Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,660 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,098 in San Juan de Pasto versus $2,565 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,891 in San Juan de Pasto versus $3,470 in Mexico City.

Living in San Juan de Pasto costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan de Pasto is 5% below, Mexico City is 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 COP 22.7K

$11.92 MX$205

-40.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.98 COP 120.6K

$51.6 MX$889

-26.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 COP 35.3K

$11.41 MX$197

-2.54%

Cappuccino

$2.51 COP 7,953

$3.99 MX$68.8

-37.09%

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

$1.33 COP 4,212

$1.66 MX$28.57

-19.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,704

$1.33 MX$22.84

-36.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 COP 8,540

$3.47 MX$59.8

-22.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 COP 10.6K

$5.90 MX$102

-43.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,858

$1.88 MX$32.31

-18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,744

$3.25 MX$56.0

-24.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$2.16 MX$37.21

-23.15%

Eggs

$3.32 COP 10.5K

$2.90 MX$49.87

14.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 COP 29.6K

$12.86 MX$221

-27.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.2K

$10.05 MX$173

3.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 COP 43.4K

$15.86 MX$273

-13.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.3K

$3.29 MX$56.7

8.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 COP 4,048

$2.01 MX$34.55

-36.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 COP 7,022

$2.20 MX$37.88

0.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 COP 6,802

$2.36 MX$40.57

-9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,390

$2.05 MX$35.38

-32.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,844

$1.90 MX$32.75

-19.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.61 MX$27.64

-14.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.40 MX$24.05

-6.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$5.46 MX$94.1

-32.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 COP 42.0K

$17.65 MX$304

-25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 3,987

$2.06 MX$35.39

-38.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 COP 9,786

$4.68 MX$80.7

-34.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 COP 3,504

$0.34 MX$5.83

223.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.81 MX$358

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 COP 5,532

$2.10 MX$36.11

-17.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 COP 7,861

$0.56 MX$9.63

342.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 COP 29.5K

$5.81 MX$100

59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,033

$1.61 MX$27.65

-21.12%

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

$25.5K COP 81.1M

$22.8K MX$393.3K

11.81%

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

$35.5K COP 112.6M

$26.8K MX$460.6K

32.60%

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

$129 COP 409.0K

$65.2 MX$1,122

97.62%

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

$14.14 COP 44.9K

$30.09 MX$518

-53.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.87 COP 94.8K

$37.18 MX$640

-19.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 COP 117.0K

$59.8 MX$1,029

-38.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 MX$457

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 COP 19.6K

$7.04 MX$121

-12.22%

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

$569 COP 1.8M

$465 MX$8,001

22.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 COP 18.4M

$13.3K MX$228.6K

-56.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 COP 305.2K

$75.9 MX$1,307

26.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 188.4K

$56.0 MX$963

6.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 COP 471.3K

$112 MX$1,926

32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 341.5K

$121 MX$2,075

-10.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 COP 2.1M

$1,103 MX$19.0K

-39.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 COP 1.5M

$721 MX$12.4K

-35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 COP 3.4M

$2,530 MX$43.6K

-57.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 COP 3.3M

$1,293 MX$22.3K

-20.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,958 COP 6.2M

$3,991 MX$68.7K

-50.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 COP 5.9M

$2,090 MX$36.0K

-11.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,037 MX$17.9K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.3

2.48%

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 Mexico City: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $670 in San Juan de Pasto and $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $345 per month, with San Juan de 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

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

San Juan de Pasto and Mexico City differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,305 vs $1,660 including rent). San Juan de Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,957 in San Juan de Pasto and $2,489 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: $670 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,103 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $569 in San Juan de Pasto versus $465 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Juan de Pasto – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,660 in Mexico City, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan de Pasto but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan de 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, San Juan de 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 San Juan de Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.