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: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $582 in Guizhou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $924 in Guizhou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $1,266 in Guizhou.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Guizhou 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$2.15 ¥14.55

65.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.4K

$19.48 ¥132

44.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$5.30 ¥35.83

17.17%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,615

$3.12 ¥21.11

-49.68%

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

$0.68 COP 2,426

$0.41 ¥2.74

65.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,663

$0.24 ¥1.61

95.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,146

$0.68 ¥4.59

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,865

$1.36 ¥9.23

20.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 4,006

$1.96 ¥13.25

-42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,294

$1.35 ¥9.13

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,244

$0.85 ¥5.74

7.06%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,782

$2.03 ¥13.71

21.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$13.65 ¥92.3

-73.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$4.82 ¥32.57

-19.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$10.64 ¥71.9

-24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,446

$1.60 ¥10.81

13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,736

$1.48 ¥10.01

-47.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,533

$1.02 ¥6.88

-2.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,647

$1.12 ¥7.59

-33.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,955

$0.47 ¥3.21

17.02%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,515

$0.55 ¥3.69

78.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,718

$0.51 ¥3.43

103.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,827

$0.53 ¥3.57

-3.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,896

$2.74 ¥18.53

-9.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

$7.42 ¥50.2

82.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$0.74 ¥5.02

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,325

$2.58 ¥17.48

-42.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,573

$0.34 ¥2.28

111.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

$16.94 ¥115

-14.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,944

$1.69 ¥11.44

-1.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,381

$0.28 ¥1.91

539.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.4K

$6.86 ¥46.40

24.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,271

$1.17 ¥7.93

-21.37%

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

$21.7K COP 77.3M

$13.9K ¥93.7K

56.25%

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

$26.3K COP 93.8M

$15.4K ¥103.8K

71.08%

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

$196 COP 699.7K

$27.34 ¥185

616.64%

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

$8.85 COP 31.6K

$5.64 ¥38.17

56.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.8K

$8.57 ¥57.9

180.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 70.0K

$17.59 ¥119

11.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.3K

$13.88 ¥93.8

-45.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.1K

$6.92 ¥46.80

-30.92%

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

$161 COP 576.7K

$299 ¥2,022

-45.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$10.8K ¥72.7K

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.5K

$34.65 ¥234

16.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.4K

$24.45 ¥165

43.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 286.3K

$59.9 ¥405

33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 208.2K

$39.25 ¥265

48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$278 ¥1,877

1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$134 ¥908

225.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

$357 ¥2,413

95.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$226 ¥1,530

148.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

$1,817 ¥12.3K

4.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

$1,090 ¥7,369

-12.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

$688 ¥4,652

-31.99%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Guizhou: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $278 in Guizhou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guizhou pays 47% 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 $163 vs $203, 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 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Guizhou earns 47% less. 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 $278 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 17% less than in Santa Marta. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $161 in Santa Marta versus $299 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 81% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.