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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,494 in Santa Marta versus $634 in Taraz.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,761 in Santa Marta versus $1,024 in Taraz.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,028 in Santa Marta versus $1,413 in Taraz.

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 136% more expensive than in Taraz, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 9% above, Taraz is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.11 ₸4,084

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.02 ₸9,872

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.73 ₸3,015

Cappuccino

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$1.60 ₸717

148.75%

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

$0.92 ₸412

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 ₸197

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.11 ₸497

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 ₸794

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 COP 4,957

$1.14 ₸512

39.47%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,125

$0.45 ₸202

406.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 COP 3,730

$1.36 ₸609

-11.76%

Eggs

$2.51 COP 7,819

$1.75 ₸783

43.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.27 COP 25.8K

$10.24 ₸4,589

-19.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 COP 30.9K

$5.14 ₸2,304

92.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.84 COP 36.9K

$8.73 ₸3,915

35.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 COP 13.0K

$1.20 ₸538

248.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,168

$2.11 ₸946

-51.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,426

$2.48 ₸1,110

-55.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 COP 6,729

$1.36 ₸610

58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.02 COP 3,173

$0.52 ₸232

96.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,082

$0.44 ₸196

270.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 COP 3,138

$0.89 ₸399

13.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 COP 1,952

$0.85 ₸379

-25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 COP 13.2K

$2.50 ₸1,120

68.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.78 COP 55.5K

$4.45 ₸1,995

299.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 COP 4,657

$1.05 ₸469

41.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,558

$1.54 ₸692

-5.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 COP 2,958

$0.19 ₸86.5

400.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 COP 10.1K

$0.93 ₸419

248.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 ₸169

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 ₸1,775

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,092

$0.63 ₸284

107.94%

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

$24.7K COP 76.9M

$27.5K ₸12.3M

-10.23%

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

$35.3K COP 110.3M

$27.9K ₸12.5M

26.63%

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

$159 COP 497.6K

$48.10 ₸21.6K

231.54%

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

$9.78 COP 30.5K

$9.05 ₸4,059

8.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.89 COP 71.4K

$9.11 ₸4,082

151.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 COP 101.4K

$37.50 ₸16.8K

-13.39%

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 COP 16.8K

$4.46 ₸1,998

20.40%

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

$58.9 ₸26.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 34.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.9 COP 280.4K

$26.50 ₸11.9K

239.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.9 COP 199.5K

$34.79 ₸15.6K

83.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.4 COP 303.8K

$113 ₸50.4K

-13.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.8 COP 280.3K

$51.9 ₸23.3K

73.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,133 COP 3.5M

$268 ₸120.1K

322.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$751 COP 2.3M

$112 ₸50.1K

571.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,127 COP 3.5M

$450 ₸201.8K

150.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 COP 2.0M

$202 ₸90.3K

213.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,108 COP 3.5M

$868 ₸389.4K

27.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,188 COP 3.7M

$615 ₸275.6K

93.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 1.7M

$283 ₸126.8K

91.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

17.83

9.59%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: September 13, 2026

Last update for Taraz: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,133 in Santa Marta and $268 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 92% 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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taraz wins on cost – living expenses run 136% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taraz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 92% 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 $268 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $634 in Taraz – a 136% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $634 in Taraz versus $1,494 in Santa Marta, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taraz but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Taraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Taraz delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $634 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Taraz hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Taraz 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 Taraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 136% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.