Which place is cheaper, Santiago or Santa Marta?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Santa Marta or Santiago?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Trying to figure out where to travel next? This travel comparison between Santa Marta and Santiago can help. It includes a travel cost comparison in addition to other factors. For many travelers, the cost of a destination is a primary consideration when choosing where to go.
Where Should I go: Santa Marta or Santiago?
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.
Santiago
Santiago is the capital city of Chile. It is centrally located in the long and narrow country, making it a good jumping off point to explore everywhere else. It's convenient location means that you can go skiing in the Andes one day, and hang out at the beach the next.
Santiago has a cool semi-arid climate that is similar to Mediterranean climates. The summers, which are between November and March, are warm and dry. The temperatures climb to around 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The winters, between June and August, are humid with cold mornings. The daily highs are around 55 degrees Fahrenheit and the lows stay a few degrees above freezing. Rain is more common in the winter months and the dry season is between December and March.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Eco Tours in Colombia, The Best Food and Culinary Tours in Colombia, The Best One Week (7-Day) Tours in Chile, and The Best 2-Week Tours in Chile.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySanta Marta $32Santiago $143
The average daily cost (per person) in Santa Marta is $32, while the average daily cost in Santiago is $143. 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 Santa Marta and Santiago in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSanta Marta $14Santiago $111
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSanta Marta $28Santiago $222
Compare Hotels in Santa Marta and Santiago
Looking for a hotel in Santa Marta or Santiago? 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: Santa Marta Hotel Prices and Santiago Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Santa Marta $5.17Santiago $5.48
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$5.14
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santa Marta
Also for Santa Marta, here are a few examples of actual transportation services:
- Private Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simon Bolivar Airport (One Way): $12
- Arrival or Departure Transfer: Simón Bolívar Airport: $14
- Transfer in Private Car from Santa Marta city to Santa Marta Airport (SMR): $14
- Transfer in Private Car from Santa Marta Airport (SMR) to Santa Marta city: $14
- Transfer in private minivan from Santa Marta Airport (SMR) to Santa Marta city: $21
- Transfer in private minivan from Santa Marta city to Santa Marta Airport (SMR): $21
- Transfers to Palomino, Tayrona Park, Buritaca Guachaca from Santa Marta: $23
- Private Airport Transfer: From Santa Marta Airport to Hotel in Santa Marta: $25
- Round trip transfer in Private Car from-to Santa Marta Airport(SMR) to City: $28
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta city to Santa Marta Cruise Port: $28
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Port to Santa Marta Airport: $29
- Private Transfer from Santa Marta Airport to Santa Marta Port: $29
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Santiago
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Santiago:
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Metro Ride$1.15
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Santiago
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Santiago:
- from Santiago airport private arrival transfer to the Valparaiso pier: $251
- Visit Montes Winery (7th World Best Wine) & Transfer to Hotel: $300
- Transfer from or to the airport in Santiago, Chile: $60
- Transfer from Santiago to Portillo Ski Center: $160
- Transfer from Santiago To Valle Nevado, Farellones, Colorado or La Parva ski: $83
- Transfer from Santiago Airport to Santiago Centro Commune: $52
- Transfer To Valle Nevado Private for small groups: $250
- Transfer Santiago to Cruise Port in Valparaiso or San Antonio: $250
- Transfer Santiago Airport to the commune of Providencia: $56
- Transfer Santiago - Viña del Mar: $210
- Transfer Santiago - Valparaíso: $210
- Transfer Privado Entre Santiago Y El Aeropuerto: $52
Is it cheaper to fly into Santa Marta or Santiago?
Prices for flights to both Santiago and Santa Marta 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 daySanta Marta $9.82Santiago $13
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$3.08
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: $76
- Santa Marta Street Food Tour: $93
Typical Food Prices in Santiago
Some typical examples of dining costs in Santiago are as follows:
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Empanada$1.91
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Hamburger$2.54
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Dinner$26
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Santiago
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Santiago.
- Traditional Chilean Show with Dinner and Private Transportation in Santiago: $107
- Traditional Dinner Show in Santiago: $107
- Dinner Show in Bali Hai: $109
- Sunset at Alyan Family Wines Winery with Dinner: $116
- Private Market Tour and Traditional Chilean Cooking Class in a Local Home: $117
- Small-Group Night City Tour: San Cristobal Hill and Dinner Show: $120
- 4-Hour Private Night Tour with Dinner and Show: $150
- Private Dinner and Show with Transfers: $158
- Traditional Chilean Cooking Class with a Local in Her Santiago Countryside Home: $168
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Santa Marta $14Santiago $48
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: $6.35
- 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
- Cultural Heritage Tour Santa Marta: $16
- 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
- Guided Walking Food Experience: $39
- Santa Marta Food Experience: $39
Tours and Activities in Santiago
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Santiago are as follows:
- Experience Wildlife Encounter in Provincia Mountain of Chile.: $235
- Private Adventure at 4200 meters above sea level in the Chilean Andes Cerro Pintor: $300
- 4 Hour Santa Rita Winery All inclusive Tour for Wine Lover: $269
- A Private Tour of Valparaiso with an experienced local guide.: $195
- Adventure and Viewpoints in Cajón del Maipo: $255
- Andean Horse Ride Yerba Loca Sanctuary - Private tour from Santiago: $240
- Andes Day Lagoon: Embalse El Yeso Tour from Santiago: $120
- Andes Day Volcano 8k Private Tour : $230
- Andes Half-Day Private Tour with Wine and Cheese Tasting: $190
- Andes Sunset: shared tour with Asado in the mountain: $90
- Andes Whitewater Rafting Adventure plus Winery Tour and Tasting: $199
- Authentic Andes Adventure: Private Horse Riding and Cheese & Wine: $150
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySanta Marta $6.58Santiago $8.51
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$0.57
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Beer$2.31
Sample the Local Flavors in Santiago
Also in Santiago, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Premium Wine Tour in Viña Cousiño Macul Spanish official: $37
- Concha y Toro Ticket and Tour with Wine Tasting: $50
- Undurraga Winery Tour with Entry and Wine Tasting: $50
- Undurraga Wine tour: $63
- Half Day Trip to Undurraga Vineyard from Santiago - Wine Tasting Included: $70
- Private Tour: Santa Rita Vineyard with Wine Tastings: $72
- From Concha y Toro Marqués Half-Day Wine Tasting: $89
- half day wine tour to concha y toro from Santiago seasonal offer: $95
- From Maipo Valley Wine Tour: $99
- Maipo Valley Wine Tour with 4 vineyards from Santiago.: $99
- Private Tour: Viña del Mar and Valparaíso Tour with Wine Tasting in Casablanca Valley: $143
- Colchagua Premium Wine Tour from Santiago: $145
When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Santa Marta and Santiago, we can see that Santiago is more expensive. And not only is Santa Marta much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. 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 Santiago would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in Santiago 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 Santa Marta Expensive? and Is Santiago Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Santa Marta or Santiago?
Santiago has a larger population, and is about 10 times larger than the population of Santa Marta. When comparing the sizes of Santa Marta and Santiago, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
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.