Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santiago and San Juan de Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Santiago: $1,190 a month against $1,371 in San Juan de Pasto, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

57

Cost of Living Index in Santiago
Learn more

Santiago Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in San Juan de Pasto
Learn more

San Juan de Pasto Living Index

Jump to prices

Santiago

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,190

/mo nomad

San Juan de Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,371

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,371 in San Juan de Pasto.

Santiago $1,190
San Juan de Pasto $1,371

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,892 in Santiago versus $2,031 in San Juan de Pasto.

Santiago $1,892
San Juan de Pasto $2,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,595 in Santiago versus $2,691 in San Juan de Pasto.

Santiago $2,595
San Juan de Pasto $2,691

Living in Santiago costs roughly 13% less than in San Juan de Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santiago is 12% below, San Juan de Pasto is 2% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 CLP 10.2K

$6.63 COP 21.0K

56.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

$45.64 COP 144.7K

13.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.94 CLP 8,805

$9.96 COP 31.6K

-10.24%

Cappuccino

$3.26 CLP 3,211

$2.57 COP 8,146

26.85%

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

$1.67 CLP 1,640

$1.56 COP 4,948

7.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,212

$0.86 COP 2,715

43.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.98 CLP 3,914

$3.07 COP 9,733

29.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 CLP 4,465

$4.05 COP 12.9K

12.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 CLP 1,263

$1.43 COP 4,538

-10.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 CLP 1,817

$2.41 COP 7,629

-23.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 CLP 1,567

$1.83 COP 5,795

-13.11%

Eggs

$4.10 CLP 4,031

$3.33 COP 10.6K

23.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 CLP 11.2K

$7.27 COP 23.1K

56.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 CLP 6,586

$11.06 COP 35.1K

-39.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

$13.41 COP 42.5K

-19.39%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 CLP 1,905

$3.58 COP 11.3K

-45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,497

$1.40 COP 4,426

8.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,577

$2.01 COP 6,359

-20.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 CLP 1,668

$1.78 COP 5,640

-5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,084

$1.41 COP 4,481

-21.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,500

$1.27 COP 4,041

19.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 CLP 1,164

$1.12 COP 3,566

5.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 CLP 1,061

$1.12 COP 3,555

-3.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 CLP 4,995

$3.65 COP 11.6K

38.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.95 CLP 5,858

$13.43 COP 42.6K

-55.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 CLP 1,470

$1.46 COP 4,635

2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 CLP 2,342

$2.73 COP 8,670

-12.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 CLP 821

$1.07 COP 3,390

-22.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.14 CLP 39.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.40 CLP 393

$1.61 COP 5,102

-75.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 CLP 897

$2.39 COP 7,590

-61.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.63 CLP 11.5K

$9.04 COP 28.7K

28.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 CLP 1,486

$1.19 COP 3,770

26.89%

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

$17.6K CLP 17.3M

$22.6K COP 71.7M

-22.26%

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

$22.0K CLP 21.6M

$32.0K COP 101.4M

-31.24%

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

$151 CLP 149.0K

$124 COP 392.5K

22.31%

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

$12.34 CLP 12.1K

$13.01 COP 41.2K

-5.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.73 CLP 18.4K

$29.19 COP 92.5K

-35.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.71 CLP 33.2K

$42.67 COP 135.3K

-21.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.80 CLP 11.6K

Cinema Ticket

$7.45 CLP 7,334

$6.19 COP 19.6K

20.36%

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

$430 CLP 423.7K

$682 COP 2.2M

-36.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.6M

$6,774 COP 21.5M

59.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.65 CLP 48.9K

$91.0 COP 288.5K

-45.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.94 CLP 28.5K

$61.1 COP 193.8K

-52.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.7 CLP 64.6K

$153 COP 486.6K

-57.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 CLP 79.4K

$102 COP 323.0K

-20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 CLP 550.4K

$706 COP 2.2M

-20.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 CLP 377.8K

$518 COP 1.6M

-25.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,004 CLP 988.4K

$1,082 COP 3.4M

-7.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$780 CLP 767.9K

$789 COP 2.5M

-1.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,640 CLP 2.6M

$2,028 COP 6.4M

30.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,546 CLP 2.5M

$1,580 COP 5.0M

61.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$804 CLP 791.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

11.58

-53.45%

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

Last update for Santiago: October 11, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santiago

$384 32.3%

San Juan de Pasto

$518 37.8% 35.1% $135

Groceries & Markets

Santiago

$236 19.8%

San Juan de Pasto

$284 20.7% 20.3% $48

Eating Out

Santiago

$189 15.9%

San Juan de Pasto

$147 10.7% 22.5% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santiago

$182 15.3%

San Juan de Pasto

$166 12.1% 9% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Santiago

$101 8.5%

San Juan de Pasto

$183 13.4% 81.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Santiago

$49 4.1%

San Juan de Pasto

$55 4% 13.2% $6.4

Getting Around

Santiago

$48 4.1%

San Juan de Pasto

$18 * 1.3% 63.1% $31

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $559 in Santiago and $706 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52.0 in Santiago vs $46.00 in San Juan de Pasto. Groceries flip the comparison at $236 vs $284, with Santiago cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Santiago

🇨🇴 San Juan de Pasto

🕒 Local time

22:45 10:45 PM

20:45 8:45 PM

2 h behind Santiago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,139,087 Capital

392,930

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

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).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santiago San Juan de Pasto 3,920 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Santiago
San Juan de Pasto

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

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

Santiago wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in San Juan de Pasto. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santiago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,785 in Santiago and $2,057 in San Juan de 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: $559 in Santiago versus $706 in San Juan de Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $430 in Santiago versus $682 in San Juan de Pasto. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santiago – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $46.00 in San Juan de Pasto. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,190 in Santiago versus $1,371 in San Juan de Pasto, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santiago but tight or insufficient in San Juan de Pasto. The gap between the two cities makes Santiago 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, Santiago and San Juan de 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 Santiago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in San Juan de Pasto. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.