Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sao Paulo and Pasto

For one person, living is cheaper in Pasto: $799 a month against $1,235 in Sao Paulo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Sao Paulo
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Sao Paulo Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Pasto
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Pasto Living Index

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Sao Paulo

🇧🇷 Brazil

$1,235

/mo nomad

Pasto

🇨🇴 Colombia

$799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sao Paulo and in Pasto

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,235 in Sao Paulo versus $799 in Pasto.

Sao Paulo $1,235
Pasto $799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,073 in Sao Paulo versus $1,210 in Pasto.

Sao Paulo $2,073
Pasto $1,210

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,911 in Sao Paulo versus $1,622 in Pasto.

Sao Paulo $2,911
Pasto $1,622

Living in Sao Paulo is roughly 55% more expensive than in Pasto, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Sao Paulo 9% lower, Pasto 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.81 R$44.68

$3.98 COP 12.6K

121.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 R$250

$23.79 COP 75.4K

107.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 R$44.63

$7.46 COP 23.7K

17.96%

Cappuccino

$2.49 R$12.63

$1.56 COP 4,934

59.62%

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

$1.42 R$7.19

$0.86 COP 2,724

65.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 R$4.31

$0.61 COP 1,943

39.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.98 R$15.11

$1.16 COP 3,666

156.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 R$22.02

$2.20 COP 6,968

97.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 R$6.28

$1.09 COP 3,464

13.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 R$9.66

$1.29 COP 4,088

48.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R$7.25

$1.18 COP 3,744

21.19%

Eggs

$2.81 R$14.23

$2.14 COP 6,771

31.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.74 R$64.6

$4.61 COP 14.6K

176.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.41 R$27.44

$5.26 COP 16.7K

2.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.64 R$54.0

$7.29 COP 23.1K

45.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 R$13.95

$2.44 COP 7,748

12.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 R$9.19

$1.04 COP 3,302

74.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R$8.27

$1.30 COP 4,108

25.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 R$10.16

$1.07 COP 3,379

86.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 R$7.10

$1.15 COP 3,648

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.27 R$6.43

$1.13 COP 3,586

12.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 R$6.47

$0.80 COP 2,537

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R$4.83

$0.64 COP 2,041

48.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.99 R$15.15

$2.37 COP 7,509

26.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$50.5

$9.81 COP 31.1K

1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 R$9.37

$1.09 COP 3,443

69.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 R$12.90

$1.77 COP 5,599

43.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R$5.50

$0.72 COP 2,271

51.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.78 R$247

$30.39 COP 96.4K

60.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.85 R$9.39

$1.43 COP 4,532

29.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 R$4.99

$1.79 COP 5,688

-44.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.29 R$52.2

$5.98 COP 18.9K

72.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 R$6.78

$0.93 COP 2,958

44.09%

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

$24.4K R$123.8K

$18.1K COP 57.2M

35.22%

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

$33.9K R$172.1K

$25.7K COP 81.6M

31.85%

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

$104 R$529

$83.4 COP 264.4K

25.25%

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

$16.71 R$84.7

$8.89 COP 28.2K

87.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 R$112

$22.38 COP 71.0K

-0.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 R$182

$23.02 COP 73.0K

55.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.28 R$240

Cinema Ticket

$10.06 R$51.0

$3.89 COP 12.3K

158.61%

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

$579 R$2,936

$235 COP 744.6K

146.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K R$86.6K

$6,071 COP 19.2M

181.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.7 R$333

$58.6 COP 185.6K

12.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 R$309

$32.60 COP 103.4K

87.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 R$509

$82.4 COP 261.4K

21.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.1 R$467

$71.8 COP 227.6K

28.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$659 R$3,341

$269 COP 851.9K

145.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 R$2,170

$237 COP 751.4K

80.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,515 R$7,678

$530 COP 1.7M

185.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 R$5,201

$415 COP 1.3M

147.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,773 R$14.1K

$1,429 COP 4.5M

94.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,007 R$10.2K

$1,069 COP 3.4M

87.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$909 R$4,609

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

13.06

-10.57%

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

Last update for Sao Paulo: October 13, 2026

Last update for Pasto: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sao Paulo

$428 34.7%

Pasto

$237 29.7% 44.6% $191

Groceries & Markets

Sao Paulo

$244 19.8%

Pasto

$173 21.7% 29.1% $71

Eating Out

Sao Paulo

$159 12.9%

Pasto

$89 11.1% 44.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Sao Paulo

$144 11.6%

Pasto

$110 13.8% 23.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sao Paulo

$143 11.6%

Pasto

$115 14.4% 20% $29

Getting Around

Sao Paulo

$60 4.9%

Pasto

$44 5.5% 27.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Sao Paulo

$56 4.5%

Pasto

$31 3.9% 44.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $659 in Sao Paulo and $269 in Pasto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Sao Paulo vs $24.00 in Pasto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $244 vs $173 per month, with Pasto cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇷 Sao Paulo

🇨🇴 Pasto

🕒 Local time

01:49 1:49 AM

23:49 11:49 PM

2 h behind Sao Paulo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,451,999

392,930

💱 Currency

Brazilian Real BRL R$

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 BRL = 0.197 USD

1 BRL = 0.175 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇷 Brazilian Real (R$)

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 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 BRL in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sao Paulo Pasto 4,310 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Sao Paulo
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

Sao Paulo vs Pasto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sao Paulo and Pasto differ by about 55% in total monthly costs ($1,235 vs $799 including rent). Pasto is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,852 in Sao Paulo and $1,198 in 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: $659 in Sao Paulo versus $269 in Pasto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Sao Paulo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Pasto – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $49.00 in Sao Paulo. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $799 in Pasto versus $1,235 in Sao Paulo, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Pasto but tight or insufficient in Sao Paulo. The gap between the two cities makes 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, Sao Paulo and 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 Pasto gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Sao Paulo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.