Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Medellin

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.

38

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$800

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pasto and in Medellin

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 Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Pasto $800
Medellin $1,692

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

Pasto $1,216
Medellin $2,471

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

Pasto $1,632
Medellin $3,249

Pasto is about 53% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.92 COP 12.7K

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-53.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.47 COP 76.1K

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-49.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 COP 23.8K

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-22.39%

Cappuccino

$1.51 COP 4,909

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-51.76%

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

$0.89 COP 2,876

$1.77 COP 5,728

-49.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,984

$1.42 COP 4,620

-57.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 3,748

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-63.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 COP 7,025

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-61.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,402

$1.53 COP 4,971

-31.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,204

$2.29 COP 7,431

-43.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 3,871

$1.94 COP 6,308

-38.66%

Eggs

$2.15 COP 6,959

$3.07 COP 9,945

-29.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.59 COP 14.9K

$9.99 COP 32.4K

-54.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 COP 17.6K

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-47.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 COP 24.1K

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-46.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 COP 8,025

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-39.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,521

$1.53 COP 4,957

-28.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 COP 4,235

$2.10 COP 6,825

-37.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$2.29 COP 7,439

-51.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,801

$2.11 COP 6,841

-44.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 3,767

$1.71 COP 5,543

-32.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 COP 2,858

$1.17 COP 3,795

-24.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 COP 2,261

$1.58 COP 5,125

-55.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,577

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-40.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.77 COP 31.7K

$14.04 COP 45.6K

-30.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 COP 3,519

$1.76 COP 5,714

-38.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,511

$2.71 COP 8,796

-37.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,330

$1.18 COP 3,826

-38.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.47 COP 95.6K

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-61.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 4,650

$1.81 COP 5,860

-20.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 COP 5,549

$2.13 COP 6,906

-19.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.01 COP 19.5K

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-26.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,275

$1.28 COP 4,136

-21.09%

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

$18.2K COP 58.9M

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-47.24%

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

$25.8K COP 83.5M

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-24.55%

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

$82.5 COP 267.4K

$178 COP 576.4K

-53.60%

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

$8.84 COP 28.7K

$13.89 COP 45.0K

-36.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.93 COP 74.4K

$30.74 COP 99.7K

-25.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.51 COP 76.3K

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 12.7K

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-47.52%

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

$239 COP 776.7K

$790 COP 2.6M

-69.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,979 COP 19.4M

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-51.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.1 COP 194.8K

$86.3 COP 280.0K

-30.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.73 COP 106.2K

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 COP 265.5K

$138 COP 448.7K

-40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 COP 231.6K

$98.8 COP 320.5K

-27.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$272 COP 880.9K

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-79.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 COP 772.9K

$667 COP 2.2M

-64.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$535 COP 1.7M

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-72.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$424 COP 1.4M

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-58.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,447 COP 4.7M

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-64.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 COP 3.5M

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-43.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

10.94

19.38%

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

Last update for Pasto: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasto

$238 29.8%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 180% $429

Groceries & Markets

Pasto

$176 22%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 74.8% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasto

$114 14.3%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 94.7% $108

Clothing & Footwear

Pasto

$111 13.8%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 55.5% $62

Eating Out

Pasto

$88 11%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 96.9% $85

Getting Around

Pasto

$42 5.3%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 121% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Pasto

$31 3.9%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 81.5% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $272 in Pasto versus $1,341 in Medellin. 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 $23 in Pasto versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $307 – making Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Pasto

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

Same time as Pasto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

392,930

2,486,723

💱 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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Between locations

Pasto Medellin 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pasto
Medellin

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

Pasto vs Medellin: 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 $1,201 per month in Pasto and $2,538 in Medellin. 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 $23 in Pasto and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $800 in Pasto and $1,692 in Medellin. 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.