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: $487 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,477 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $743 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,711 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $999 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,946 in Santa Marta.

Living in Sharm El Sheikh costs roughly 67% less than in Santa Marta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Sharm El Sheikh is 65% below, Santa Marta is 8% above.

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.70 E£1,209

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 E£248

Cappuccino

$2.30 E£117

$3.83 COP 12.1K

-39.95%

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

$0.37 E£18.68

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 E£29.38

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.83 E£196

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 E£255

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 E£46.12

$1.61 COP 5,076

-44.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 COP 7,184

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.51 E£25.77

$1.18 COP 3,705

-56.78%

Eggs

$1.26 E£64.4

$2.48 COP 7,795

-49.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 COP 26.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.97 E£203

$10.00 COP 31.5K

-60.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.34 COP 35.7K

Apples (1kg)

$1.58 E£80.7

$4.15 COP 13.1K

-61.93%

Banana (1kg)

$0.47 E£24.00

$1.02 COP 3,216

-53.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.43

$1.08 COP 3,412

-55.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£15.81

$2.08 COP 6,556

-85.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.92 COP 2,906

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,849

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 COP 3,069

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 COP 2,066

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 E£114

$4.13 COP 13.0K

-46.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 COP 53.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 E£79.4

$1.42 COP 4,459

9.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 COP 4,417

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.10 E£5.04

$0.90 COP 2,850

-88.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 COP 10.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.48 E£24.32

$1.30 COP 4,095

-63.08%

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

$33.2K E£1.7M

$23.8K COP 75.1M

39.15%

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

$22.6K E£1.2M

$34.5K COP 108.7M

-34.68%

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

$159 COP 499.5K

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

$11.50 E£586

$9.41 COP 29.6K

22.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.58 E£1,458

$22.28 COP 70.2K

28.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.72 COP 99.9K

Cinema Ticket

$5.36 COP 16.9K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K COP 34.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.7 COP 276.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.3 COP 196.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 COP 298.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 COP 280.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 E£18.5K

$1,094 COP 3.4M

-66.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 E£15.3K

$755 COP 2.4M

-60.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$630 E£32.1K

$1,096 COP 3.5M

-42.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$563 E£28.7K

$645 COP 2.0M

-12.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$971 E£49.5K

$1,101 COP 3.5M

-11.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$696 E£35.5K

$1,194 COP 3.8M

-41.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$158 E£8,036

$544 COP 1.7M

-71.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.5

19.54

35.62%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: August 31, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Sharm El Sheikh and $1,094 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 245% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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 203% 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 245% 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: $364 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,094 in Santa Marta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 359% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $487 per month in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,477 in Santa Marta – a 203% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $487 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,477 in Santa Marta, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sharm El Sheikh but tight or insufficient in Santa Marta. The gap between the two cities makes Sharm El Sheikh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Sharm El Sheikh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $487 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 203% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.