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: $1,052 in Santa Marta versus $814 in Taldykorgan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,421 in Santa Marta versus $1,056 in Taldykorgan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Santa Marta versus $1,297 in Taldykorgan.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 29% more expensive than Taldykorgan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Santa Marta 21% lower, Taldykorgan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$3.98 ₸1,952

-10.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.12 COP 100.4K

$19.30 ₸9,456

45.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.21 COP 22.2K

$6.76 ₸3,311

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$1.57 COP 5,615

$1.19 ₸583

31.93%

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

$0.68 COP 2,426

$0.38 ₸185

78.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,663

$0.28 ₸136

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,146

$0.82 ₸400

7.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,865

$1.19 ₸582

37.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 COP 4,006

$1.07 ₸527

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,294

$0.36 ₸175

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.91 COP 3,244

$1.36 ₸666

-33.09%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 8,782

$1.14 ₸556

115.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 12.7K

$9.65 ₸4,729

-63.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$4.49 ₸2,202

-14.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.02 COP 28.6K

$5.33 ₸2,612

50.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 COP 6,446

$1.40 ₸684

29.29%

Banana (1kg)

$0.77 COP 2,736

$1.98 ₸969

-61.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,533

$1.97 ₸967

-49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.74 COP 2,647

$1.44 ₸707

-48.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,955

$0.57 ₸282

-3.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,515

$0.17 ₸81.2

476.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,718

$1.00 ₸489

4.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,827

$0.71 ₸347

-28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.49 COP 8,896

$1.79 ₸879

39.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

$7.70 ₸3,771

76.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$0.89 ₸437

66.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 5,325

$1.97 ₸965

-24.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,573

$0.16 ₸80.0

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

$14.92 ₸7,313

-3.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.66 COP 5,944

$0.90 ₸440

84.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 6,381

$0.62 ₸305

188.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.51 COP 30.4K

$4.71 ₸2,309

80.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,271

$0.42 ₸205

119.05%

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

$21.7K COP 77.3M

$23.1K ₸11.3M

-6.38%

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

$26.3K COP 93.8M

$27.2K ₸13.3M

-3.48%

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

$196 COP 699.7K

$62.7 ₸30.7K

212.29%

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

$8.85 COP 31.6K

$8.60 ₸4,213

2.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.02 COP 85.8K

$13.79 ₸6,756

74.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.61 COP 70.0K

$32.80 ₸16.1K

-40.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.63 COP 27.3K

$3.00 ₸1,468

154.33%

Cinema Ticket

$4.78 COP 17.1K

$2.30 ₸1,126

107.83%

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

$161 COP 576.7K

$258 ₸126.5K

-37.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,882 COP 17.4M

$4,880 ₸2.4M

0.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.46 COP 144.5K

$56.4 ₸27.6K

-28.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.11 COP 125.4K

$9.94 ₸4,872

253.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 COP 286.3K

$52.4 ₸25.7K

52.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.3 COP 208.2K

$52.1 ₸25.5K

11.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$281 COP 1.0M

$483 ₸236.5K

-41.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.6M

$349 ₸170.9K

25.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$697 COP 2.5M

$520 ₸254.7K

34.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 COP 2.0M

$271 ₸132.8K

107.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 COP 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$952 COP 3.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$468 COP 1.7M

$357 ₸175.0K

31.04%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Taldykorgan: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $281 in Santa Marta and $483 in Taldykorgan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 31% 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 $19.00 in Taldykorgan. Groceries flip the comparison at $163 vs $164, with Santa Marta cheaper for home cooking.

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 29% 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.

Santa Marta pays 31% 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 $483 in Taldykorgan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $161 in Santa Marta versus $258 in Taldykorgan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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 $814 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 29% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.