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: $684 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,052 in Santa Marta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,118 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,421 in Santa Marta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,552 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,789 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 49% lower, Santa Marta 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.74 E£401

$3.56 COP 12.7K

117.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.46 E£1,112

$28.12 COP 100.4K

-23.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 E£284

$6.21 COP 22.2K

-11.76%

Cappuccino

$1.76 E£91.1

$1.57 COP 5,615

12.10%

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

$0.32 E£16.48

$0.68 COP 2,426

-52.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.44 E£22.84

$0.47 COP 1,663

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.00 E£155

$0.88 COP 3,146

240.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.00 E£259

$1.64 COP 5,865

204.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 E£47.11

$1.12 COP 4,006

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.62 E£32.13

$1.20 COP 4,294

-48.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.65 E£33.87

$0.91 COP 3,244

-28.57%

Eggs

$1.34 E£69.4

$2.46 COP 8,782

-45.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.37 E£175

$3.56 COP 12.7K

-5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 E£204

$3.86 COP 13.8K

1.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.77 E£454

$8.02 COP 28.6K

9.35%

Apples (1kg)

$1.60 E£82.9

$1.81 COP 6,446

-11.60%

Banana (1kg)

$0.48 E£24.68

$0.77 COP 2,736

-37.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.50 E£25.96

$0.99 COP 3,533

-49.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£16.12

$0.74 COP 2,647

-58.11%

Potato (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.75

$0.55 COP 1,955

-27.27%

Onion (1kg)

$0.40 E£20.80

$0.98 COP 3,515

-59.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 E£12.45

$1.04 COP 3,718

-76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.51

$0.51 COP 1,827

-60.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.65 E£85.6

$2.49 COP 8,896

-33.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.57 COP 48.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 E£70.4

$1.48 COP 5,281

-8.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 E£94.2

$1.49 COP 5,325

22.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.11 E£5.92

$0.72 COP 2,573

-84.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.44 COP 51.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.10

$1.66 COP 5,944

-76.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.29 E£14.81

$1.79 COP 6,381

-83.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 E£102

$8.51 COP 30.4K

-76.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.36 E£18.46

$0.92 COP 3,271

-60.87%

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

$35.5K E£1.8M

$21.7K COP 77.3M

63.91%

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

$33.6K E£1.7M

$26.3K COP 93.8M

28.03%

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

$12.06 E£625

$196 COP 699.7K

-93.84%

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

$11.13 E£576

$8.85 COP 31.6K

25.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 E£1,454

$24.02 COP 85.8K

16.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$15.01 E£777

$19.61 COP 70.0K

-23.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.94 E£307

$7.63 COP 27.3K

-22.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.54 E£183

$4.78 COP 17.1K

-25.94%

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

$114 E£5,926

$161 COP 576.7K

-29.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,855 E£96.1K

$4,882 COP 17.4M

-62.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.01 E£1,399

$40.46 COP 144.5K

-33.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.05 E£2,489

$35.11 COP 125.4K

36.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 E£5,684

$80.2 COP 286.3K

36.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$51.3 E£2,658

$58.3 COP 208.2K

-11.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$370 E£19.2K

$281 COP 1.0M

31.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$281 E£14.5K

$437 COP 1.6M

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$626 E£32.4K

$697 COP 2.5M

-10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$561 E£29.0K

$563 COP 2.0M

-0.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$997 E£51.6K

$1,900 COP 6.8M

-47.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$690 E£35.8K

$952 COP 3.4M

-27.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$151 E£7,812

$468 COP 1.7M

-67.77%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Santa Marta: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $370 in Sharm El Sheikh and $281 in Santa Marta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Marta pays 210% 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: $21.00 in Sharm El Sheikh vs $28.00 in Santa Marta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $110 vs $163 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 54% 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, Santa Marta earns 210% less. 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: $370 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 49% higher in Santa Marta. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $684 per month in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,052 in Santa Marta – a 54% 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 $684 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 54% less than in Santa Marta. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.