Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Playa del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan de Pasto and Playa del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,305 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $1,266 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,098 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $2,279 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,891 per month in San Juan de Pasto vs $3,292 in Playa del Carmen, rent included.

San Juan de Pasto costs about 3% more than Playa del Carmen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both San Juan de Pasto and Playa del Carmen are more affordable than the global median – San Juan de Pasto 5% lower, Playa del Carmen 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.15 COP 22.7K

$11.60 MX$200

-38.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.98 COP 120.6K

$47.11 MX$811

-19.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 COP 35.3K

$11.88 MX$205

-6.40%

Cappuccino

$2.51 COP 7,953

$3.98 MX$68.5

-36.93%

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

$1.33 COP 4,212

$1.43 MX$24.57

-6.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 2,704

$0.82 MX$14.20

3.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 COP 8,540

$3.19 MX$54.9

-15.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 COP 10.6K

$6.79 MX$117

-50.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,858

$1.68 MX$28.85

-8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,744

$2.20 MX$37.83

10.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.71 MX$29.41

-2.92%

Eggs

$3.32 COP 10.5K

$2.74 MX$47.20

21.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.33 COP 29.6K

$9.58 MX$165

-2.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.2K

$9.01 MX$155

15.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 COP 43.4K

$12.81 MX$221

6.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.3K

$2.89 MX$49.74

23.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 COP 4,048

$1.50 MX$25.78

-14.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 COP 7,022

$2.15 MX$36.98

2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 COP 6,802

$2.26 MX$38.91

-5.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,390

$1.98 MX$34.10

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,844

$1.99 MX$34.26

-23.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.23 MX$21.25

11.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$1.20 MX$20.60

9.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.66 COP 11.6K

$4.55 MX$78.3

-19.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.22 COP 42.0K

$10.37 MX$179

27.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 3,987

$1.62 MX$27.88

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 COP 9,786

$2.88 MX$49.60

6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 COP 3,504

$0.60 MX$10.34

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.80 MX$496

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.74 COP 5,532

$5.39 MX$92.8

-67.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.48 COP 7,861

$3.73 MX$64.2

-33.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.29 COP 29.5K

$5.77 MX$99.3

61.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,033

$1.54 MX$26.45

-17.53%

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

$25.5K COP 81.1M

$22.5K MX$388.3K

13.27%

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

$35.5K COP 112.6M

$26.1K MX$448.7K

36.13%

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

$129 COP 409.0K

$91.4 MX$1,573

40.96%

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

$14.14 COP 44.9K

$25.20 MX$434

-43.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.87 COP 94.8K

$31.24 MX$538

-4.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.86 COP 117.0K

$67.2 MX$1,157

-45.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.11 MX$501

Cinema Ticket

$6.18 COP 19.6K

$4.86 MX$83.7

27.16%

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

$569 COP 1.8M

$224 MX$3,851

154.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,789 COP 18.4M

$4,229 MX$72.8K

36.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.1 COP 305.2K

$47.10 MX$811

104.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 188.4K

$44.29 MX$763

33.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 COP 471.3K

$80.1 MX$1,379

85.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 341.5K

$92.7 MX$1,596

16.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 COP 2.1M

$1,063 MX$18.3K

-36.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$464 COP 1.5M

$390 MX$6,719

18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,073 COP 3.4M

$2,149 MX$37.0K

-50.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,032 COP 3.3M

$1,272 MX$21.9K

-18.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,958 COP 6.2M

$4,001 MX$68.9K

-51.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,854 COP 5.9M

$6,502 MX$112.0K

-71.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.45

1.14%

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 Playa del Carmen: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $670 in San Juan de Pasto versus $1,063 in Playa del Carmen. 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 $38.00 in San Juan de Pasto versus $47.00 in Playa del Carmen. Groceries tell a different story – $293 in San Juan de Pasto vs $276 in Playa del Carmen – so Playa del Carmen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Playa del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Juan de Pasto is pricier by about 3%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,957 per month in San Juan de Pasto and $1,899 in Playa del Carmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Playa del Carmen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,305 in San Juan de Pasto and $1,266 in Playa del Carmen. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $569 per month in San Juan de Pasto and $224 in Playa del Carmen. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Playa del Carmen, where all-in costs run around $1,266, than in San Juan de Pasto at $1,305. In Playa del Carmen it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Juan de Pasto it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Playa del Carmen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Playa del Carmen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Juan de Pasto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.