Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Tecla and Tunja Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Tecla and Tunja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,386 in Santa Tecla versus $1,280 in Tunja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,013 in Santa Tecla versus $2,036 in Tunja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,639 in Santa Tecla versus $2,791 in Tunja.

Living in Santa Tecla is roughly 8% more expensive than in Tunja, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Tecla is 1% above, Tunja is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.16 $7.16

$8.15 COP 25.6K

-12.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.78 $43.78

$41.25 COP 129.7K

6.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.87 $6.87

$9.96 COP 31.3K

-31.02%

Cappuccino

$3.51 $3.51

$2.53 COP 7,944

38.74%

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

$1.15 $1.15

$1.34 COP 4,213

-14.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.88 COP 2,771

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.95 COP 6,118

1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.75 COP 11.8K

-4.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.65 COP 5,197

1.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.45 COP 7,702

-8.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.63 COP 5,121

-15.95%

Eggs

$2.27 $2.27

$3.69 COP 11.6K

-38.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 $7.65

$7.15 COP 22.5K

6.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$7.52 COP 23.6K

-28.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.22 $10.22

$10.64 COP 33.5K

-3.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.35 COP 10.5K

-5.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.80 COP 5,672

-14.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.95 COP 6,114

48.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.75 COP 5,495

66.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.50 COP 4,724

62.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.41 COP 4,447

72.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.32 COP 4,150

-21.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.09 COP 3,429

-11.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.49 COP 14.1K

-11.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.63 COP 39.7K

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.43 COP 4,496

52.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.93 COP 9,225

-2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.16 COP 3,635

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.09 $6.09

$0.94 COP 2,955

547.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.46 COP 7,743

19.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 $19.79

$9.41 COP 29.6K

110.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.32 COP 4,146

-7.58%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$21.9K COP 69.0M

14.88%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-22.91%

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

$130 $130

$128 COP 401.5K

1.60%

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

$21.56 $21.56

$16.14 COP 50.7K

33.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.03 $43.03

$31.38 COP 98.6K

37.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.54 $24.54

$40.35 COP 126.8K

-39.18%

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 $5.10

$7.74 COP 24.3K

-34.11%

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

$164 $164

$482 COP 1.5M

-66.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,762 $4,762

$6,518 COP 20.5M

-26.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$81.6 COP 256.5K

-18.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.83 $46.83

$50.1 COP 157.5K

-6.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$139 COP 437.3K

-13.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$111 COP 347.6K

6.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 $763

$682 COP 2.1M

11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 $586

$472 COP 1.5M

24.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 $1,224

$1,033 COP 3.2M

18.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$903 $903

$945 COP 3.0M

-4.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,163 COP 6.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 COP 5.8M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$414 $414

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.5

12.81

-33.65%

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

Last update for Santa Tecla: August 31, 2026

Last update for Tunja: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $763 in Santa Tecla and $682 in Tunja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $44.00 in Santa Tecla vs $41.00 in Tunja. Groceries flip the comparison at $254 vs $261, with Santa Tecla cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tecla vs Tunja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tunja wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Santa Tecla. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tunja the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,079 in Santa Tecla and $1,921 in Tunja to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $763 in Santa Tecla versus $682 in Tunja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Santa Tecla pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,386 per month in Santa Tecla versus $1,280 in Tunja – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,280 in Tunja versus $1,386 in Santa Tecla, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tunja but tight or insufficient in Santa Tecla. The gap between the two cities makes Tunja the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Santa Tecla and Tunja 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 Tunja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Santa Tecla. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.