Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $799 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$799

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pasto and in Mexico City

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $799 in Pasto versus $1,567 in Mexico City.

Pasto $799
Mexico City $1,567

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,210 in Pasto versus $2,450 in Mexico City.

Pasto $1,210
Mexico City $2,450

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,622 in Pasto versus $3,333 in Mexico City.

Pasto $1,622
Mexico City $3,333

Living in Pasto costs roughly 49% less than in Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pasto is 41% below, Mexico City is 16% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.98 COP 12.6K

$10.75 MX$199

-62.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.79 COP 75.4K

$50.3 MX$929

-52.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 COP 23.7K

$11.10 MX$205

-32.79%

Cappuccino

$1.56 COP 4,934

$3.68 MX$68.1

-57.61%

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

$0.86 COP 2,724

$1.65 MX$30.42

-47.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.61 COP 1,943

$1.30 MX$24.08

-53.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.16 COP 3,666

$3.32 MX$61.3

-65.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 COP 6,968

$5.54 MX$102

-60.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,464

$1.77 MX$32.68

-38.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,088

$3.05 MX$56.4

-57.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 COP 3,744

$2.01 MX$37.20

-41.29%

Eggs

$2.14 COP 6,771

$2.77 MX$51.1

-22.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.61 COP 14.6K

$11.91 MX$220

-61.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.26 COP 16.7K

$9.33 MX$172

-43.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.29 COP 23.1K

$15.02 MX$278

-51.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 COP 7,748

$3.08 MX$56.8

-20.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 COP 3,302

$1.95 MX$35.97

-46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.30 COP 4,108

$2.03 MX$37.54

-35.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,379

$2.21 MX$40.92

-51.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,648

$2.02 MX$37.41

-43.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,586

$1.82 MX$33.67

-37.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.80 COP 2,537

$1.52 MX$28.07

-47.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 COP 2,041

$1.28 MX$23.65

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 COP 7,509

$5.27 MX$97.4

-55.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.81 COP 31.1K

$16.12 MX$298

-39.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,443

$1.95 MX$36.05

-44.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 COP 5,599

$4.25 MX$78.6

-58.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 COP 2,271

$0.31 MX$5.82

132.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.39 COP 96.4K

$19.85 MX$367

53.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.43 COP 4,532

$2.00 MX$36.93

-28.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 COP 5,688

$0.53 MX$9.86

237.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 COP 18.9K

$5.62 MX$104

6.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 COP 2,958

$1.52 MX$28.07

-38.82%

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

$18.1K COP 57.2M

$21.0K MX$388.7K

-14.16%

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

$25.7K COP 81.6M

$25.2K MX$465.3K

2.25%

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

$83.4 COP 264.4K

$62.5 MX$1,155

33.45%

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

$8.89 COP 28.2K

$28.77 MX$532

-69.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 COP 71.0K

$34.45 MX$637

-35.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.02 COP 73.0K

$57.1 MX$1,055

-59.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 12.3K

$6.67 MX$123

-41.68%

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

$235 COP 744.6K

$431 MX$7,964

-45.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,071 COP 19.2M

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-48.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 COP 185.6K

$70.8 MX$1,308

-17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.60 COP 103.4K

$51.8 MX$958

-37.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.4 COP 261.4K

$109 MX$2,011

-24.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.8 COP 227.6K

$112 MX$2,076

-36.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$269 COP 851.9K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-74.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 COP 751.4K

$665 MX$12.3K

-64.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 COP 1.7M

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-77.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 COP 1.3M

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-66.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 COP 4.5M

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-59.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,069 COP 3.4M

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-45.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$975 MX$18.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

11.3

15.58%

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

Last update for Pasto: October 11, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasto

$237 29.7%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 181% $428

Groceries & Markets

Pasto

$173 21.7%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 86.2% $149

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasto

$115 14.4%

Mexico City

$126 8% 9.6% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Pasto

$110 13.8%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 40.1% $44

Eating Out

Pasto

$89 11.1%

Mexico City

$203 13% 128% $114

Getting Around

Pasto

$44 5.5%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 41% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Pasto

$31 3.9%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 129% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $269 in Pasto and $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Pasto vs $50.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $323 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Pasto

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

19:03 7:03 PM

1 h behind Pasto

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

392,930

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Pasto Mexico City 3,120 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pasto
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pasto and Mexico City differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($799 vs $1,567 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,198 in Pasto and $2,351 in Mexico City 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: $269 in Pasto versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Pasto runs roughly 53% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $235 in Pasto versus $431 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $799 in Pasto versus $1,567 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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.

Safety-wise, Pasto and Mexico City 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 Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 96% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.