Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Cali

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $800 a month against $1,214 in Cali, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index
58

Cost of Living Index in Cali
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Cali Living Index

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Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$800

/mo nomad

Cali

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,214

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pasto and in Cali

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pasto and in Cali actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $800 in Pasto versus $1,214 in Cali.

Pasto $800
Cali $1,214

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,216 in Pasto versus $1,827 in Cali.

Pasto $1,216
Cali $1,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,632 in Pasto versus $2,439 in Cali.

Pasto $1,632
Cali $2,439

Living in Pasto costs roughly 34% less than in Cali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Pasto 41% lower, Cali 10% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 COP 12.7K

$5.20 COP 16.9K

-24.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 COP 76.1K

$56.3 COP 182.6K

-58.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 COP 23.8K

$6.03 COP 19.6K

21.89%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 4,909

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-52.06%

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

$0.89 COP 2,876

$2.37 COP 7,674

-62.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,984

$2.25 COP 7,283

-72.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 3,748

$3.36 COP 10.9K

-65.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 COP 7,025

$3.51 COP 11.4K

-38.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,402

$1.67 COP 5,416

-37.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,204

$1.75 COP 5,665

-25.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 3,871

$1.74 COP 5,647

-31.61%

Eggs

$2.15 COP 6,959

$3.05 COP 9,879

-29.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.59 COP 14.9K

$8.80 COP 28.5K

-47.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 COP 17.6K

$9.46 COP 30.7K

-42.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 COP 24.1K

$10.84 COP 35.2K

-31.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 COP 8,025

$3.75 COP 12.2K

-34.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,521

$1.16 COP 3,767

-6.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,235

$1.32 COP 4,296

-0.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.04 COP 6,623

-45.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,801

$1.66 COP 5,394

-29.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,767

$1.60 COP 5,204

-27.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 2,858

$0.92 COP 2,979

-4.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,261

$0.86 COP 2,796

-18.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,577

$4.51 COP 14.6K

-48.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 COP 31.7K

$15.11 COP 49.0K

-35.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,519

$1.51 COP 4,913

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,511

$1.88 COP 6,097

-9.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,330

$1.07 COP 3,459

-32.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.47 COP 95.6K

$65.6 COP 212.6K

-55.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 4,650

$1.19 COP 3,855

20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 COP 5,549

$0.57 COP 1,845

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 COP 19.5K

$3.29 COP 10.7K

82.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,275

$1.28 COP 4,160

-21.09%

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

$18.2K COP 58.9M

$34.8K COP 112.8M

-47.76%

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

$25.8K COP 83.5M

$34.4K COP 111.4M

-25.03%

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

$82.5 COP 267.4K

$104 COP 336.4K

-20.50%

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

$8.84 COP 28.7K

$14.63 COP 47.4K

-39.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.93 COP 74.4K

$27.06 COP 87.8K

-15.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.51 COP 76.3K

$30.34 COP 98.4K

-22.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.18 COP 33.0K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 12.7K

$4.92 COP 16.0K

-20.33%

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

$239 COP 776.7K

$414 COP 1.3M

-42.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,979 COP 19.4M

$11.1K COP 35.9M

-46.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 COP 194.8K

$81.6 COP 264.5K

-26.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 COP 106.2K

$43.07 COP 139.7K

-24.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 COP 265.5K

$116 COP 375.5K

-29.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 COP 231.6K

$100.0 COP 324.2K

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 COP 880.9K

$703 COP 2.3M

-61.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 772.9K

$397 COP 1.3M

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 COP 1.7M

$1,501 COP 4.9M

-64.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 COP 1.4M

$543 COP 1.8M

-21.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,447 COP 4.7M

$1,720 COP 5.6M

-15.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 COP 3.5M

$1,429 COP 4.6M

-23.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

13.88

-5.91%

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

Last update for Pasto: November 3, 2026

Last update for Cali: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasto

$238 29.8%

Cali

$397 32.7% 66.7% $159

Groceries & Markets

Pasto

$176 22%

Cali

$265 21.8% 50.4% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasto

$114 14.3%

Cali

$145 12% 27.3% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Pasto

$111 13.8%

Cali

$153 12.6% 38.3% $42

Eating Out

Pasto

$88 11%

Cali

$140 11.5% 59.4% $52

Getting Around

Pasto

$42 5.3%

Cali

$74 6.1% 74.5% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Pasto

$31 3.9%

Cali

$40 3.3% 28.2% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $272 in Pasto and $703 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23 in Pasto vs $56 in Cali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $176 vs $265 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Pasto

🇨🇴 Cali

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

Same time as Pasto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

392,930

2,568,609

💱 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

On the map

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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

Pasto vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasto is about 34% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,201 in Pasto and $1,821 in Cali 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: $272 in Pasto versus $703 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $239 in Pasto versus $414 in Cali. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Cali. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $800 in Pasto versus $1,214 in Cali, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Cali. The gap between the two cities makes 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.

Expats usually find Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Cali. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.