Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $800 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$800

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin 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 Medellin and in Pasto actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $800 in Pasto, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Pasto $800

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,216 in Pasto, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Pasto $1,216

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,632 in Pasto, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Pasto $1,632

Medellin costs about 111% more than Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Pasto is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$3.92 COP 12.7K

112.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$23.47 COP 76.1K

98.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$7.35 COP 23.8K

28.84%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.51 COP 4,909

107.28%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.89 COP 2,876

98.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.61 COP 1,984

132.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.16 COP 3,748

171.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$2.17 COP 7,025

162.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$1.05 COP 3,402

45.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$1.30 COP 4,204

76.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.19 COP 3,871

63.03%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$2.15 COP 6,959

42.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$4.59 COP 14.9K

117.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$5.44 COP 17.6K

92.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$7.44 COP 24.1K

87.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.47 COP 8,025

63.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$1.09 COP 3,521

40.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$1.31 COP 4,235

60.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$1.11 COP 3,603

106.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$1.17 COP 3,801

80.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$1.16 COP 3,767

47.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.88 COP 2,858

32.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.70 COP 2,261

125.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.34 COP 7,577

67.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$9.77 COP 31.7K

43.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.08 COP 3,519

62.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$1.70 COP 5,511

59.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.72 COP 2,330

63.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$29.47 COP 95.6K

158.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$1.43 COP 4,650

26.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.71 COP 5,549

24.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$6.01 COP 19.5K

35.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.01 COP 3,275

26.73%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$18.2K COP 58.9M

89.54%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$25.8K COP 83.5M

32.54%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$82.5 COP 267.4K

115.53%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$8.84 COP 28.7K

57.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$22.93 COP 74.4K

34.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$23.51 COP 76.3K

78.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$3.92 COP 12.7K

90.56%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$239 COP 776.7K

229.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$5,979 COP 19.4M

105.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$60.1 COP 194.8K

43.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$32.73 COP 106.2K

81.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$81.9 COP 265.5K

69.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$71.4 COP 231.6K

38.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$272 COP 880.9K

393.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$238 COP 772.9K

179.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$535 COP 1.7M

269.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$424 COP 1.4M

143.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,447 COP 4.7M

183.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,087 COP 3.5M

78.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

13.06

-16.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Pasto: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Pasto

$238 29.8% 64.3% $429

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Pasto

$176 22% 42.8% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Pasto

$114 14.3% 48.6% $108

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Pasto

$88 11% 49.2% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Pasto

$111 13.8% 35.7% $62

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Pasto

$42 5.3% 54.7% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Pasto

$31 3.9% 44.9% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $272 in Pasto. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $23 in Pasto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $176 – making Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇴 Pasto

🕒 Local time

23:44 11:44 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

392,930

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Medellin Pasto 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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

Medellin vs Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 111%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,201 in Pasto. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pasto, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $272 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $23 in Pasto. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $800 in Pasto. That makes Pasto about 53% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Pasto, where all-in costs run around $800, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Pasto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pasto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Pasto is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 53% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.