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: $1,256 in Playa del Carmen versus $789 in Pasto.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,137 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,197 in Pasto.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,017 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,606 in Pasto.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 59% more expensive than in Pasto, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.99 MX$209

$3.86 COP 12.6K

210.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.78 MX$728

$23.39 COP 76.2K

78.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.75 MX$187

$7.19 COP 23.4K

49.51%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$60.9

$1.51 COP 4,923

131.79%

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

$1.45 MX$25.22

$0.92 COP 2,991

57.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$15.41

$0.57 COP 1,841

54.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.95 MX$51.3

$1.15 COP 3,733

156.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.51 MX$78.6

$2.12 COP 6,899

112.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.94

$1.06 COP 3,465

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.99

$1.30 COP 4,239

41.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.31

$1.18 COP 3,827

33.05%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.21 COP 7,206

13.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$144

$4.63 COP 15.1K

78.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.43 MX$147

$5.18 COP 16.9K

62.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$186

$7.46 COP 24.3K

43.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.43

$2.42 COP 7,872

7.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.04

$1.09 COP 3,554

32.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$34.16

$1.29 COP 4,213

51.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.47

$1.11 COP 3,611

88.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.24

$1.13 COP 3,670

63.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.74

$1.18 COP 3,825

83.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.86 COP 2,799

19.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.70

$0.69 COP 2,262

55.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.4

$2.44 COP 7,934

68.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 MX$177

$9.69 COP 31.6K

4.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 MX$29.17

$1.09 COP 3,541

54.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 MX$43.98

$1.80 COP 5,857

40.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.87

$0.72 COP 2,339

-29.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$30.17 COP 98.2K

-13.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.3

$1.47 COP 4,799

119.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$41.88

$1.71 COP 5,568

40.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$5.95 COP 19.4K

-45.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.00

$1.02 COP 3,304

29.41%

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

$29.7K MX$517.1K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

65.02%

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

$23.7K MX$412.0K

$25.8K COP 84.0M

-8.35%

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

$82.0 MX$1,428

$83.9 COP 273.1K

-2.23%

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

$22.95 MX$400

$9.33 COP 30.4K

145.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.11 MX$524

$22.71 COP 73.9K

32.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$905

$23.64 COP 77.0K

119.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 MX$323

Cinema Ticket

$4.98 MX$86.6

$4.05 COP 13.2K

22.96%

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

$197 MX$3,438

$236 COP 769.1K

-16.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,336 MX$92.9K

$5,941 COP 19.3M

-10.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.60 MX$620

$59.0 COP 192.0K

-39.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 MX$702

$33.12 COP 107.8K

21.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,371

$84.6 COP 275.3K

-6.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,549

$72.9 COP 237.3K

21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$276 COP 899.6K

242.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$474 MX$8,254

$236 COP 767.6K

101.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 MX$28.6K

$525 COP 1.7M

213.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 MX$21.1K

$415 COP 1.4M

191.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,056 MX$70.6K

$1,429 COP 4.7M

183.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,470 MX$112.7K

$1,055 COP 3.4M

513.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 MX$11.4K

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Pasto: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $947 in Playa del Carmen and $276 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $42.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $23.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $175 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 59% in total monthly costs ($1,256 vs $789 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,884 in Playa del Carmen and $1,183 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: $947 in Playa del Carmen versus $276 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% 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 $42.00 in Playa del Carmen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $789 in Pasto versus $1,256 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 59% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.