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: $1,065 in Santa Marta versus $694 in Olongapo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Santa Marta versus $1,029 in Olongapo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,822 in Santa Marta versus $1,364 in Olongapo.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 53% more expensive than Olongapo, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Olongapo 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 COP 12.9K

$3.47 ₱210

6.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.20 COP 98.4K

$13.47 ₱818

109.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.23 COP 21.7K

$2.60 ₱158

139.62%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 5,259

$2.43 ₱148

-37.86%

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

$0.67 COP 2,324

$0.65 ₱39.66

3.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 COP 1,496

$0.41 ₱24.60

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,059

$1.44 ₱87.3

-38.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,738

$1.62 ₱98.2

1.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 COP 3,937

$1.85 ₱112

-38.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 4,321

$0.42 ₱25.56

195.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,098

$0.91 ₱55.2

-2.20%

Eggs

$2.44 COP 8,533

$2.15 ₱131

13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.57 COP 12.5K

$8.96 ₱544

-60.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 COP 13.5K

$2.86 ₱174

35.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 COP 27.6K

$8.66 ₱526

-8.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,965

$2.64 ₱160

-35.23%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,633

$1.05 ₱63.6

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,399

$2.26 ₱137

-57.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,465

$1.22 ₱74.0

-41.80%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 COP 1,761

$1.83 ₱111

-72.68%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 COP 3,282

$2.19 ₱133

-57.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,645

$0.67 ₱40.91

55.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,936

$0.42 ₱25.65

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 COP 8,802

$3.36 ₱204

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 COP 48.3K

$9.17 ₱557

50.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,143

$1.02 ₱62.2

44.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,129

$2.26 ₱137

-34.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,355

$0.22 ₱13.38

204.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.33 COP 50.0K

$18.05 ₱1,096

-20.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,873

$0.87 ₱52.7

93.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 COP 6,186

$0.22 ₱13.30

704.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 COP 29.4K

$2.43 ₱147

246.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,336

$1.10 ₱66.7

-12.73%

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

$21.0K COP 73.3M

$32.5K ₱2.0M

-35.44%

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

$26.0K COP 90.8M

$20.2K ₱1.2M

28.65%

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

$197 COP 686.0K

$146 ₱8,892

34.21%

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

$8.96 COP 31.3K

$34.60 ₱2,101

-74.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 COP 83.2K

$26.33 ₱1,599

-9.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.34 COP 67.5K

$15.36 ₱932

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 COP 27.1K

$4.39 ₱266

77.22%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 COP 16.8K

$4.36 ₱264

10.32%

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

$166 COP 579.5K

$89.0 ₱5,404

86.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,887 COP 17.1M

$4,793 ₱291.0K

1.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 COP 141.4K

$48.25 ₱2,930

-16.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.31 COP 123.3K

$27.97 ₱1,698

26.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 COP 273.5K

$76.8 ₱4,662

2.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.5 COP 204.1K

$46.47 ₱2,822

25.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 COP 985.1K

$126 ₱7,670

123.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.5M

$89.7 ₱5,449

386.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 COP 2.4M

$263 ₱16.0K

160.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 COP 1.9M

$176 ₱10.7K

211.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 COP 6.8M

$2,588 ₱157.1K

-24.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 COP 3.3M

$1,005 ₱61.1K

-6.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 COP 1.7M

$137 ₱8,316

251.98%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Olongapo: June 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Santa Marta and $126 in Olongapo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 252% 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 $163 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 53% 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.

Santa Marta pays 252% more on average, 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: $282 in Santa Marta versus $126 in Olongapo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Santa Marta versus $89.0 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 11% 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 $694 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 53% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.