¥6.88

-3.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,317

$1.09 ¥7.35

-34.86%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 COP 1,668

$0.45 ¥3.02

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,227

$0.58 ¥3.93

70.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,383

$0.48 ¥3.22

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,788

$0.50 ¥3.35

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 7,824

$2.71 ¥18.35

-11.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 48.9K

$7.41 ¥50.1

102.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,752

$0.79 ¥5.34

84.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,582

$2.62 ¥17.76

-46.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,205

$0.34 ¥2.30

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.0K

$16.57 ¥112

-12.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,474

$1.70 ¥11.54

-1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,813

$0.26 ¥1.74

588.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 COP 27.4K

$6.57 ¥44.49

28.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,190

$1.19 ¥8.07

-17.65%

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

$21.2K COP 68.9M

$14.0K ¥94.5K

51.71%

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

$26.2K COP 85.2M

$15.2K ¥102.7K

72.62%

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

$192 COP 624.2K

$27.28 ¥185

603.78%

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

$8.78 COP 28.6K

$5.64 ¥38.19

55.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 COP 78.5K

$8.93 ¥60.4

170.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.49 COP 63.4K

$17.54 ¥119

11.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.8K

$13.75 ¥93.0

-42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 15.8K

$6.92 ¥46.82

-29.62%

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

$167 COP 542.4K

$298 ¥2,018

-44.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,906 COP 16.0M

$10.7K ¥72.6K

-54.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 COP 129.8K

$35.40 ¥240

12.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 COP 115.0K

$24.57 ¥166

43.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 COP 259.6K

$61.5 ¥416

29.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 COP 194.6K

$39.84 ¥270

50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 912.6K

$275 ¥1,864

1.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 COP 1.5M

$134 ¥908

235.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

$351 ¥2,375

95.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 COP 1.8M

$226 ¥1,531

149.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.8M

$1,811 ¥12.3K

14.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

$1,084 ¥7,335

-8.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

$684 ¥4,632

-22.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

3.4

153.53%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $275 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $19.00 in Guizhou. Groceries flip the comparison at $167 vs $204, 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 Guizhou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guizhou is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 85% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 29% 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $275 in Guizhou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Guizhou runs roughly 15% less than in Santa Marta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $167 in Santa Marta versus $298 in Guizhou. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Guizhou gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 85% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.