Which place is cheaper, Santa Marta or Grande-Terre?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Grande-Terre or Santa Marta?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Grande-Terre or Santa Marta? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Grande-Terre or Santa Marta?
Grande-Terre
Grande Terre is an island that makes up the eastern half of the Guadeloupe 'mainland.' It is divided from the other half of the main Guadeloupe island, Basse Terre, by a narrow channel called Rivière Salee (or the Salt River). The island itself is characterized by rolling hills, white sand beaches, and cliffs, and its indented coastline is surrounded by coral reefs. It is home to most of Guadeloupe's farmlands and tourist resorts.
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is a city in the Magdalena Department of Colombia's Costa Norte. Over the last decade, security has steadily been replacing the shadow of the Colombia's violent past. One destination in Colombia's northeast region is now attracting more international visitors: the coastal Caribbean area of Santa Marta. Established in 1525 by the Spanish as a base of conquest, Santa Marta sits at the foot of the world's highest coastal mountain range, the towering Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast. While many travelers complain about Santa Marta's horrible traffic and unsightly urban sprawl, the city holds a numerous amounts of great hotels, bars and restaurants and holds a few fantastic destinations nearby to which you can go during the daytime.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, and The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per dayGrande-Terre €145Santa Marta €30
The average daily cost (per person) in Grande-Terre is €145, while the average daily cost in Santa Marta is €30. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Grande-Terre and Santa Marta in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personGrande-Terre €82Santa Marta €13
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomGrande-Terre €164Santa Marta €26
Compare Hotels in Grande-Terre and Santa Marta
Looking for a hotel in Grande-Terre or Santa Marta? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Grande-Terre Hotel Prices and Santa Marta Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Grande-Terre €9.00Santa Marta €4.84
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Grande-Terre
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Grande-Terre:
- Transfer Guadeloupe Airport to Cruise Port: $38
- PrivateTransfer from Pointe-à-Pitre Cruise Port to Airport (PTP) : $26
- PrivateTransfer from Pointe-à-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Cruise Port : $26
- Private Transfers (Airport, Port, Hotels) Guadeloupe : $54
- Private Transfer in Guadeloupe: $71
- Private Transfer from Pointe-à-Pitre Cruise Port to City Hotels: $26
- Private Transfer from Pointe-à-Pitre City Hotels to Cruise Port: $26
- Private Transfer from Pointe a Pitre Airport to Deshaies or Trois Riviers by SUV: $91
- Pointe-a-Pitre to Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) - Departure Private Transfer: $23
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport to Pointe-a-Pitre Hotels Arrival Transfer: $23
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Pointe-a-Pitre - Round-Trip Private Transfer: $46
- Pointe-a-Pitre Airport (PTP) to Guadeloupe island hotel-Arrival Private Transfer: $79
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santa Marta
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santa Marta:
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Gas€4.82
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Marta
Also for Santa Marta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- 1.Transfer to TAYRONA park from Cartagena Private or Viceversa.: $256
- Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simón Bolívar Airport: $14
- Barranquilla / Santa Marta Transfer: $236
- Cartagena / Santa Marta Transfer: $328
- Cartagena to or from Santa Marta Private Transfer: $141
- Exclusive transfer Santa Marta - Cartagena: $229
- Private Airport Transfer: From Santa Marta Airport to Hotel in Santa Marta: $25
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simon Bolivar Airport (One Way): $12
- Private Transfer Santa Marta to Palomino (or vice versa): $121
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport SMR to Santa Marta Port: $32
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport to Santa Marta Port: $28
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Cruise Port to Cartagena hotels: $69
Is it cheaper to fly into Grande-Terre or Santa Marta?
Prices for flights to both Santa Marta and Grande-Terre change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one dayGrande-Terre €48Santa Marta €9.20
Typical Food Prices in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some examples of average food and meal prices for travelers:
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Breakfast€2.89
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are some samples of tours and activities related to meals and dining experiences:
- Santa Marta Walking Food Tour: $40
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City Half-Day : $66
- Food Tour in Santa Marta Old City: $74
- Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $75
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Grande-Terre €45Santa Marta €13
Tours and Activities in Grande-Terre
Here are a few actual costs in Grande-Terre for available activities, ticket prices, and tours:
- *Cruise Stopover* - Tropical Forest - Sainte-Anne Beach: $60
- Cruise Stopover at Village Sainte Anne and its Beach: $31
- Cruise stopover - Plage du Gosier Round trip: $15
- Full Day Private Boat Tour to the Lagoon of Guadeloupe: $232
- Full Day Tour of Guadeloupe: $157
- Guided tour by electric tuk-tuk: $49
- Photoshoot + Drone on a Caribbean paradise beach or day tour : $100
- Private Surf Lessons Tour in Guadeloupe: $97
- Private Ultralight Seaplane Experience in Guadeloupe: $169
- Stand Up Paddle Adventure in Guadeloupe: $49
- Stopover Cruise - Valombreuse Botanical Garden + Sainte-Anne Beach: $49
Tours and Activities in Santa Marta
For Santa Marta, here are a few prices for actual activities, tours, and tickets provided by various companies:
- Old Town, Harbour & Highlights Self-guided Tour: $6.31
- Skip the Line: Santa Marta Marine World Aquarium Admission Ticket and Guide: $6.67
- Self-Guided Audio Tour: the Pearl of America: $6.99
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino : $10
- Self-Guided Audio Tour - Botanical Garden: $10
- Musical Experience "Live Musicaribe": $11
- Cultural Heritage Tour Santa Marta: $15
- Santa Marta Bike Tour: $16
- BE RELAX TOUR - Bahia Concha: $22
- Full Day Tour to Bahía Concha and Tayrona Park with Pickup: $25
- Horse Riding at La Mello Adventure Lodge: $35
- City tour con todo incluido!: $37
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one dayGrande-Terre €12Santa Marta €6.17
Typical Alcohol Prices in Santa Marta
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Santa Marta from other travelers:
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Beer€0.53
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Beer€2.17
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Grande-Terre and Santa Marta, we can see that Grande-Terre is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. Since Grande-Terre is in Caribbean Islands and Santa Marta is in South America, this is one of the main reasons why the costs are so different, as different regions of the world tend to have overall different travel costs. So, traveling to Santa Marta would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Santa Marta and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in Grande-Terre would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Grande-Terre than you might in Santa Marta.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Grande-Terre Expensive? and Is Santa Marta Expensive?.
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.