Popular cities
Lima 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 Lima
๐จ๐ด Santa Marta
At a glance
- Where Santa Marta is clearly cheaper: Coffee (55%โ), Beer (55%โ), Tuk-tuk / moto taxi (44%โ)
- Where Lima is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (38%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Lima is easier to travel (3.0 vs 3.4). Biggest gap: language โ Lima 3 vs Santa Marta 4. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lima | Santa Marta | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | S/ 20$5.41 | COL$ 17,000$4.15 | Santa Marta โ23% |
| Street food1 item | S/ 9$2.43 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ40% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | S/ 59$15.9 | COL$ 45,000$11 | Santa Marta โ31% |
| Coffeeone cup | S/ 12$3.24 | COL$ 6,000$1.46 | Santa Marta โ55% |
| Beerone bottle | S/ 10$2.7 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Santa Marta โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | S/ 26$7.03 | COL$ 22,000$5.37 | Santa Marta โ24% |
| Bottled water | S/ 2.2$0.59 | COL$ 2,000$0.49 | Santa Marta โ18% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | S/ 3.5$0.95 | COL$ 2,500$0.61 | Santa Marta โ36% |
| Taxi5 km in town | S/ 12$3.24 | COL$ 12,000$2.93 | Santa Marta โ10% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | S/ 8$2.16 | COL$ 5,000$1.22 | Santa Marta โ44% |
| Transitone ride | S/ 3.2$0.86 | COL$ 2,800$0.68 | Santa Marta โ21% |
| Scooter rentalper day | S/ 50$13.5 | COL$ 90,000$22 | Lima โ38% |
| Hotel night3-star | S/ 200$54.1 | COL$ 180,000$43.9 | Santa Marta โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | S/ 1,750$473 | COL$ 1,300,000$317 | Santa Marta โ33% |
| 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/ 30$8.11 | COL$ 20,000$4.88 | Santa Marta โ40% |
| Massage1 hour | S/ 90$24.3 | COL$ 80,000$19.5 | Santa Marta โ20% |
| Half-day tourper person | S/ 100$27 | COL$ 120,000$29.3 | Lima โ8% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | S/ 37$10 | COL$ 25,000$6.1 | Santa Marta โ39% |
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, Lima or Santa Marta?
Santa Marta is 24% cheaper than Lima. Daily budget $103 vs $79.4; a month $1,835 vs $1,375.
Which is easier to travel, Lima or Santa Marta?
Lima is easier: Lima 3.0/5 vs Santa Marta 3.4/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lima and Santa Marta?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lima is about $1,835 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.