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: $1,484 in Mexico City versus $767 in San Juan de Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,381 in Mexico City versus $1,088 in San Juan de Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,278 in Mexico City versus $1,409 in San Juan de Pasto.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 93% more expensive than San Juan de Pasto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 11% above, San Juan de Pasto is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.98 MX$226

$2.85 COP 10.4K

355.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.1 MX$923

$12.07 COP 43.9K

339.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 MX$169

$6.45 COP 23.5K

50.70%

Cappuccino

$3.75 MX$65.2

$1.74 COP 6,313

115.52%

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

$1.57 MX$27.30

$0.70 COP 2,540

124.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.64

$0.49 COP 1,781

130.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$55.3

$1.19 COP 4,319

167.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 MX$81.1

$2.48 COP 9,015

87.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MX$28.21

$1.05 COP 3,831

54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 MX$47.09

$1.28 COP 4,647

111.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.70

$1.13 COP 4,128

66.37%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.65

$1.91 COP 6,938

31.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 MX$175

$5.86 COP 21.3K

72.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 MX$144

$4.23 COP 15.4K

95.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.94 MX$208

$7.24 COP 26.3K

64.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.77

$1.60 COP 5,803

78.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.45

$1.07 COP 3,896

63.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.27

$1.34 COP 4,878

55.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.27

$0.90 COP 3,280

118.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.58

$1.11 COP 4,033

94.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.94

$1.14 COP 4,142

91.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$24.20

$0.80 COP 2,911

73.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.57

$0.69 COP 2,502

62.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.1

$2.34 COP 8,513

79.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.25 MX$248

$14.05 COP 51.1K

1.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.68

$1.09 COP 3,978

61.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.1

$1.72 COP 6,249

113.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.71

$0.58 COP 2,124

-32.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.66 MX$325

$29.52 COP 107.3K

-36.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.39 MX$24.12

$1.48 COP 5,369

-6.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.29

$1.44 COP 5,243

-79.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.42 MX$94.3

$6.18 COP 22.5K

-12.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.50

$0.94 COP 3,431

43.62%

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

$18.9K MX$328.6K

$18.2K COP 66.2M

3.77%

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

$23.2K MX$402.8K

$25.9K COP 94.3M

-10.74%

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

$40.82 MX$710

$61.5 COP 223.5K

-33.58%

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

$27.50 MX$479

$7.08 COP 25.8K

288.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.38 MX$529

$22.99 COP 83.6K

32.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.4 MX$930

$21.56 COP 78.4K

147.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.30 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.27 MX$109

$3.92 COP 14.3K

59.95%

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

$436 MX$7,588

$242 COP 880.4K

80.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.1K

$6,014 COP 21.9M

74.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 MX$988

$59.9 COP 217.7K

-5.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.79 MX$779

$33.28 COP 121.0K

34.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,789

$83.1 COP 302.4K

23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$53.2 COP 193.6K

102.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 MX$17.4K

$307 COP 1.1M

226.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 MX$10.8K

$242 COP 878.7K

156.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,137 MX$37.2K

$375 COP 1.4M

470.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 MX$21.5K

$327 COP 1.2M

277.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,865 MX$67.3K

$1,723 COP 6.3M

124.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 MX$40.6K

$1,301 COP 4.7M

79.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,067 MX$18.6K

$450 COP 1.6M

136.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.18

-13.96%

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

Last update for Mexico City: April 27, 2026

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,000 in Mexico City and $307 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mexico City pays 137% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $53.0 in Mexico City vs $12.00 in San Juan de Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $174 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 93% in total monthly costs ($1,484 vs $767 including rent). San Juan de Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Mexico City pays 137% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,000 in Mexico City versus $307 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan de Pasto runs roughly 58% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 in Mexico City versus $242 in San Juan de Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $767 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,484 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 93% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.