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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Santa Marta versus $946 in Taldykorgan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,761 in Santa Marta versus $1,229 in Taldykorgan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,028 in Santa Marta versus $1,511 in Taldykorgan.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 58% more expensive than in Taldykorgan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 9% above, Taldykorgan is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.49 ₸2,008

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.52 ₸10.1K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.10 ₸4,065

Cappuccino

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$1.32 ₸590

201.52%

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

$0.46 ₸206

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 ₸157

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 ₸383

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 ₸587

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 COP 5,043

$1.22 ₸543

30.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,249

$0.44 ₸195

418.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 COP 3,795

$1.60 ₸714

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.51 COP 7,955

$1.31 ₸584

91.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 COP 26.3K

$12.58 ₸5,622

-34.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 COP 31.5K

$7.00 ₸3,127

41.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 COP 37.6K

$6.14 ₸2,743

92.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 COP 13.3K

$1.88 ₸840

122.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,223

$2.42 ₸1,082

-57.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,486

$2.94 ₸1,313

-62.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 COP 6,846

$1.64 ₸731

31.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,228

$0.79 ₸355

29.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,171

$0.21 ₸93.5

676.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 COP 3,192

$1.14 ₸508

-11.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 COP 1,986

$1.04 ₸465

-39.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 COP 13.4K

$2.02 ₸903

108.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 COP 56.4K

$8.17 ₸3,649

117.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 4,738

$1.20 ₸536

24.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,637

$2.26 ₸1,008

-35.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 COP 3,010

$0.17 ₸74.7

458.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.55 ₸7,392

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.00 ₸445

224.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 ₸287

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.27 ₸5,033

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,163

$0.59 ₸261

122.03%

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

$24.7K COP 78.3M

$22.1K ₸9.9M

11.74%

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

$35.3K COP 112.2M

$30.1K ₸13.4M

17.52%

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

$159 COP 506.3K

$93.3 ₸41.7K

70.87%

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

$9.78 COP 31.0K

$10.85 ₸4,849

-9.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 COP 72.7K

$17.44 ₸7,791

31.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 COP 103.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.29 ₸1,469

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 COP 17.1K

$2.71 ₸1,209

98.15%

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

$437 ₸195.0K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 35.2M

$11.8K ₸5.3M

-6.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 COP 285.3K

$89.8 ₸40.1K

0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 COP 203.0K

$11.01 ₸4,920

480.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 COP 309.1K

$61.4 ₸27.4K

58.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 COP 285.2K

$60.4 ₸27.0K

48.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 COP 3.6M

$563 ₸251.6K

101.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 COP 2.4M

$392 ₸175.1K

91.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 COP 3.6M

$1,960 ₸875.6K

-42.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 COP 2.0M

$314 ₸140.5K

101.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,108 COP 3.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 COP 3.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 1.7M

$383 ₸171.3K

41.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

20.61

-5.19%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: September 13, 2026

Last update for Taldykorgan: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Santa Marta and $563 in Taldykorgan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 41% 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 Taldykorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taldykorgan wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taldykorgan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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: $1,133 in Santa Marta versus $563 in Taldykorgan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,494 per month in Santa Marta versus $946 in Taldykorgan – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $946 in Taldykorgan versus $1,494 in Santa Marta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taldykorgan but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Taldykorgan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taldykorgan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $946 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taldykorgan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Taldykorgan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.