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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,087 in Cali versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,694 in Cali versus $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,301 in Cali versus $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Cali costs roughly 17% less than in San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cali 21% lower, San Juan de Pasto 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.1K

$7.15 COP 22.7K

6.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.62 COP 122.6K

$37.98 COP 120.6K

1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.46 COP 26.9K

$11.12 COP 35.3K

-23.92%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,243

$2.51 COP 7,953

-34.26%

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

$1.27 COP 4,041

$1.33 COP 4,212

-4.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,684

$0.85 COP 2,704

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.28 COP 10.4K

$2.69 COP 8,540

21.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.85 COP 12.2K

$3.33 COP 10.6K

15.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 COP 5,262

$1.53 COP 4,858

8.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 COP 6,183

$2.44 COP 7,744

-20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,827

$1.66 COP 5,256

-8.43%

Eggs

$3.00 COP 9,538

$3.32 COP 10.5K

-9.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 COP 20.6K

$9.33 COP 29.6K

-30.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.22 COP 22.9K

$10.45 COP 33.2K

-30.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 COP 33.0K

$13.66 COP 43.4K

-23.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 COP 11.6K

$3.56 COP 11.3K

3.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,359

$1.28 COP 4,048

7.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,813

$2.21 COP 7,022

-17.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$2.14 COP 6,802

-17.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 COP 4,635

$1.38 COP 4,390

5.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,885

$1.53 COP 4,844

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,722

$1.37 COP 4,334

-14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 COP 3,323

$1.31 COP 4,157

-19.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.0K

$3.66 COP 11.6K

3.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 COP 42.0K

$13.22 COP 42.0K

0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 COP 4,678

$1.26 COP 3,987

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 COP 7,969

$3.08 COP 9,786

-18.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 COP 3,666

$1.10 COP 3,504

4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.69 COP 97.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.88 COP 2,789

$1.74 COP 5,532

-49.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 COP 7,861

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 COP 29.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 COP 4,164

$1.27 COP 4,033

3.15%

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

$25.5K COP 81.1M

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

$36.1K COP 114.7M

$35.5K COP 112.6M

1.85%

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

$114 COP 363.3K

$129 COP 409.0K

-11.16%

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

$13.68 COP 43.4K

$14.14 COP 44.9K

-3.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.26 COP 99.2K

$29.87 COP 94.8K

4.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.82 COP 94.7K

$36.86 COP 117.0K

-19.10%

Cinema Ticket

$8.36 COP 26.5K

$6.18 COP 19.6K

35.28%

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

$569 COP 1.8M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 COP 18.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$79.7 COP 252.9K

$96.1 COP 305.2K

-17.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 COP 174.9K

$59.3 COP 188.4K

-7.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 COP 412.4K

$148 COP 471.3K

-12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 COP 363.3K

$108 COP 341.5K

6.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$666 COP 2.1M

$670 COP 2.1M

-0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$306 COP 972.0K

$464 COP 1.5M

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,627 COP 5.2M

$1,073 COP 3.4M

51.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$509 COP 1.6M

$1,032 COP 3.3M

-50.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,958 COP 6.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 COP 5.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

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

Last update for Cali: September 13, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $666 in Cali and $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Cali vs $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $293, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

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

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,630 in Cali and $1,957 in San Juan de 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: $666 in Cali versus $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in San Juan de Pasto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Cali versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in San Juan de Pasto. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Juan de Pasto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cali and San Juan de Pasto are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in San Juan de Pasto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.