Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Montevideo

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan de Pasto: $1,371 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

San Juan de Pasto
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,371
/mo nomad
Montevideo
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,771
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Juan de Pasto and in Montevideo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Juan de Pasto and in Montevideo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,371 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $1,771 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • San Juan de Pasto $1,371
  • Montevideo $1,771

A couple spends around $2,031 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $2,740 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • San Juan de Pasto $2,031
  • Montevideo $2,740

A family of three spends $2,691 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $3,708 in Montevideo, rent included.

  • San Juan de Pasto $2,691
  • Montevideo $3,708

San Juan de Pasto is about 23% cheaper than Montevideo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both San Juan de Pasto and Montevideo sit above the global median – San Juan de Pasto by 2%, Montevideo by 31%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.63 COP 21.0K
$15.16 UYU 609
-56.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.64 COP 144.7K
$69.2 UYU 2,776
-34.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.96 COP 31.6K
$14.65 UYU 588
-32.01%
Cappuccino
$2.57 COP 8,146
$4.46 UYU 179
-42.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 COP 4,948
$2.67 UYU 107
-41.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.86 COP 2,715
$2.00 UYU 80.4
-57.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.07 COP 9,733
$4.83 UYU 194
-36.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.05 COP 12.9K
$3.80 UYU 152
6.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.43 COP 4,538
$1.36 UYU 54.8
5.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 COP 7,629
$2.87 UYU 115
-16.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.83 COP 5,795
$1.75 UYU 70.2
4.57%
Eggs
$3.33 COP 10.6K
$4.68 UYU 188
-28.85%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.27 COP 23.1K
$13.88 UYU 557
-47.62%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.06 COP 35.1K
$11.98 UYU 481
-7.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.41 COP 42.5K
$11.97 UYU 480
12.03%
Apples (1kg)
$3.58 COP 11.3K
$2.78 UYU 111
28.78%
Banana (1kg)
$1.40 COP 4,426
$2.74 UYU 110
-48.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.01 COP 6,359
$1.77 UYU 71.2
13.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.78 COP 5,640
$3.24 UYU 130
-45.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 COP 4,481
$1.97 UYU 79.2
-28.43%
Onion (1kg)
$1.27 COP 4,041
$2.07 UYU 83.1
-38.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.12 COP 3,566
$1.37 UYU 55.1
-18.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 COP 3,555
$1.88 UYU 75.3
-40.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.65 COP 11.6K
$5.59 UYU 224
-34.70%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.43 COP 42.6K
$8.78 UYU 352
52.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.46 COP 4,635
$2.26 UYU 90.9
-35.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.73 COP 8,670
$2.75 UYU 110
-0.73%
🚌 Getting Around
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.07 COP 3,390
$1.53 UYU 61.5
-30.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$74.3 UYU 2,980
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.61 COP 5,102
$1.91 UYU 76.7
-15.71%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.39 COP 7,590
$0.40 UYU 16.18
497.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.04 COP 28.7K
$10.33 UYU 415
-12.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.19 COP 3,770
$2.13 UYU 85.6
-44.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$22.6K COP 71.7M
$27.1K UYU 1.1M
-16.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.0K COP 101.4M
$36.3K UYU 1.5M
-11.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$124 COP 392.5K
$188 UYU 7,557
-34.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.01 COP 41.2K
$20.54 UYU 824
-36.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.19 COP 92.5K
$44.81 UYU 1,798
-34.86%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.67 COP 135.3K
$54.0 UYU 2,166
-20.92%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.75 UYU 793
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.19 COP 19.6K
$11.95 UYU 480
-48.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$682 COP 2.2M
$634 UYU 25.5K
7.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$6,774 COP 21.5M
$11.1K UYU 443.6K
-38.71%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.0 COP 288.5K
$102 UYU 4,099
-10.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$61.1 COP 193.8K
$57.5 UYU 2,309
6.26%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$153 COP 486.6K
$127 UYU 5,079
21.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 COP 323.0K
$128 UYU 5,131
-20.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$706 COP 2.2M
$719 UYU 28.8K
-1.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$518 COP 1.6M
$568 UYU 22.8K
-8.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,082 COP 3.4M
$1,145 UYU 46.0K
-5.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$789 COP 2.5M
$1,023 UYU 41.1K
-22.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
$3,392 UYU 136.1K
-40.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,580 COP 5.0M
$1,949 UYU 78.2K
-18.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Juan de Pasto
Montevideo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,245 UYU 50.0K
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.58
5.74
101.74%

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

Last update for San Juan de Pasto: October 11, 2026

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Juan de Pasto
$518
Montevideo
$568 9.5% $50
Groceries & Markets
San Juan de Pasto
$284
Montevideo
$332 16.8% $48
Clothing & Footwear
San Juan de Pasto
$183
Montevideo
$186 1.6% $3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Juan de Pasto
$166
Montevideo
$254 52.8% $88
Eating Out
San Juan de Pasto
$147
Montevideo
$269 83.2% $122
Sport & Entertainment
San Juan de Pasto
$55
Montevideo
$78 41.5% $23
Getting Around
San Juan de Pasto
$18 *
Montevideo
$84 372% $66

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $706 in San Juan de Pasto versus $719 in Montevideo. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in San Juan de Pasto versus $69.0 in Montevideo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $284 vs $332 – making San Juan de Pasto the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 San Juan de Pasto
🇺🇾 Montevideo
🕒 Local time
23:07 11:07 PM
01:07 1:07 AM
2 h ahead of San Juan de Pasto
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
392,930
1,319,108 Capital
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Juan de Pasto Montevideo 4,580 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Juan de Pasto
  • Montevideo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Montevideo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montevideo cheaper than San Juan de Pasto?
Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 29%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,057 per month in San Juan de Pasto and $2,656 in Montevideo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Juan de Pasto, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in San Juan de Pasto or in Montevideo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in San Juan de Pasto and $69.0 in Montevideo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in San Juan de Pasto and in Montevideo?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Montevideo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in San Juan de Pasto or in Montevideo?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Juan de Pasto, where all-in costs run around $1,371, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In San Juan de Pasto it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Juan de Pasto or Montevideo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward San Juan de Pasto – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, San Juan de Pasto or Montevideo?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with San Juan de Pasto. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

San Juan de Pasto vs other spots: cost of living compared

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