Santa Marta vs Ubud

Real cost of living, rent, internet, safety and visa terms for both cities, side by side — then open the interactive tool to weight them against your own priorities.

Santa Marta, Colombia
🇨🇴Colombia

Santa Marta

60Freedom Score#85Global rank$1,100Per month

Colombia's Caribbean coast gateway — Tayrona National Park, the Sierra Nevada meeting the sea, and a relaxed beach-town nomad scene.

Ubud, Indonesia
🇮🇩Indonesia

Ubud

76Freedom Score#32Global rank$2,102Per month

Bali's spiritual heart — rice terraces, yoga, and a world-leading coworking scene set in lush jungle at low tropical prices.

The short answer

Compare these two in the full toolBoth cities pre-loaded — add your income and priorities to get a personal match score

Cost of living

Monthly figures for one person. Rent, meals and coworking are measured values, not shares of the total budget.

ExpenseSanta MartaUbud
Comfortable budgetper month, all in$1,100✓$2,102
Rent, 1BR city centre$400✓$945
Meal, mid-range$9✓$12
Coworking deskper monthn.a.$189
Cost of living indexlower is cheaper44.0✓46.7

Quality of life

Scored 0–100 on the same attributes the match engine weights, so these agree with the interactive tool.

MeasureSanta MartaUbud
Safety
44
49
Healthcare
55
45
Walkability
58
50
English spoken
32
60
Food & dining
72
75
Nightlife
62
55
Outdoors
72
92
Nomad community
48
85
Climate quality
80
84
Public transit
42
30

Scores, connectivity and paperwork

MeasureSanta MartaUbud
Freedom Score60/10076/100✓
Global rankof 100 cities#85#32✓
Internet75 Mbps✓30 Mbps
Average temperature83°F77°F
Air quality40/10045/100✓
Airport connectivity42/10070/100✓
Nomad visaNomad visaIndonesia visa
Headline tax rateon local income10%24%

Which should you choose?

Choose Santa Marta if runs $1,002/mo cheaper, rent is $545/mo lower, internet is faster at 75 Mbps and it is more walkable.

Choose Ubud if it scores higher on safety (49 vs 44), English is more widely spoken, the climate scores better and the nomad community is larger.

What each city is known for

Santa Marta

  • Tayrona: jungle beaches where mountains meet the sea
  • Gateway to the Lost City trek
  • Warm Caribbean coast, low costs
  • Smaller and calmer than Cartagena

Ubud

  • Huge nomad & wellness community — instant social circle
  • Tropical jungle setting with rice terraces and temples
  • 0% tax on foreign income for most nomads
  • Coworking density rivals any island on earth

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for digital nomads: Santa Marta or Ubud?
Ubud scores higher on the Freedom Score (76/100 against 60/100), which makes it the stronger all-round base. That is an average, though — if cost, climate or community is what actually decides it for you, the tables above will point the other way as often as not.
Which is cheaper: Santa Marta or Ubud?
Santa Marta is cheaper. A comfortable monthly budget is $1,100 against $2,102, a difference of $1,002 a month or about $12,024 a year. Rent is the biggest single line: $400/mo in Santa Marta versus $945/mo in Ubud.
Which is safer: Santa Marta or Ubud?
Ubud scores higher on safety, 49/100 against 44/100. Safety scores blend crime levels, political stability and healthcare access, and they describe a city as a whole — individual neighbourhoods vary far more than the headline number suggests.
How fast is the internet in Santa Marta and Ubud?
Santa Marta averages 75 Mbps and Ubud averages 30 Mbps, so Santa Marta has the headroom if you push large files or run video calls all day.
What visa would I need for Santa Marta or Ubud?
Santa Marta sits in Colombia (Nomad visa) and Ubud in Indonesia (Indonesia visa). Requirements, income floors and processing times change often, so check the visa and residency guide before you commit to either.
Open the interactive comparison

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Cost, connectivity and quality-of-life figures come from the YourLifeMatch city dataset. Where a value is not confirmed it reads n.a. rather than an estimate. Figures are for planning, not professional advice.