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La Paz 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
๐ง๐ด La Paz
๐จ๐ด Santa Marta
At a glance
- Where Santa Marta is clearly cheaper: Beer (27%โ)
- Where La Paz is clearly cheaper: Entry ticket (73%โ), Transit (63%โ), Local meal (50%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: payments โ La Paz 4 vs Santa Marta 3. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | La Paz | Santa Marta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | Bs 25$2.08 | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | La Paz โ50% |
| Street food1 item | Bs 10$0.83 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | La Paz โ43% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | Bs 80$6.65 | COL$ 45,000$11 | La Paz โ39% |
| Coffeeone cup | Bs 20$1.66 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ12% |
| Beerone bottle | Bs 20$1.66 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Santa Marta โ27% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | Bs 35$2.91 | COL$ 22,000$5.37 | La Paz โ46% |
| Bottled water | Bs 5$0.42 | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | La Paz โ15% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | Bs 6$0.5 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | La Paz โ18% |
| Taxi5 km in town | Bs 25$2.08 | COL$ 12,000$2.93 | La Paz โ29% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | Bs 15$1.25 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | similar |
| Transitone ride | Bs 3$0.25 | COL$ 2,800$0.68 | La Paz โ63% |
| Scooter rentalper day | Bs 300$24.9 | COL$ 90,000$22 | Santa Marta โ12% |
| Hotel night3-star | Bs 350$29.1 | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | La Paz โ34% |
| Studio rent (month) | Bs 2,000$166 | COL$ 1,300,000$317 | La Paz โ48% |
| Laundry | Bs 12$1 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | La Paz โ32% |
| SIM card1 week data | Bs 60$4.99 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | similar |
| Haircutcut | Bs 40$3.33 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | La Paz โ32% |
| Massage1 hour | Bs 150$12.5 | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | La Paz โ36% |
| Half-day tourper person | Bs 180$15 | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | La Paz โ49% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | Bs 20$1.66 | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | La Paz โ73% |
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, La Paz or Santa Marta?
La Paz is 42% cheaper than Santa Marta. Daily budget $51.4 vs $79.4; a month $730 vs $1,375.
Which is easier to travel, La Paz or Santa Marta?
About the same: La Paz 3.4/5, Santa Marta 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between La Paz and Santa Marta?
With a short-term studio and living costs, La Paz is about $730 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.