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: $1,069 in Santa Marta versus $1,392 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,416 in Santa Marta versus $2,557 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,762 in Santa Marta versus $3,723 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 23% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 20% below, Ubud, Bali is 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.59 COP 11.3K

$3.57 Rp 64.3K

0.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.43 COP 89.6K

$32.32 Rp 581.4K

-12.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.90 COP 18.6K

$5.01 Rp 90.1K

17.76%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 4,898

$2.82 Rp 50.8K

-45.04%

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

$0.69 COP 2,164

$1.35 Rp 24.3K

-48.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 COP 1,374

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

-39.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.82 COP 2,593

$2.93 Rp 52.8K

-72.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,230

$3.94 Rp 70.8K

-57.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 COP 3,699

$1.78 Rp 32.0K

-34.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,959

$2.45 Rp 44.1K

-48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.95 COP 2,985

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.33 COP 7,348

$2.41 Rp 43.4K

-3.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$14.33 Rp 257.8K

-75.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.92 COP 12.3K

$4.19 Rp 75.3K

-6.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.94 COP 25.0K

$12.06 Rp 216.9K

-34.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.73 COP 5,459

$3.64 Rp 65.4K

-52.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,390

$1.57 Rp 28.2K

-51.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$2.79 Rp 50.1K

-64.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.76 COP 2,402

$2.24 Rp 40.3K

-66.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 COP 1,730

$1.98 Rp 35.6K

-72.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 COP 3,198

$2.28 Rp 41.0K

-55.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 COP 3,321

$1.05 Rp 19.0K

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 COP 1,601

$0.79 Rp 14.2K

-35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.44 COP 7,681

$3.19 Rp 57.4K

-23.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.42 COP 48.6K

$23.49 Rp 422.6K

-34.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,634

$2.90 Rp 52.1K

-49.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,479

$2.76 Rp 49.6K

-48.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,271

$0.27 Rp 4,796

166.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.34 COP 45.2K

$8.37 Rp 150.5K

71.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 COP 5,444

$0.45 Rp 8,138

284.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 COP 5,753

$0.46 Rp 8,269

297.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.68 COP 27.4K

$6.07 Rp 109.2K

43.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.86 Rp 15.6K

4.65%

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

$21.7K COP 68.4M

$26.6K Rp 478.3M

-18.30%

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

$26.3K COP 82.9M

$32.5K Rp 585.6M

-19.12%

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

$192 COP 604.2K

$79.0 Rp 1.4M

142.66%

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

$8.62 COP 27.2K

$4.09 Rp 73.6K

110.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.37 COP 76.8K

$23.85 Rp 429.0K

2.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.99 COP 59.8K

$98.8 Rp 1.8M

-80.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.88 COP 24.8K

$6.35 Rp 114.3K

24.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.79 COP 15.1K

$4.01 Rp 72.1K

19.45%

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

$164 COP 517.1K

$297 Rp 5.3M

-44.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 COP 15.3M

$6,602 Rp 118.8M

-26.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 COP 129.5K

$53.4 Rp 961.1K

-23.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 COP 112.5K

$38.11 Rp 685.7K

-6.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 COP 249.2K

$88.7 Rp 1.6M

-10.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.6 COP 184.8K

$76.6 Rp 1.4M

-23.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$278 COP 876.0K

$1,020 Rp 18.3M

-72.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$452 COP 1.4M

$680 Rp 12.2M

-33.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$3,469 Rp 62.4M

-80.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$562 COP 1.8M

$2,090 Rp 37.6M

-73.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,100 COP 6.6M

$2,729 Rp 49.1M

-23.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$983 COP 3.1M

$2,295 Rp 41.3M

-57.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$540 COP 1.7M

$164 Rp 2.9M

230.06%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $278 in Santa Marta and $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 230% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $28.00 in Santa Marta vs $32.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $168 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 30% 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.

Average pay runs 230% 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: $278 in Santa Marta versus $1,020 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $164 in Santa Marta versus $297 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,069 in Santa Marta versus $1,392 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 $1,069 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 30% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.