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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $1,265 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $2,297 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $3,329 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 17% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$4.70 ฿153

-24.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.4K

$45.37 ฿1,482

-38.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$8.43 ฿275

-26.33%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,615

$2.93 ฿95.6

-46.42%

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

$0.68 COP 2,426

$0.69 ฿22.40

-1.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,663

$0.37 ฿11.99

27.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,146

$2.41 ฿78.6

-63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,865

$3.72 ฿122

-55.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 4,006

$2.23 ฿72.9

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,294

$1.83 ฿59.8

-34.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,244

$2.17 ฿70.8

-58.06%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,782

$2.21 ฿72.3

11.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$19.74 ฿645

-81.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$3.63 ฿119

6.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$13.53 ฿442

-40.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,446

$3.28 ฿107

-44.82%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,736

$1.61 ฿52.6

-52.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,533

$2.41 ฿78.6

-58.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,647

$2.08 ฿68.1

-64.42%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,955

$1.53 ฿49.93

-64.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,515

$1.48 ฿48.36

-33.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,718

$0.99 ฿32.29

5.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,827

$0.51 ฿16.67

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,896

$4.41 ฿144

-43.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

$19.38 ฿633

-29.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$1.78 ฿58.1

-16.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,325

$2.71 ฿88.6

-45.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,573

$1.37 ฿44.79

-47.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

$11.39 ฿372

26.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,944

$3.02 ฿98.6

-45.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,381

$0.99 ฿32.48

80.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.4K

$14.10 ฿461

-39.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,271

$1.36 ฿44.51

-32.35%

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

$21.7K COP 77.3M

$28.2K ฿921.1K

-23.20%

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

$26.3K COP 93.8M

$32.9K ฿1.1M

-20.17%

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

$196 COP 699.7K

$122 ฿3,975

60.99%

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

$8.85 COP 31.6K

$13.57 ฿443

-34.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.8K

$18.31 ฿598

31.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 70.0K

$60.2 ฿1,967

-67.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.3K

$17.14 ฿560

-55.48%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.1K

$8.69 ฿284

-44.99%

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

$161 COP 576.7K

$693 ฿22.6K

-76.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$15.7K ฿512.3K

-68.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.5K

$59.5 ฿1,944

-32.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.4K

$34.77 ฿1,136

0.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 286.3K

$115 ฿3,743

-30.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 208.2K

$83.3 ฿2,720

-30.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$613 ฿20.0K

-54.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$437 ฿14.3K

0.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

$2,094 ฿68.4K

-66.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$1,509 ฿49.3K

-62.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

$3,749 ฿122.5K

-49.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

$2,616 ฿85.4K

-63.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

$508 ฿16.6K

-7.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

5.33

61.73%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Phuket: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $613 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Phuket pays 9% 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 $45.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $293 per month, with Santa Marta cheaper across the board.

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 Phuket: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Phuket earns 9% 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 $613 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Santa Marta versus $693 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $1,265 in Phuket, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Phuket. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Phuket 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 Santa Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.