Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Sharm El Sheikh Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Sharm El Sheikh

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 54% more expensive than Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$7.74 E£401

-54.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.4K

$21.46 E£1,112

31.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$5.48 E£284

13.32%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,615

$1.76 E£91.1

-10.80%

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

$0.68 COP 2,426

$0.32 E£16.48

112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,663

$0.44 E£22.84

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,146

$3.00 E£155

-70.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,865

$5.00 E£259

-67.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 4,006

$0.91 E£47.11

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,294

$0.62 E£32.13

93.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,244

$0.65 E£33.87

40.00%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,782

$1.34 E£69.4

83.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$3.37 E£175

5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$3.93 E£204

-1.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$8.77 E£454

-8.55%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,446

$1.60 E£82.9

13.12%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,736

$0.48 E£24.68

60.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,533

$0.50 E£25.96

98.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,647

$0.31 E£16.12

138.71%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,955

$0.40 E£20.75

37.50%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,515

$0.40 E£20.80

145.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,718

$0.24 E£12.45

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,827

$0.20 E£10.51

155.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,896

$1.65 E£85.6

50.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$1.36 E£70.4

8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,325

$1.82 E£94.2

-18.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,573

$0.11 E£5.92

554.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,944

$0.39 E£20.10

325.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,381

$0.29 E£14.81

517.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.4K

$1.97 E£102

331.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,271

$0.36 E£18.46

155.56%

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

$21.7K COP 77.3M

$35.5K E£1.8M

-38.99%

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

$26.3K COP 93.8M

$33.6K E£1.7M

-21.89%

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

$196 COP 699.7K

$12.06 E£625

1524.63%

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

$8.85 COP 31.6K

$11.13 E£576

-20.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.8K

$28.07 E£1,454

-14.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 70.0K

$15.01 E£777

30.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.3K

$5.94 E£307

28.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.1K

$3.54 E£183

35.03%

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

$161 COP 576.7K

$114 E£5,926

41.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$1,855 E£96.1K

163.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.5K

$27.01 E£1,399

49.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.4K

$48.05 E£2,489

-26.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 286.3K

$110 E£5,684

-26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 208.2K

$51.3 E£2,658

13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$370 E£19.2K

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$281 E£14.5K

55.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

$626 E£32.4K

11.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$561 E£29.0K

0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

$997 E£51.6K

90.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

$690 E£35.8K

37.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

$151 E£7,812

210.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

16.67

-48.29%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 210% 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 $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $110 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharm El Sheikh wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharm El Sheikh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Santa Marta pays 210% 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: $281 in Santa Marta versus $370 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,052 per month in Santa Marta versus $684 in Sharm El Sheikh – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $684 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharm El Sheikh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Sharm El Sheikh 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.