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: $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $705 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Santa Marta versus $1,110 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,830 in Santa Marta versus $1,515 in Sharm El Sheikh.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 53% more expensive than in Sharm El Sheikh, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 19% lower, Sharm El Sheikh 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 COP 11.9K

$7.68 E£388

-52.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 COP 92.0K

$21.57 E£1,089

31.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 COP 20.2K

$5.31 E£268

17.14%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,030

$1.79 E£90.4

-13.41%

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

$0.73 COP 2,369

$0.32 E£15.99

128.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,500

$0.47 E£23.79

-2.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,673

$3.03 E£153

-72.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,476

$4.80 E£243

-65.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,624

$0.92 E£46.26

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 COP 3,864

$0.58 E£29.50

105.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,915

$0.71 E£35.70

26.76%

Eggs

$2.45 COP 7,949

$1.29 E£65.2

89.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 12.0K

$3.30 E£167

11.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.2K

$4.02 E£203

1.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.5K

$8.73 E£441

-10.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,673

$1.56 E£78.6

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,467

$0.47 E£23.77

61.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,193

$0.47 E£23.63

108.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,317

$0.31 E£15.85

129.03%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 COP 1,668

$0.38 E£19.11

34.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,227

$0.43 E£21.80

130.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,383

$0.24 E£12.15

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,788

$0.18 E£9.14

205.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 7,824

$1.66 E£83.7

45.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 48.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,752

$1.36 E£68.8

7.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,582

$1.87 E£94.2

-24.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,205

$0.09 E£4.61

655.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,474

$0.42 E£21.15

300.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,813

$0.31 E£15.66

477.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 COP 27.4K

$2.03 E£102

314.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,190

$0.32 E£16.34

206.25%

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

$21.2K COP 68.9M

$35.2K E£1.8M

-39.79%

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

$26.2K COP 85.2M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-20.97%

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

$192 COP 624.2K

$12.02 E£607

1497.25%

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

$8.78 COP 28.6K

$11.23 E£567

-21.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 COP 78.5K

$28.27 E£1,427

-14.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.49 COP 63.4K

$14.60 E£737

33.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.8K

$6.04 E£305

31.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 15.8K

$3.36 E£170

44.94%

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

$167 COP 542.4K

$114 E£5,743

46.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,906 COP 16.0M

$1,866 E£94.2K

163.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 COP 129.8K

$27.29 E£1,378

46.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 COP 115.0K

$49.45 E£2,497

-28.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 COP 259.6K

$110 E£5,579

-27.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 COP 194.6K

$51.3 E£2,592

16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 912.6K

$371 E£18.7K

-24.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 COP 1.5M

$283 E£14.3K

58.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

$640 E£32.3K

7.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 COP 1.8M

$542 E£27.4K

4.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.8M

$927 E£46.8K

124.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

$663 E£33.5K

50.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

$162 E£8,199

226.50%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 227% 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 $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $109 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 53% 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.

Average pay runs 227% 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 $371 in Sharm El Sheikh. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,078 per month in Santa Marta versus $705 in Sharm El Sheikh – a 53% 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 $705 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 53% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.