Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasto and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $793 in Pasto versus $1,467 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,219 in Pasto versus $2,371 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,645 in Pasto versus $3,274 in Mexico City.

Living in Pasto costs roughly 46% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Pasto is 41% below, Mexico City is 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.86 COP 13.8K

$13.18 MX$228

-70.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.70 COP 84.6K

$53.9 MX$932

-56.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.44 COP 26.6K

$9.42 MX$163

-21.02%

Cappuccino

$1.55 COP 5,520

$3.55 MX$61.4

-56.34%

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

$0.86 COP 3,055

$1.62 MX$27.98

-46.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 COP 2,029

$1.11 MX$19.27

-48.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 COP 4,233

$3.12 MX$54.0

-61.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 COP 7,683

$4.63 MX$80.1

-53.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,936

$1.70 MX$29.43

-35.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,661

$2.72 MX$47.02

-51.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 COP 4,075

$1.91 MX$33.07

-40.31%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,810

$2.54 MX$43.86

-13.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.03 MX$174

-56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.34 COP 19.1K

$8.09 MX$140

-33.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.39 COP 26.4K

$11.62 MX$201

-36.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.43 COP 8,685

$2.97 MX$51.3

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.05 COP 3,732

$1.81 MX$31.24

-41.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,805

$2.01 MX$34.82

-32.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,962

$2.03 MX$35.20

-45.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,015

$2.12 MX$36.75

-47.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,221

$2.27 MX$39.25

-48.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 COP 3,113

$1.40 MX$24.22

-37.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,443

$1.13 MX$19.55

-39.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.41 COP 8,589

$4.27 MX$73.9

-43.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.39 COP 33.5K

$15.56 MX$269

-39.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 COP 3,894

$1.76 MX$30.39

-38.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 COP 6,180

$3.60 MX$62.2

-51.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 COP 2,429

$0.38 MX$6.62

78.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.81 COP 106.5K

$19.18 MX$332

55.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 COP 5,281

$1.38 MX$23.79

7.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 COP 6,325

$0.28 MX$4.78

532.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.04 COP 21.6K

$5.45 MX$94.2

10.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 COP 3,303

$1.30 MX$22.55

-29.23%

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

$18.0K COP 64.3M

$18.7K MX$323.2K

-3.67%

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

$25.3K COP 90.3M

$23.1K MX$400.1K

9.38%

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

$84.1 COP 300.2K

$40.86 MX$707

105.75%

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

$8.99 COP 32.1K

$26.81 MX$464

-66.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.92 COP 81.8K

$29.96 MX$518

-23.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.56 COP 84.1K

$52.0 MX$900

-54.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$3.85 COP 13.7K

$6.30 MX$109

-38.89%

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

$240 COP 856.6K

$436 MX$7,544

-45.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,010 COP 21.5M

$10.4K MX$180.2K

-42.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 COP 212.4K

$56.7 MX$980

5.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.25 COP 118.7K

$44.38 MX$768

-25.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 COP 295.0K

$103 MX$1,780

-19.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 COP 263.2K

$106 MX$1,825

-30.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$268 COP 955.8K

$1,022 MX$17.7K

-73.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$242 COP 863.9K

$631 MX$10.9K

-61.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$534 COP 1.9M

$2,136 MX$36.9K

-74.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 COP 1.5M

$1,243 MX$21.5K

-66.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,453 COP 5.2M

$3,903 MX$67.5K

-62.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,053 COP 3.8M

$2,064 MX$35.7K

-48.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.06

11.34

15.17%

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

Last update for Pasto: May 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $268 in Pasto and $1,022 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $24.00 in Pasto vs $54.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $174 vs $288 per month, with 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

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

Pasto and Mexico City differ by about 85% in total monthly costs ($793 vs $1,467 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,189 in Pasto and $2,201 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: $268 in Pasto versus $1,022 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 55% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $240 in Pasto versus $436 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $793 in Pasto versus $1,467 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 85% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.