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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,069 in Santa Marta versus $684 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,416 in Santa Marta versus $1,019 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,762 in Santa Marta versus $1,353 in Olongapo.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 56% more expensive than in Olongapo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 20% lower, Olongapo 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 COP 11.5K

$3.47 ₱213

3.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.43 COP 90.7K

$13.49 ₱828

110.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 COP 18.8K

$2.65 ₱163

122.64%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 4,959

$2.36 ₱145

-34.32%

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

$0.69 COP 2,191

$0.64 ₱39.25

7.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 COP 1,391

$0.40 ₱24.82

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,626

$1.41 ₱86.3

-41.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,296

$1.63 ₱100

1.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 COP 3,746

$1.82 ₱112

-35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,009

$0.42 ₱26.08

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 COP 3,023

$0.86 ₱52.6

10.47%

Eggs

$2.33 COP 7,440

$2.11 ₱129

10.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.4K

$8.98 ₱551

-60.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 COP 12.5K

$2.81 ₱173

39.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 COP 25.3K

$8.69 ₱534

-8.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 COP 5,527

$2.75 ₱169

-37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,420

$1.03 ₱63.3

-26.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,157

$2.29 ₱141

-56.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,432

$1.22 ₱74.7

-37.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,752

$1.84 ₱113

-70.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 COP 3,238

$2.31 ₱142

-56.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 COP 3,362

$0.68 ₱41.66

54.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,621

$0.42 ₱26.06

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$3.22 ₱198

-24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 COP 49.2K

$8.73 ₱536

76.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,692

$1.07 ₱65.4

37.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,535

$2.26 ₱138

-37.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,300

$0.22 ₱13.54

227.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.34 COP 45.8K

$18.29 ₱1,123

-21.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 COP 5,512

$0.91 ₱55.6

90.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 COP 5,825

$0.22 ₱13.47

731.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 COP 27.7K

$2.34 ₱143

270.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 COP 2,874

$1.10 ₱67.7

-18.18%

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

$21.7K COP 69.3M

$31.4K ₱1.9M

-30.92%

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

$26.3K COP 84.0M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

28.05%

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

$192 COP 611.8K

$150 ₱9,189

28.13%

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

$8.62 COP 27.5K

$34.06 ₱2,091

-74.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.37 COP 77.8K

$25.98 ₱1,595

-6.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.99 COP 60.6K

$14.94 ₱917

27.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.88 COP 25.1K

$4.41 ₱271

78.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 COP 15.3K

$4.56 ₱280

5.04%

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

$164 COP 523.6K

$87.2 ₱5,357

88.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 COP 15.5M

$4,794 ₱294.3K

1.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 COP 131.1K

$48.98 ₱3,007

-16.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 COP 113.9K

$27.40 ₱1,682

30.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 COP 252.3K

$74.1 ₱4,551

6.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 COP 187.1K

$46.01 ₱2,825

27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 COP 886.9K

$122 ₱7,509

127.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$87.4 ₱5,366

417.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.2M

$263 ₱16.2K

158.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 COP 1.8M

$179 ₱11.0K

213.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,100 COP 6.7M

$2,480 ₱152.3K

-15.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 COP 3.1M

$959 ₱58.9K

2.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$540 COP 1.7M

$140 ₱8,615

285.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

4.5

91.56%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: July 27, 2026

Last update for Olongapo: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Santa Marta and $122 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 285% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $13.00 in Olongapo. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $182, 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 Olongapo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Olongapo wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Olongapo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 285% 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: $278 in Santa Marta versus $122 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Santa Marta versus $87.2 in Olongapo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Olongapo 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 Olongapo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $684 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Olongapo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Olongapo 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 Olongapo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.