Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Juan de Pasto Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and San Juan de Pasto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,660 in Mexico City versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,565 in Mexico City versus $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,470 in Mexico City versus $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 27% more expensive than in San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 21% above, San Juan de Pasto is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.92 MX$205

$7.15 COP 22.7K

66.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.6 MX$889

$37.98 COP 120.6K

35.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.41 MX$197

$11.12 COP 35.3K

2.61%

Cappuccino

$3.99 MX$68.8

$2.51 COP 7,953

58.96%

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

$1.66 MX$28.57

$1.33 COP 4,212

24.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$22.84

$0.85 COP 2,704

56.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 MX$59.8

$2.69 COP 8,540

29.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.90 MX$102

$3.33 COP 10.6K

77.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.88 MX$32.31

$1.53 COP 4,858

22.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.25 MX$56.0

$2.44 COP 7,744

33.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.21

$1.66 COP 5,256

30.12%

Eggs

$2.90 MX$49.87

$3.32 COP 10.5K

-12.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 MX$221

$9.33 COP 29.6K

37.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.05 MX$173

$10.45 COP 33.2K

-3.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.86 MX$273

$13.66 COP 43.4K

16.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 MX$56.7

$3.56 COP 11.3K

-7.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.55

$1.28 COP 4,048

57.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 MX$37.88

$2.21 COP 7,022

-0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 MX$40.57

$2.14 COP 6,802

10.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 MX$35.38

$1.38 COP 4,390

48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.75

$1.53 COP 4,844

24.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.37 COP 4,334

17.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 MX$24.05

$1.31 COP 4,157

6.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.46 MX$94.1

$3.66 COP 11.6K

49.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$13.22 COP 42.0K

33.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 MX$35.39

$1.26 COP 3,987

63.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.68 MX$80.7

$3.08 COP 9,786

51.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 MX$5.83

$1.10 COP 3,504

-69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.11

$1.74 COP 5,532

20.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MX$9.63

$2.48 COP 7,861

-77.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.81 MX$100

$9.29 COP 29.5K

-37.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.27 COP 4,033

26.77%

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

$22.8K MX$393.3K

$25.5K COP 81.1M

-10.57%

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

$26.8K MX$460.6K

$35.5K COP 112.6M

-24.58%

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

$65.2 MX$1,122

$129 COP 409.0K

-49.40%

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

$30.09 MX$518

$14.14 COP 44.9K

112.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.18 MX$640

$29.87 COP 94.8K

24.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 MX$1,029

$36.86 COP 117.0K

62.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$7.04 MX$121

$6.18 COP 19.6K

13.92%

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

$465 MX$8,001

$569 COP 1.8M

-18.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K MX$228.6K

$5,789 COP 18.4M

129.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.9 MX$1,307

$96.1 COP 305.2K

-21.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 MX$963

$59.3 COP 188.4K

-5.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$1,926

$148 COP 471.3K

-24.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 MX$2,075

$108 COP 341.5K

12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,103 MX$19.0K

$670 COP 2.1M

64.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$721 MX$12.4K

$464 COP 1.5M

55.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,530 MX$43.6K

$1,073 COP 3.4M

135.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,293 MX$22.3K

$1,032 COP 3.3M

25.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,991 MX$68.7K

$1,958 COP 6.2M

103.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 MX$36.0K

$1,854 COP 5.9M

12.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

11.58

-2.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: September 14, 2026

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,103 in Mexico City and $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Mexico City vs $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $293 per month, with San Juan de Pasto cheaper across the board.

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

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

Mexico City and San Juan de Pasto differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,660 vs $1,305 including rent). San Juan de Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,489 in Mexico City 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: $1,103 in Mexico City versus $670 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $465 in Mexico City versus $569 in San Juan de Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan de Pasto – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan de Pasto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan de 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.

Safety-wise, Mexico City 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 San Juan de Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.