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Cusco vs Santa Marta cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐ช Cusco
๐จ๐ด Santa Marta
At a glance
- Where Santa Marta is clearly cheaper: Beer (50%โ), Entry ticket (44%โ), Coffee (40%โ)
- Where Cusco is clearly cheaper: Half-day tour (45%โ), Transit (41%โ), Haircut (17%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Cusco 4 vs Santa Marta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Cusco | Santa Marta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | similar |
| Street food1 item | S/ 5$1.35 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Cusco โ8% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S/ 55$14.9 | COL$ 45,000$11 | Santa Marta โ26% |
| Coffeeone cup | S/ 9$2.43 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ40% |
| Beerone bottle | S/ 9$2.43 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Santa Marta โ50% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S/ 20$5.41 | COL$ 22,000$5.37 | similar |
| Bottled water | S/ 2.5$0.68 | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | Santa Marta โ28% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S/ 3.5$0.95 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | Santa Marta โ36% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 12,000$2.93 | Santa Marta โ28% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S/ 7$1.89 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Santa Marta โ36% |
| Transitone ride | S/ 1.5$0.41 | COL$ 2,800$0.68 | Cusco โ41% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S/ 120$32.4 | COL$ 90,000$22 | Santa Marta โ32% |
| Hotel night3-star | S/ 230$62.2 | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | Santa Marta โ29% |
| Studio rent (month) | S/ 1,000$270 | COL$ 1,300,000$317 | Cusco โ15% |
| Laundry | S/ 8$2.16 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ32% |
| SIM card1 week data | S/ 30$8.11 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Santa Marta โ40% |
| Haircutcut | S/ 15$4.05 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Cusco โ17% |
| Massage1 hour | S/ 60$16.2 | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | Cusco โ17% |
| Half-day tourper person | S/ 60$16.2 | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | Cusco โ45% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S/ 40$10.8 | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | Santa Marta โ44% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Cusco or Santa Marta?
Santa Marta is 13% cheaper than Cusco. Daily budget $107 vs $79.4; a month $1,383 vs $1,375.
Which is easier to travel, Cusco or Santa Marta?
About the same: Cusco 3.2/5, Santa Marta 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Cusco and Santa Marta?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Cusco is about $1,383 and Santa Marta about $1,375 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.