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: $1,078 in Santa Marta versus $798 in Taldykorgan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Santa Marta versus $1,044 in Taldykorgan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,830 in Santa Marta versus $1,290 in Taldykorgan.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 35% more expensive than in Taldykorgan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 19% lower, Taldykorgan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.66 COP 11.9K

$3.96 ₸1,862

-7.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.29 COP 92.1K

$19.58 ₸9,219

44.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 COP 20.3K

$6.76 ₸3,182

-7.99%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,037

$1.18 ₸557

31.36%

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

$0.73 COP 2,372

$0.40 ₸190

82.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 COP 1,502

$0.28 ₸132

64.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,676

$0.75 ₸351

9.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 COP 5,483

$1.14 ₸538

47.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 3,629

$1.07 ₸503

3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.19 COP 3,869

$0.38 ₸179

213.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.90 COP 2,919

$1.35 ₸636

-33.33%

Eggs

$2.45 COP 7,960

$1.15 ₸541

113.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 12.0K

$9.70 ₸4,569

-61.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.2K

$4.70 ₸2,214

-13.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.85 COP 25.5K

$5.41 ₸2,546

45.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,680

$1.41 ₸662

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,470

$1.90 ₸896

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,197

$1.90 ₸896

-48.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,320

$1.50 ₸708

-52.67%

Potato (1kg)

$0.51 COP 1,671

$0.59 ₸276

-13.56%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,231

$0.21 ₸98.3

371.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,387

$0.94 ₸441

10.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,791

$0.74 ₸350

-25.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 7,835

$1.78 ₸836

35.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 49.0K

$7.70 ₸3,623

95.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,758

$0.90 ₸425

62.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,588

$2.00 ₸942

-29.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,208

$0.17 ₸79.6

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.1K

$14.80 ₸6,967

-2.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,481

$0.86 ₸404

95.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,820

$0.67 ₸316

167.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.42 COP 27.4K

$4.75 ₸2,238

77.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,194

$0.41 ₸195

139.02%

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

$21.2K COP 69.0M

$23.1K ₸10.9M

-8.33%

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

$26.2K COP 85.3M

$27.4K ₸12.9M

-4.51%

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

$192 COP 625.0K

$63.9 ₸30.1K

200.27%

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

$8.78 COP 28.6K

$8.79 ₸4,136

-0.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.15 COP 78.6K

$13.46 ₸6,334

79.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.49 COP 63.4K

$32.70 ₸15.4K

-40.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.94 COP 25.9K

$3.00 ₸1,414

164.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.87 COP 15.8K

$2.40 ₸1,130

102.92%

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

$167 COP 543.1K

$265 ₸124.7K

-37.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,906 COP 16.0M

$4,869 ₸2.3M

0.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.94 COP 130.0K

$56.6 ₸26.7K

-29.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.37 COP 115.2K

$9.58 ₸4,509

269.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 COP 260.0K

$53.6 ₸25.2K

48.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 COP 194.9K

$52.8 ₸24.9K

13.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 913.8K

$494 ₸232.3K

-43.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$450 COP 1.5M

$352 ₸165.7K

27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 COP 2.2M

$527 ₸248.1K

29.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$564 COP 1.8M

$277 ₸130.3K

103.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$996 COP 3.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$530 COP 1.7M

$364 ₸171.2K

45.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

18.39

-53.13%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Last update for Taldykorgan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $494 in Taldykorgan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 46% 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 $20.00 in Taldykorgan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $167 vs $166 per month, with Taldykorgan 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 Taldykorgan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taldykorgan wins on cost – living expenses run 35% 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 46% 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 $494 in Taldykorgan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Santa Marta versus $265 in Taldykorgan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Taldykorgan 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 Taldykorgan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $798 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 35% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.