Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Marta and Ubud, Bali

For one person, living is cheaper in Ubud, Bali: $1,349 a month against $1,447 in Santa Marta, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Marta outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Ubud, Bali
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Ubud, Bali Living Index

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Santa Marta

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,447

/mo nomad

Ubud, Bali

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$1,349

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Santa Marta and in Ubud, Bali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Santa Marta and in Ubud, Bali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,447 in Santa Marta versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Marta $1,447
Ubud, Bali $1,349

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,693 in Santa Marta versus $2,305 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Marta $1,693
Ubud, Bali $2,305

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,939 in Santa Marta versus $3,261 in Ubud, Bali.

Santa Marta $1,939
Ubud, Bali $3,261

Living in Santa Marta is roughly 7% more expensive than in Ubud, Bali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.32 Rp 60.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.64 Rp 646.5K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.53 Rp 100.4K

Cappuccino

$3.86 COP 12.5K

$2.72 Rp 49.3K

41.91%

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

$1.70 Rp 30.9K

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 Rp 13.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.65 Rp 48.1K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 Rp 79.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 COP 5,139

$1.49 Rp 27.0K

6.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.17 COP 6,992

$2.28 Rp 41.3K

-4.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 COP 3,924

$1.19 Rp 21.6K

2.52%

Eggs

$2.46 COP 7,942

$2.04 Rp 36.9K

20.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 COP 27.1K

$17.70 Rp 321.1K

-52.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.57 COP 30.9K

$3.96 Rp 71.9K

141.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.26 COP 36.4K

$12.19 Rp 221.1K

-7.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.3K

$3.66 Rp 66.3K

12.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 COP 3,359

$1.52 Rp 27.5K

-31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,600

$2.23 Rp 40.4K

-50.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,433

$1.97 Rp 35.8K

1.02%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 COP 2,990

$1.85 Rp 33.5K

-49.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,972

$2.42 Rp 44.0K

-36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 COP 3,085

$0.99 Rp 18.0K

-3.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 COP 1,989

$0.51 Rp 9,313

21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 COP 13.3K

$2.22 Rp 40.3K

86.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.52 COP 56.6K

$22.24 Rp 403.4K

-21.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 COP 4,684

$2.26 Rp 41.0K

-35.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,533

$2.97 Rp 53.9K

-52.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 COP 3,108

$0.25 Rp 4,553

284.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$7.82 Rp 141.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 COP 9,921

$0.44 Rp 7,972

597.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.43 Rp 7,801

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 Rp 98.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,352

$0.82 Rp 15.0K

64.63%

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

$23.6K COP 76.2M

$23.8K Rp 432.4M

-1.01%

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

$34.2K COP 110.3M

$31.7K Rp 575.9M

7.64%

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

$159 COP 512.4K

$79.1 Rp 1.4M

100.72%

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

$9.23 COP 29.8K

$6.45 Rp 116.9K

43.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.79 COP 70.3K

$18.58 Rp 337.0K

17.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 COP 101.2K

$49.48 Rp 897.5K

-36.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.65 Rp 320.1K

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 COP 17.0K

$4.27 Rp 77.5K

23.42%

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

$491 Rp 8.9M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K COP 35.1M

$5,674 Rp 102.9M

91.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 279.0K

$44.64 Rp 809.7K

93.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.8 COP 202.7K

$34.95 Rp 634.0K

79.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 COP 299.0K

$79.9 Rp 1.4M

15.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.7 COP 279.8K

$79.4 Rp 1.4M

9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 COP 3.5M

$1,125 Rp 20.4M

-2.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$752 COP 2.4M

$671 Rp 12.2M

12.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,095 COP 3.5M

$3,565 Rp 64.7M

-69.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,723 Rp 31.3M

-64.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,110 COP 3.6M

$2,732 Rp 49.5M

-59.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,191 COP 3.8M

$2,284 Rp 41.4M

-47.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$526 COP 1.7M

$164 Rp 3.0M

221.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.54

13.78

41.80%

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

Last update for Santa Marta: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$672 49.8%

Groceries & Markets

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$288 21.4%

Eating Out

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$108 8%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$104 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$58 4.3%

Getting Around

Santa Marta

–

Ubud, Bali

$11 0.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,096 in Santa Marta and $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays about 3.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Santa Marta

🇮🇩 Ubud, Bali

🕒 Local time

21:55 9:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

13 h ahead of Santa Marta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

500,000

74,800

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18,138 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.51 USD). 1 EUR = 20,252 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Marta Ubud, Bali 18,940 km ≈ 24 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Marta
Ubud, Bali

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Ubud, Bali wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ubud, Bali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Santa Marta is about 3.2 times higher, 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: $1,096 in Santa Marta versus $1,125 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Marta pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $1,447 per month in Santa Marta versus $1,349 in Ubud, Bali – Ubud, Bali is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ubud, Bali is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Ubud, Bali wins on affordability, Santa Marta on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.