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: $1,065 in Santa Marta versus $1,404 in Ubud, Bali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,444 in Santa Marta versus $2,549 in Ubud, Bali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,822 in Santa Marta versus $3,694 in Ubud, Bali.

Living in Santa Marta costs roughly 24% less than in Ubud, Bali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Marta is 21% below, Ubud, Bali is 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.69 COP 12.9K

$3.57 Rp 64.0K

3.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.20 COP 98.4K

$32.50 Rp 582.3K

-13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.23 COP 21.7K

$4.86 Rp 87.1K

28.19%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 5,259

$2.75 Rp 49.2K

-45.09%

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

$0.67 COP 2,324

$1.32 Rp 23.7K

-49.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 COP 1,496

$0.70 Rp 12.6K

-38.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.88 COP 3,059

$2.91 Rp 52.2K

-69.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,738

$3.79 Rp 68.0K

-56.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 COP 3,937

$1.71 Rp 30.6K

-33.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.24 COP 4,321

$2.47 Rp 44.3K

-49.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.89 COP 3,098

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

-25.83%

Eggs

$2.44 COP 8,533

$2.44 Rp 43.8K

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.57 COP 12.5K

$14.38 Rp 257.7K

-75.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.88 COP 13.5K

$4.31 Rp 77.1K

-9.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.90 COP 27.6K

$12.21 Rp 218.7K

-35.30%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,965

$3.68 Rp 66.0K

-53.53%

Banana (1kg)

$0.75 COP 2,633

$1.55 Rp 27.8K

-51.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 COP 3,399

$2.79 Rp 49.9K

-65.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 COP 2,465

$2.33 Rp 41.8K

-69.53%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 COP 1,761

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

-74.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 COP 3,282

$2.31 Rp 41.4K

-59.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,645

$1.06 Rp 19.1K

-1.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 COP 1,936

$0.73 Rp 13.1K

-24.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 COP 8,802

$3.28 Rp 58.8K

-23.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.84 COP 48.3K

$22.79 Rp 408.4K

-39.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,143

$2.81 Rp 50.3K

-47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 5,129

$2.78 Rp 49.9K

-47.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 COP 2,355

$0.29 Rp 5,217

131.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.33 COP 50.0K

$8.06 Rp 144.4K

77.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,873

$0.45 Rp 8,047

273.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 COP 6,186

$0.45 Rp 8,094

293.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 COP 29.4K

$6.24 Rp 111.7K

35.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 COP 3,336

$0.85 Rp 15.2K

12.94%

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

$21.0K COP 73.3M

$26.0K Rp 465.4M

-19.14%

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

$26.0K COP 90.8M

$31.7K Rp 567.2M

-17.85%

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

$197 COP 686.0K

$80.8 Rp 1.4M

143.41%

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

$8.96 COP 31.3K

$4.06 Rp 72.7K

120.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 COP 83.2K

$24.42 Rp 437.6K

-2.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.34 COP 67.5K

$97.7 Rp 1.7M

-80.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.78 COP 27.1K

$6.45 Rp 115.5K

20.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 COP 16.8K

$4.04 Rp 72.4K

19.06%

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

$166 COP 579.5K

$304 Rp 5.4M

-45.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,887 COP 17.1M

$6,621 Rp 118.6M

-26.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 COP 141.4K

$54.2 Rp 971.7K

-25.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.31 COP 123.3K

$38.78 Rp 694.7K

-8.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 COP 273.5K

$86.1 Rp 1.5M

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.5 COP 204.1K

$76.7 Rp 1.4M

-23.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$282 COP 985.1K

$986 Rp 17.7M

-71.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$437 COP 1.5M

$658 Rp 11.8M

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 COP 2.4M

$3,369 Rp 60.4M

-79.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$548 COP 1.9M

$2,066 Rp 37.0M

-73.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,955 COP 6.8M

$2,741 Rp 49.1M

-28.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$938 COP 3.3M

$2,228 Rp 39.9M

-57.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$482 COP 1.7M

$163 Rp 2.9M

194.99%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Ubud, Bali: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $282 in Santa Marta and $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 195% 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 $33.00 in Ubud, Bali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $163 vs $297 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 32% 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 195% 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: $282 in Santa Marta versus $986 in Ubud, Bali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Santa Marta versus $304 in Ubud, Bali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 82% higher in Ubud, Bali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,065 in Santa Marta versus $1,404 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 $1,065 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 32% less than in Ubud, Bali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.