Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Santa Marta Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Santa Marta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $705 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,078 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,110 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,454 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,515 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,830 in Santa Marta.

Living in Sharm El Sheikh costs roughly 35% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sharm El Sheikh 47% lower, Santa Marta 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.68 E£388

$3.66 COP 11.9K

109.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.57 E£1,089

$28.29 COP 92.0K

-23.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.31 E£268

$6.22 COP 20.2K

-14.63%

Cappuccino

$1.79 E£90.4

$1.55 COP 5,030

15.48%

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

$0.32 E£15.99

$0.73 COP 2,369

-56.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 E£23.79

$0.46 COP 1,500

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 E£153

$0.82 COP 2,673

269.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 E£243

$1.68 COP 5,476

185.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 E£46.26

$1.11 COP 3,624

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 E£29.50

$1.19 COP 3,864

-51.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 E£35.70

$0.90 COP 2,915

-21.11%

Eggs

$1.29 E£65.2

$2.45 COP 7,949

-47.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.30 E£167

$3.69 COP 12.0K

-10.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.02 E£203

$4.07 COP 13.2K

-1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.73 E£441

$7.85 COP 25.5K

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$1.56 E£78.6

$1.74 COP 5,673

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.77

$0.76 COP 2,467

-38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.47 E£23.63

$0.98 COP 3,193

-52.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£15.85

$0.71 COP 2,317

-56.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 E£19.11

$0.51 COP 1,668

-25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 E£21.80

$0.99 COP 3,227

-56.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.15

$1.04 COP 3,383

-76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.18 E£9.14

$0.55 COP 1,788

-67.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.66 E£83.7

$2.41 COP 7,824

-31.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.04 COP 48.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 E£68.8

$1.46 COP 4,752

-6.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 E£94.2

$1.41 COP 4,582

32.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.09 E£4.61

$0.68 COP 2,205

-86.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.46 COP 47.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 E£21.15

$1.68 COP 5,474

-75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 E£15.66

$1.79 COP 5,813

-82.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 E£102

$8.42 COP 27.4K

-75.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 E£16.34

$0.98 COP 3,190

-67.35%

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

$35.2K E£1.8M

$21.2K COP 68.9M

66.09%

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

$33.1K E£1.7M

$26.2K COP 85.2M

26.53%

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

$12.02 E£607

$192 COP 624.2K

-93.74%

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

$11.23 E£567

$8.78 COP 28.6K

27.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.27 E£1,427

$24.15 COP 78.5K

17.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.60 E£737

$19.49 COP 63.4K

-25.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.04 E£305

$7.94 COP 25.8K

-23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.36 E£170

$4.87 COP 15.8K

-31.01%

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

$114 E£5,743

$167 COP 542.4K

-31.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,866 E£94.2K

$4,906 COP 16.0M

-61.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.29 E£1,378

$39.94 COP 129.8K

-31.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.45 E£2,497

$35.37 COP 115.0K

39.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 E£5,579

$79.9 COP 259.6K

38.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.3 E£2,592

$59.9 COP 194.6K

-14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 E£18.7K

$281 COP 912.6K

32.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 E£14.3K

$450 COP 1.5M

-37.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$640 E£32.3K

$685 COP 2.2M

-6.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 E£27.4K

$564 COP 1.8M

-3.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$927 E£46.8K

$2,078 COP 6.8M

-55.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 E£33.5K

$996 COP 3.2M

-33.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$162 E£8,199

$530 COP 1.7M

-69.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.67

8.62

93.39%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: July 13, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Sharm El Sheikh and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 227% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $22.00 in Sharm El Sheikh vs $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $109 vs $167 per month, with Sharm El Sheikh 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

Sharm El Sheikh vs Santa Marta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sharm El Sheikh wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Santa Marta. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sharm El Sheikh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 227% lower in Santa Marta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $371 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $281 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $705 per month in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,078 in Santa Marta – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Sharm El Sheikh gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sharm El Sheikh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $705 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Sharm El Sheikh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sharm El Sheikh and Santa Marta 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 Sharm El Sheikh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.