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: $1,477 in Santa Marta versus $1,253 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,711 in Santa Marta versus $2,043 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,946 in Santa Marta versus $2,833 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 18% more expensive than in Phuket, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 8% above, Phuket is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.56 ฿151

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 ฿1,082

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 ฿295

Cappuccino

$3.83 COP 12.1K

$2.80 ฿93.0

36.79%

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

$0.88 ฿29.19

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.49 ฿16.23

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 ฿79.2

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.71 ฿123

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 COP 5,076

$1.79 ฿59.3

-10.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,184

$1.44 ฿47.81

58.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,705

$1.58 ฿52.6

-25.32%

Eggs

$2.48 COP 7,795

$2.13 ฿70.5

16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 COP 26.4K

$19.92 ฿661

-57.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 COP 31.5K

$3.43 ฿114

191.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 COP 35.7K

$11.33 ฿376

0.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.15 COP 13.1K

$2.95 ฿97.8

40.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,216

$1.72 ฿57.1

-40.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,412

$2.32 ฿77.1

-53.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 COP 6,556

$2.08 ฿69.0

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,906

$1.47 ฿48.77

-37.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,849

$1.36 ฿45.05

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,069

$1.10 ฿36.45

-11.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,066

$0.57 ฿19.06

15.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$4.27 ฿142

-3.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 COP 53.8K

$18.42 ฿611

-7.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.87 ฿62.1

-24.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,417

$2.92 ฿96.9

-52.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.90 COP 2,850

$2.22 ฿73.6

-59.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.90 ฿759

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

$3.03 ฿101

7.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 ฿35.63

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 ฿130

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,095

$1.49 ฿49.49

-12.75%

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

$23.8K COP 75.1M

$27.1K ฿899.8K

-12.09%

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

$34.5K COP 108.7M

$27.5K ฿910.6K

25.78%

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

$159 COP 499.5K

$103 ฿3,410

54.28%

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

$9.41 COP 29.6K

$10.99 ฿365

-14.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.28 COP 70.2K

$17.51 ฿581

27.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 COP 99.9K

$53.5 ฿1,776

-40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 ฿371

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 COP 16.9K

$7.48 ฿248

-28.34%

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

$557 ฿18.5K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K COP 34.8M

$11.9K ฿393.2K

-6.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 COP 276.2K

$64.1 ฿2,125

36.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 COP 196.3K

$29.07 ฿964

114.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 COP 298.5K

$96.0 ฿3,183

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 280.9K

$90.3 ฿2,997

-1.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 COP 3.4M

$730 ฿24.2K

49.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 COP 2.4M

$500 ฿16.6K

50.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.5M

$2,090 ฿69.3K

-47.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$645 COP 2.0M

$1,209 ฿40.1K

-46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,101 COP 3.5M

$3,596 ฿119.3K

-69.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,194 COP 3.8M

$2,512 ฿83.3K

-52.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$544 COP 1.7M

$503 ฿16.7K

8.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

5.57

250.81%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Last update for Phuket: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,094 in Santa Marta and $730 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 8% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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

Phuket is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 8% 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: $1,094 in Santa Marta versus $730 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,477 per month in Santa Marta versus $1,253 in Phuket – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,253 in Phuket versus $1,477 in Santa Marta, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Phuket but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Phuket the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Phuket 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 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 Phuket gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.