Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cali and Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $800 a month against $1,214 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index

Jump to prices

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cali and in Pasto

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cali and in Pasto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,214 in Cali versus $800 in Pasto.

Cali $1,214
Pasto $800

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cali versus $1,216 in Pasto.

Cali $1,827
Pasto $1,216

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,439 in Cali versus $1,632 in Pasto.

Cali $2,439
Pasto $1,632

Living in Cali is roughly 52% more expensive than in Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 10% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.20 COP 16.9K

$3.92 COP 12.7K

32.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 COP 182.6K

$23.47 COP 76.1K

139.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.03 COP 19.6K

$7.35 COP 23.8K

-17.96%

Cappuccino

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.51 COP 4,909

108.61%

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

$2.37 COP 7,674

$0.89 COP 2,876

166.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 COP 7,283

$0.61 COP 1,984

268.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 COP 10.9K

$1.16 COP 3,748

189.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 COP 11.4K

$2.17 COP 7,025

61.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,416

$1.05 COP 3,402

59.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 COP 5,665

$1.30 COP 4,204

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 COP 5,647

$1.19 COP 3,871

46.22%

Eggs

$3.05 COP 9,879

$2.15 COP 6,959

41.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 COP 28.5K

$4.59 COP 14.9K

91.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 COP 30.7K

$5.44 COP 17.6K

73.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 COP 35.2K

$7.44 COP 24.1K

45.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.2K

$2.47 COP 8,025

51.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,767

$1.09 COP 3,521

6.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,296

$1.31 COP 4,235

0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,623

$1.11 COP 3,603

83.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,394

$1.17 COP 3,801

41.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,204

$1.16 COP 3,767

37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.92 COP 2,979

$0.88 COP 2,858

4.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,796

$0.70 COP 2,261

22.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.51 COP 14.6K

$2.34 COP 7,577

92.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 COP 49.0K

$9.77 COP 31.7K

54.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,913

$1.08 COP 3,519

39.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 COP 6,097

$1.70 COP 5,511

10.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.07 COP 3,459

$0.72 COP 2,330

48.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 COP 212.6K

$29.47 COP 95.6K

122.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 COP 3,855

$1.43 COP 4,650

-16.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 COP 1,845

$1.71 COP 5,549

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 COP 10.7K

$6.01 COP 19.5K

-45.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,160

$1.01 COP 3,275

26.73%

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

$34.8K COP 112.8M

$18.2K COP 58.9M

91.43%

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

$34.4K COP 111.4M

$25.8K COP 83.5M

33.38%

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

$104 COP 336.4K

$82.5 COP 267.4K

25.78%

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

$14.63 COP 47.4K

$8.84 COP 28.7K

65.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.06 COP 87.8K

$22.93 COP 74.4K

18.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.34 COP 98.4K

$23.51 COP 76.3K

29.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 COP 33.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.92 COP 16.0K

$3.92 COP 12.7K

25.51%

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

$414 COP 1.3M

$239 COP 776.7K

72.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K COP 35.9M

$5,979 COP 19.4M

85.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.6 COP 264.5K

$60.1 COP 194.8K

35.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.07 COP 139.7K

$32.73 COP 106.2K

31.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 COP 375.5K

$81.9 COP 265.5K

41.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100.0 COP 324.2K

$71.4 COP 231.6K

40.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$703 COP 2.3M

$272 COP 880.9K

158.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$397 COP 1.3M

$238 COP 772.9K

66.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 COP 4.9M

$535 COP 1.7M

180.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$543 COP 1.8M

$424 COP 1.4M

28.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,720 COP 5.6M

$1,447 COP 4.7M

18.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,429 COP 4.6M

$1,087 COP 3.5M

31.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.88

13.06

6.28%

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

Last update for Cali: November 1, 2026

Last update for Pasto: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cali

$397 32.7%

Pasto

$238 29.8% 40% $159

Groceries & Markets

Cali

$265 21.8%

Pasto

$176 22% 33.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Cali

$153 12.6%

Pasto

$111 13.8% 27.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cali

$145 12%

Pasto

$114 14.3% 21.4% $31

Eating Out

Cali

$140 11.5%

Pasto

$88 11% 37.3% $52

Getting Around

Cali

$74 6.1%

Pasto

$42 5.3% 42.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cali

$40 3.3%

Pasto

$31 3.9% 22% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $703 in Cali and $272 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Cali vs $23 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $176 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Cali

🇨🇴 Pasto

🕒 Local time

02:22 2:22 AM

Same time as Cali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,568,609

392,930

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cali vs Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasto is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,821 in Cali and $1,201 in Pasto to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $703 in Cali versus $272 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $414 in Cali versus $239 in Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Cali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Pasto versus $1,214 in Cali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Cali. The gap between the two cities makes Pasto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.