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: $1,266 in Playa del Carmen versus $790 in Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,279 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,218 in Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,292 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,646 in Pasto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 60% more expensive than in Pasto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 7% lower, Pasto 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.60 MX$200

$3.89 COP 12.3K

198.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.11 MX$811

$23.22 COP 73.7K

102.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 MX$205

$7.46 COP 23.7K

59.25%

Cappuccino

$3.98 MX$68.5

$1.49 COP 4,724

167.11%

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

$1.43 MX$24.57

$0.92 COP 2,912

55.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.20

$0.57 COP 1,823

43.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.19 MX$54.9

$1.15 COP 3,661

177.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.79 MX$117

$2.12 COP 6,721

220.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 MX$28.85

$1.11 COP 3,531

51.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.20 MX$37.83

$1.26 COP 3,991

74.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.41

$1.19 COP 3,772

43.70%

Eggs

$2.74 MX$47.20

$2.23 COP 7,092

22.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.58 MX$165

$4.60 COP 14.6K

108.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 MX$155

$5.31 COP 16.8K

69.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 MX$221

$7.28 COP 23.1K

75.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 MX$49.74

$2.52 COP 7,989

14.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.78

$1.04 COP 3,287

44.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 MX$36.98

$1.36 COP 4,318

58.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.91

$1.06 COP 3,353

113.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.10

$1.11 COP 3,514

78.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.26

$1.13 COP 3,602

76.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.23 MX$21.25

$0.86 COP 2,726

43.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.60

$0.68 COP 2,167

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.55 MX$78.3

$2.45 COP 7,780

85.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 MX$179

$9.45 COP 30.0K

9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.88

$1.13 COP 3,583

43.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.60

$1.72 COP 5,446

67.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.34

$0.68 COP 2,169

-11.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

$30.32 COP 96.2K

-5.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.39 MX$92.8

$1.47 COP 4,652

266.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.73 MX$64.2

$1.73 COP 5,490

115.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.77 MX$99.3

$6.19 COP 19.6K

-6.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.45

$0.94 COP 3,000

63.83%

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

$22.5K MX$388.3K

$17.8K COP 56.6M

26.53%

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

$26.1K MX$448.7K

$25.0K COP 79.4M

4.15%

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

$91.4 MX$1,573

$81.7 COP 259.5K

11.81%

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

$25.20 MX$434

$8.87 COP 28.2K

184.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.24 MX$538

$22.64 COP 71.9K

37.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 MX$1,157

$23.10 COP 73.3K

190.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$4.86 MX$83.7

$3.99 COP 12.7K

21.80%

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

$224 MX$3,851

$239 COP 757.2K

-6.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,229 MX$72.8K

$5,866 COP 18.6M

-27.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.10 MX$811

$59.5 COP 188.8K

-20.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.29 MX$763

$33.27 COP 105.6K

33.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.1 MX$1,379

$83.9 COP 266.4K

-4.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.7 MX$1,596

$72.2 COP 229.3K

28.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 MX$18.3K

$271 COP 859.7K

292.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,719

$243 COP 770.4K

60.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,149 MX$37.0K

$533 COP 1.7M

303.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 MX$21.9K

$414 COP 1.3M

207.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 MX$68.9K

$1,425 COP 4.5M

180.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,502 MX$112.0K

$1,070 COP 3.4M

507.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

13.06

-12.33%

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

Last update for Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Last update for Pasto: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,063 in Playa del Carmen and $271 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $276 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 60% in total monthly costs ($1,266 vs $790 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,899 in Playa del Carmen and $1,185 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: $1,063 in Playa del Carmen versus $271 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% 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 $23.00 versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $790 in Pasto versus $1,266 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 60% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.