Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pasto Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Pasto

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,297 in Playa del Carmen versus $793 in Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,181 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,219 in Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,065 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,645 in Pasto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 64% more expensive than Pasto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 3% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.73 MX$203

$3.86 COP 13.8K

203.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.62 MX$720

$23.70 COP 84.6K

75.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.64 MX$184

$7.44 COP 26.6K

43.01%

Cappuccino

$3.52 MX$60.9

$1.55 COP 5,520

127.10%

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

$1.51 MX$26.12

$0.86 COP 3,055

75.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.84

$0.57 COP 2,029

70.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.0

$1.19 COP 4,233

147.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.45 MX$77.0

$2.15 COP 7,683

106.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.93

$1.10 COP 3,936

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 MX$32.72

$1.31 COP 4,661

44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.32

$1.14 COP 4,075

43.86%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.34

$2.19 COP 7,810

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$4.40 COP 15.7K

89.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$144

$5.34 COP 19.1K

56.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$186

$7.39 COP 26.4K

45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.04

$2.43 COP 8,685

7.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.20

$1.05 COP 3,732

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.35 COP 4,805

40.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.91

$1.11 COP 3,962

87.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.71

$1.12 COP 4,015

58.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 MX$37.80

$1.18 COP 4,221

85.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 MX$17.99

$0.87 COP 3,113

19.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.62

$0.68 COP 2,443

58.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$70.6

$2.41 COP 8,589

69.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.32 MX$178

$9.39 COP 33.5K

9.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$29.61

$1.09 COP 3,894

56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$44.54

$1.73 COP 6,180

49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.81

$0.68 COP 2,429

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.46 MX$458

$29.81 COP 106.5K

-11.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$56.4

$1.48 COP 5,281

120.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.09

$1.77 COP 6,325

40.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.2

$6.04 COP 21.6K

-46.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.61

$0.92 COP 3,303

42.39%

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

$30.3K MX$523.7K

$18.0K COP 64.3M

68.20%

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

$23.4K MX$405.3K

$25.3K COP 90.3M

-7.39%

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

$82.9 MX$1,433

$84.1 COP 300.2K

-1.43%

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

$22.22 MX$384

$8.99 COP 32.1K

147.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.34 MX$507

$22.92 COP 81.8K

28.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 MX$893

$23.56 COP 84.1K

119.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.32 MX$317

Cinema Ticket

$5.07 MX$87.6

$3.85 COP 13.7K

31.69%

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

$201 MX$3,473

$240 COP 856.6K

-16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,212 MX$90.1K

$6,010 COP 21.5M

-13.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.92 MX$639

$59.5 COP 212.4K

-37.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.79 MX$688

$33.25 COP 118.7K

19.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.5 MX$1,357

$82.6 COP 295.0K

-5.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.1 MX$1,506

$73.7 COP 263.2K

18.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 MX$16.8K

$268 COP 955.8K

263.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$468 MX$8,090

$242 COP 863.9K

93.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 MX$28.4K

$534 COP 1.9M

207.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$415 COP 1.5M

194.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,946 MX$68.3K

$1,453 COP 5.2M

171.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,498 MX$112.4K

$1,053 COP 3.8M

516.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$664 MX$11.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

13.06

-12.56%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Pasto: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $973 in Playa del Carmen and $268 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $24.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $174 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

Playa del Carmen vs Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Pasto differ by about 64% in total monthly costs ($1,297 vs $793 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,945 in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Pasto 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: $973 in Playa del Carmen versus $268 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pasto – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $793 in Pasto versus $1,297 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. 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, Playa del Carmen and 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 Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.