Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,087 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,694 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto versus $2,301 in Cali.

Living in San Juan de Pasto is roughly 20% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: San Juan de Pasto 5% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 COP 22.7K

$7.59 COP 24.1K

-5.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.98 COP 120.6K

$38.62 COP 122.6K

-1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 COP 35.3K

$8.46 COP 26.9K

31.44%

Cappuccino

$2.51 COP 7,953

$1.65 COP 5,243

52.12%

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

$1.33 COP 4,212

$1.27 COP 4,041

4.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,704

$0.85 COP 2,684

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 COP 8,540

$3.28 COP 10.4K

-17.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 COP 10.6K

$3.85 COP 12.2K

-13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,858

$1.66 COP 5,262

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,744

$1.95 COP 6,183

25.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.52 COP 4,827

9.21%

Eggs

$3.32 COP 10.5K

$3.00 COP 9,538

10.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 COP 29.6K

$6.48 COP 20.6K

43.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.2K

$7.22 COP 22.9K

44.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 COP 43.4K

$10.39 COP 33.0K

31.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.3K

$3.67 COP 11.6K

-3.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 COP 4,048

$1.37 COP 4,359

-6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 COP 7,022

$1.83 COP 5,813

20.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 COP 6,802

$1.77 COP 5,634

20.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,390

$1.46 COP 4,635

-5.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,844

$1.54 COP 4,885

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.17 COP 3,722

17.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.05 COP 3,323

24.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$3.79 COP 12.0K

-3.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 COP 42.0K

$13.24 COP 42.0K

-0.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 3,987

$1.47 COP 4,678

-14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 COP 9,786

$2.51 COP 7,969

22.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 COP 3,504

$1.15 COP 3,666

-4.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.69 COP 97.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 COP 5,532

$0.88 COP 2,789

97.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 COP 7,861

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 COP 29.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,033

$1.31 COP 4,164

-3.05%

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

$25.5K COP 81.1M

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

$35.5K COP 112.6M

$36.1K COP 114.7M

-1.81%

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

$129 COP 409.0K

$114 COP 363.3K

12.57%

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

$14.14 COP 44.9K

$13.68 COP 43.4K

3.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.87 COP 94.8K

$31.26 COP 99.2K

-4.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 COP 117.0K

$29.82 COP 94.7K

23.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 COP 19.6K

$8.36 COP 26.5K

-26.08%

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

$569 COP 1.8M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 COP 18.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 COP 305.2K

$79.7 COP 252.9K

20.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 188.4K

$55.1 COP 174.9K

7.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 COP 471.3K

$130 COP 412.4K

14.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 341.5K

$114 COP 363.3K

-6.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 COP 2.1M

$666 COP 2.1M

0.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 COP 1.5M

$306 COP 972.0K

51.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 COP 3.4M

$1,627 COP 5.2M

-34.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 COP 3.3M

$509 COP 1.6M

102.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,958 COP 6.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 COP 5.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$598 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

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

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cali: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in San Juan de Pasto and $666 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto vs $39.00 in Cali. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $247, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

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

San Juan de Pasto vs Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,957 in San Juan de Pasto and $1,630 in Cali 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: $670 in San Juan de Pasto versus $666 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in San Juan de Pasto. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,087 in Cali versus $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in San Juan de Pasto. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in San Juan de Pasto, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, San Juan de Pasto and Cali 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 Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in San Juan de Pasto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.