Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Ubud, Bali Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Ubud, Bali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,047 in Santa Marta versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,414 in Santa Marta versus $2,585 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,781 in Santa Marta versus $3,732 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 27% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 22% below, Ubud, Bali is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 COP 13.4K

$3.57 Rp 61.9K

4.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.78 COP 103.9K

$32.58 Rp 564.7K

-11.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.95 COP 21.5K

$5.07 Rp 87.8K

17.36%

Cappuccino

$1.54 COP 5,561

$2.83 Rp 49.0K

-45.58%

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

$0.73 COP 2,641

$1.34 Rp 23.2K

-45.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 COP 1,686

$0.69 Rp 12.0K

-31.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.83 COP 2,979

$2.99 Rp 51.8K

-72.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 6,154

$3.85 Rp 66.7K

-55.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,019

$1.74 Rp 30.2K

-36.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.20 COP 4,320

$2.54 Rp 44.0K

-52.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 COP 3,439

$1.19 Rp 20.6K

-20.17%

Eggs

$2.40 COP 8,670

$2.43 Rp 42.0K

-1.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.69 COP 13.3K

$14.66 Rp 254.1K

-74.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.84 COP 13.9K

$4.18 Rp 72.4K

-8.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.78 COP 28.1K

$11.94 Rp 206.9K

-34.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 COP 6,223

$3.69 Rp 63.9K

-53.39%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,713

$1.61 Rp 27.8K

-53.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.98 COP 3,552

$2.69 Rp 46.5K

-63.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,691

$2.33 Rp 40.4K

-67.81%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,975

$1.91 Rp 33.0K

-71.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.00 COP 3,613

$2.19 Rp 37.9K

-54.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,618

$1.06 Rp 18.3K

-5.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,985

$0.72 Rp 12.5K

-23.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 8,695

$3.13 Rp 54.3K

-23.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 COP 49.9K

$23.49 Rp 407.1K

-41.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,294

$2.74 Rp 47.5K

-46.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,300

$2.88 Rp 49.9K

-48.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,613

$0.29 Rp 5,029

148.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.28 COP 51.6K

$8.17 Rp 141.6K

74.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 COP 6,259

$0.45 Rp 7,863

284.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 COP 6,627

$0.42 Rp 7,305

338.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 COP 30.8K

$6.16 Rp 106.7K

38.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 COP 3,521

$0.84 Rp 14.6K

16.67%

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

$21.1K COP 76.2M

$26.2K Rp 454.9M

-19.58%

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

$26.5K COP 95.7M

$32.5K Rp 562.9M

-18.34%

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

$191 COP 690.4K

$78.4 Rp 1.4M

143.87%

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

$8.70 COP 31.4K

$3.95 Rp 68.5K

120.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.27 COP 87.6K

$24.40 Rp 423.0K

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.22 COP 69.4K

$96.5 Rp 1.7M

-80.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 COP 28.5K

$6.35 Rp 110.0K

24.25%

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 COP 18.0K

$4.04 Rp 70.0K

23.27%

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

$167 COP 603.4K

$303 Rp 5.2M

-44.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,881 COP 17.6M

$6,523 Rp 113.1M

-25.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$53.8 Rp 933.1K

-24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 COP 125.8K

$37.98 Rp 658.3K

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.1 COP 282.1K

$86.8 Rp 1.5M

-9.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.6 COP 215.1K

$78.9 Rp 1.4M

-24.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$280 COP 1.0M

$1,012 Rp 17.5M

-72.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 COP 1.6M

$674 Rp 11.7M

-34.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$702 COP 2.5M

$3,390 Rp 58.8M

-79.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$566 COP 2.0M

$2,098 Rp 36.4M

-73.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,929 COP 7.0M

$2,985 Rp 51.7M

-35.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$941 COP 3.4M

$2,339 Rp 40.5M

-59.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$486 COP 1.8M

$173 Rp 3.0M

180.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

13.28

-35.09%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: April 28, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $280 in Santa Marta and $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 181% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $29.00 in Santa Marta vs $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $298 per month, with Santa Marta 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 Ubud, Bali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Marta wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Ubud, Bali. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Marta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Santa Marta pays 181% 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: $280 in Santa Marta versus $1,012 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Santa Marta versus $303 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,047 in Santa Marta versus $1,438 in Ubud, Bali, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Marta but tight or insufficient in Ubud, Bali. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Marta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Marta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,047 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Marta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Santa Marta and Ubud, Bali 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 Santa Marta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.