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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto, rent included.

Medellin costs about 29% more than San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while San Juan de Pasto is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$7.15 COP 22.7K

12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$37.98 COP 120.6K

26.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$11.12 COP 35.3K

-11.06%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.51 COP 7,953

24.70%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$1.33 COP 4,212

43.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.85 COP 2,704

77.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$2.69 COP 8,540

15.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.33 COP 10.6K

72.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.53 COP 4,858

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$2.44 COP 7,744

2.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.66 COP 5,256

6.63%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$3.32 COP 10.5K

-10.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$9.33 COP 29.6K

7.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$10.45 COP 33.2K

-3.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$13.66 COP 43.4K

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.56 COP 11.3K

16.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.28 COP 4,048

25.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$2.21 COP 7,022

1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.14 COP 6,802

5.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$1.38 COP 4,390

47.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.53 COP 4,844

0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.37 COP 4,334

-14.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$1.31 COP 4,157

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.66 COP 11.6K

6.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$13.22 COP 42.0K

5.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.26 COP 3,987

38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.08 COP 9,786

-6.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$1.10 COP 3,504

10.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.74 COP 5,532

-24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.48 COP 7,861

-11.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$9.29 COP 29.5K

-6.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.27 COP 4,033

7.87%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$25.5K COP 81.1M

8.99%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$35.5K COP 112.6M

0.85%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$129 COP 409.0K

37.64%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$14.14 COP 44.9K

-1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$29.87 COP 94.8K

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$36.86 COP 117.0K

21.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$6.18 COP 19.6K

7.61%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$569 COP 1.8M

42.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$5,789 COP 18.4M

58.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$96.1 COP 305.2K

-6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$59.3 COP 188.4K

-0.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$148 COP 471.3K

-6.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$108 COP 341.5K

-5.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$670 COP 2.1M

58.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$464 COP 1.5M

42.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,073 COP 3.4M

76.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$1,032 COP 3.3M

-0.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,958 COP 6.2M

113.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,854 COP 5.9M

-9.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $670 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $293 – making San Juan de Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 29%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,957 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan de Pasto, where all-in costs run around $1,305, than in Medellin at $1,681. In San Juan de Pasto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.