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: $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $1,250 in Phuket.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Santa Marta versus $2,284 in Phuket.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,830 in Santa Marta versus $3,317 in Phuket.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 14% less than in Phuket, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 19% lower, Phuket 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 COP 11.9K

$4.55 ฿153

-19.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 COP 92.0K

$46.18 ฿1,550

-38.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 COP 20.2K

$8.84 ฿297

-29.64%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,030

$3.06 ฿103

-49.35%

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

$0.73 COP 2,369

$0.73 ฿24.36

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,500

$0.40 ฿13.37

15.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,673

$2.43 ฿81.6

-66.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,476

$3.78 ฿127

-55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,624

$2.26 ฿75.8

-50.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 COP 3,864

$1.81 ฿60.8

-34.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,915

$2.25 ฿75.7

-60.00%

Eggs

$2.45 COP 7,949

$2.25 ฿75.4

8.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 12.0K

$19.51 ฿655

-81.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.2K

$3.65 ฿122

11.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.5K

$13.05 ฿438

-39.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,673

$3.23 ฿109

-46.13%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$1.62 ฿54.3

-53.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,193

$2.38 ฿80.0

-58.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,317

$2.03 ฿68.0

-65.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 COP 1,668

$1.53 ฿51.5

-66.67%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,227

$1.50 ฿50.4

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,383

$0.98 ฿32.85

6.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,788

$0.52 ฿17.36

5.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 7,824

$4.44 ฿149

-45.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 48.9K

$18.32 ฿615

-17.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,752

$1.86 ฿62.6

-21.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,582

$2.68 ฿90.0

-47.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,205

$1.41 ฿47.37

-51.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.0K

$11.70 ฿393

23.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,474

$3.11 ฿104

-45.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,813

$1.04 ฿35.00

72.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 COP 27.4K

$14.11 ฿474

-40.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,190

$1.31 ฿44.02

-25.19%

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

$21.2K COP 68.9M

$27.8K ฿933.8K

-23.83%

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

$26.2K COP 85.2M

$33.2K ฿1.1M

-21.14%

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

$192 COP 624.2K

$122 ฿4,110

56.80%

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

$8.78 COP 28.6K

$13.59 ฿456

-35.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 COP 78.5K

$18.70 ฿628

29.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.49 COP 63.4K

$60.5 ฿2,031

-67.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.8K

$16.98 ฿570

-53.24%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 15.8K

$9.07 ฿305

-46.31%

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

$167 COP 542.4K

$706 ฿23.7K

-76.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,906 COP 16.0M

$15.8K ฿530.5K

-68.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 COP 129.8K

$58.6 ฿1,965

-31.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 COP 115.0K

$35.36 ฿1,187

0.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 COP 259.6K

$115 ฿3,876

-30.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 COP 194.6K

$83.7 ฿2,811

-28.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 912.6K

$626 ฿21.0K

-55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 COP 1.5M

$445 ฿14.9K

1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

$2,040 ฿68.5K

-66.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 COP 1.8M

$1,492 ฿50.1K

-62.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.8M

$3,483 ฿116.9K

-40.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

$2,577 ฿86.5K

-61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

$500 ฿16.8K

6.05%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Phuket: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $626 in Phuket. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 6% 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 $46.00 in Phuket for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $289 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 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 6% 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $626 in Phuket. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Santa Marta versus $706 in Phuket. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Phuket. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $1,250 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 16% less than in Phuket. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.