Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucaramanga and San Juan de Pasto Cost of Living Comparison Between Bucaramanga and San Juan de Pasto

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $769 per month in Bucaramanga vs $759 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,161 per month in Bucaramanga vs $1,086 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,553 per month in Bucaramanga vs $1,414 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

Bucaramanga costs about 1% more than San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Bucaramanga and San Juan de Pasto are more affordable than the global median – Bucaramanga 42% lower, San Juan de Pasto 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.06 COP 10.5K

$2.86 COP 9,788

6.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.30 COP 66.2K

$12.21 COP 41.8K

58.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.67 COP 22.9K

$6.37 COP 21.8K

4.71%

Cappuccino

$1.29 COP 4,428

$1.68 COP 5,774

-23.21%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 COP 2,379

$0.69 COP 2,380

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.58 COP 1,994

$0.45 COP 1,536

28.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.35 COP 4,622

$1.23 COP 4,231

9.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 COP 6,955

$2.38 COP 8,157

-14.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 COP 4,028

$1.11 COP 3,808

6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 COP 3,648

$1.24 COP 4,258

-14.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 4,086

$1.15 COP 3,930

3.48%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 7,469

$1.94 COP 6,640

12.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.04 COP 13.8K

$5.74 COP 19.7K

-29.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.96 COP 20.4K

$4.22 COP 14.5K

41.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.17 COP 24.6K

$7.23 COP 24.8K

-0.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 COP 8,938

$1.61 COP 5,532

62.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 COP 4,166

$1.11 COP 3,804

9.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.85 COP 2,911

$1.36 COP 4,656

-37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.88 COP 3,004

$0.85 COP 2,904

3.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 COP 4,222

$1.17 COP 3,994

5.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.03 COP 3,541

$1.17 COP 4,000

-11.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 COP 3,346

$0.80 COP 2,753

22.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 COP 2,523

$0.69 COP 2,369

7.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.74 COP 5,957

$2.32 COP 7,962

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 COP 30.1K

$14.37 COP 49.3K

-38.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 COP 2,710

$1.09 COP 3,730

-27.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 5,327

$1.78 COP 6,117

-12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 COP 2,382

$0.54 COP 1,859

29.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.18 COP 130.9K

$29.65 COP 101.6K

28.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.68 COP 5,748

$1.52 COP 5,197

10.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 COP 5,518

$1.49 COP 5,105

8.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$6.12 COP 21.0K

-1.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,208

$0.88 COP 3,031

6.82%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.3K COP 66.1M

$17.6K COP 60.3M

9.59%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$28.2K COP 96.6M

$25.7K COP 88.2M

9.46%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$75.7 COP 259.3K

$62.2 COP 213.1K

21.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.57 COP 29.4K

$7.14 COP 24.5K

20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.35 COP 69.7K

$23.32 COP 79.9K

-12.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.01 COP 78.8K

$21.93 COP 75.2K

4.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$3.97 COP 13.6K

$3.88 COP 13.3K

2.32%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$237 COP 812.3K

$235 COP 804.9K

0.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,494 COP 8.5M

$5,900 COP 20.2M

-57.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 COP 221.6K

$59.6 COP 204.4K

8.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.11 COP 113.5K

$32.39 COP 111.0K

2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 COP 284.8K

$81.7 COP 280.1K

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.60 COP 128.9K

$53.6 COP 183.6K

-29.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$289 COP 989.8K

$298 COP 1.0M

-3.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 815.0K

$234 COP 802.4K

1.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$478 COP 1.6M

$379 COP 1.3M

26.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 COP 1.3M

$321 COP 1.1M

17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,119 COP 3.8M

$1,666 COP 5.7M

-32.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,466 COP 5.0M

$1,248 COP 4.3M

17.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$529 COP 1.8M

$463 COP 1.6M

14.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

15.25

13.18

15.71%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bucaramanga: June 15, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $289 in Bucaramanga versus $298 in San Juan de Pasto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 14% higher in Bucaramanga, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Bucaramanga versus $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto. Groceries tell a different story – $171 in Bucaramanga vs $175 in San Juan de Pasto – so Bucaramanga wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bucaramanga vs San Juan de Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucaramanga costs about 1% more than San Juan de Pasto, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,153 per month in Bucaramanga and $1,138 in San Juan de Pasto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan de Pasto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Bucaramanga and $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $769 in Bucaramanga and $759 in San Juan de Pasto. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$800 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $769 in Bucaramanga and $759 in San Juan de Pasto, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. San Juan de Pasto costs $759 versus $769 in Bucaramanga. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Juan de Pasto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bucaramanga makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.