Explore Cities/Compare Cities/Arequipa vs Pasto

Arequipa vs Pasto

Side-by-side comparison for digital nomads

Pasto 4% cheaper Arequipa +41 Mbps N/A / N/A

Arequipa

Megan Kotlus/Unsplash

Pasto

Luvinkan/Unsplash

Nomad Cost

$1,119

Arequipa

$1,073

Pasto

Internet

207

Mbps

166

Mbps

Safety

N/A

Arequipa

N/A

Pasto

Air Quality

5/5

Arequipa

5/5

Pasto

Healthcare

N/A

Arequipa

N/A

Pasto

Population

784.7k

Arequipa

312.8k

Pasto

Arequipa (Peru) and Pasto (Colombia) are both in Latin America, offering different takes on the nomad lifestyle. Here is how they compare across the metrics that matter most.

Cost of Living

Both cities sit in a similar price range — Arequipa at $1119/mo and Pasto at $1073/mo — so cost alone is not a deciding factor here.

For families, Arequipa costs $1462.137692501382/mo compared to Pasto's $650.9919149479582/mo.

Internet & Infrastructure

Remote workers will appreciate Arequipa's 207 Mbps (global #29) — considerably faster than Pasto's 166 Mbps (#0).

Quality of Life

Both Arequipa and Pasto share the same safety rating — travelers can feel equally comfortable in either city.

Healthcare quality is rated similarly in both Arequipa and Pasto.

Monthly Weather Comparison

The best time to visit Arequipa is September (around 21 degrees, 0mm rain, score 390), while Pasto peaks in September (19 degrees, 0mm rain, score 321). Timing your stay around these months can make a big difference in your experience.

Cost of Living

ArequipaPasto

Nomad$1,119/mo$1,073/mo

Expat$629/mo$399/mo

Local$418/mo$186/mo

Family$1,462/mo$651/mo

Internet & Infrastructure

ArequipaPasto

City Speed

207 Mbps#29

166 Mbps

Country Speed200 Mbps166 Mbps

Environment & Health

ArequipaPasto

Air Quality Score5/55/5

PollutionN/AN/A

ClimateN/AN/A

Humidity6885

Quality of Life

ArequipaPasto

SafetyN/AN/A

HealthcareN/AN/A

Monthly Weather Comparison

Arequipa

Pasto

Jan

23°

0mm368

18°

3mm231

Feb

22°

2mm309

19°

10mm159

Mar

22°

1mm368

19°

3mm220

Apr

21°

0mm370

19°

9mm144

May

21°

0mm370

18°

9mm220

Jun

19°

0mm370

16°

2mm220

Jul

20°

0mm370

17°

1mm305

Aug

19°

0mm370

17°

0mm311

Sep

21°

0mm390

19°

0mm321

Oct

22°

0mm390

18°

4mm231

Nov

21°

0mm370

17°

3mm159

Dec

21°

0mm370

17°

14mm144

Who Should Choose Arequipa?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1119
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 207 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $1462.137692501382/mo for families
Peak season in September — 21 degrees, score 390

Who Should Choose Pasto?

Great for budget nomads — monthly costs around $1073
Excellent for video calls and large uploads with 166 Mbps
Clean air with a 5/5 air quality score
Family-friendly at $650.9919149479582/mo for families
Smaller city feel with 312.8k residents
Peak season in September — 19 degrees, score 321

Overall Verdict

For the typical digital nomad, Arequipa is the stronger pick. At $1119/mo it beats Pasto's $1073/mo by 4%, and the 207 Mbps internet handles video calls without issues.

Granular Price Comparison

Arequipa Pasto

ItemArequipaPastoDiff

🍽️Restaurants8 items

Meal, inexpensive restaurant$2.87—

—

Meal for 2, mid-range (3-course)$11.75—

—

McMeal or equivalent combo$4.57—

—

Cappuccino (regular)$2.15—

—

Domestic beer (0.5L draught)$2.02—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$3.13—

—

Coke/Pepsi (0.33L)$0.54—

—

Water (0.33L)$0.35—

—

🛒Markets19 items

Milk (1L)$1.16—

—

White bread (500g)$1.52—

—

White rice (1kg)$0.95—

—

Eggs (12)$1.72—

—

Chicken fillets (1kg)$4.18—

—

Beef round (1kg)$5.59—

—

Local cheese (1kg)$5.53—

—

Apples (1kg)$1.2—

—

Bananas (1kg)$0.85—

—

Oranges (1kg)$0.93—

—

Tomatoes (1kg)$0.85—

—

Potatoes (1kg)$0.7—

—

Onions (1kg)$0.57—

—

Lettuce (1 head)$0.57—

—

Water (1.5L bottle)$0.7—

—

Wine, mid-range bottle$6.92—

—

Domestic beer (0.5L bottle)$1.62—

—

Imported beer (0.33L bottle)$2.61—

—

Cigarettes (pack of 20)$3.92—

—

🚌Transport8 items

One-way local transport ticket$0.26—

—

Monthly transport pass$13.62—

—

Taxi start (normal tariff)$1.31—

—

Taxi per 1km$1.57—

—

Taxi 1hr waiting$4.57—

—

Gasoline (1L)$1.1—

—

Volkswagen Golf (new)$19,318.63—

—

Toyota Corolla (new)$17,643.37—

—

⚡Utilities3 items

Utilities, 85m² apartment/mo$37.96—

—

Internet 60+ Mbps/mo$41.42—

—

Mobile prepaid per minute$0.22—

—

🏋️Sport & Leisure3 items

Fitness club, monthly$41.55—

—

Tennis court rent (1hr weekend)$16.97—

—

Cinema, 1 ticket$4.05—

—

👶Childcare2 items

Preschool, full-day private/mo$208.2—

—

International primary school/yr$2,889.96—

—

👗Clothing4 items

Jeans (Levi's 501 or similar)$37.64—

—

Summer dress (chain store)$24.37—

—

Nike running shoes (mid-range)$67.88—

—

Men's leather business shoes$60.91—

—

🏠Rent4 items

1-bedroom apartment, city centre$234.96—

—

1-bedroom apartment, outside centre$174.04—

—

3-bedroom apartment, city centre$565.64—

—

3-bedroom apartment, outside centre$343.73—

—

🏗️Buy2 items

Price per m², city centre$1,501.11—

—

Price per m², outside centre$1,113.87—

—

💰Finance2 items

Average monthly net salary$379.47—

—

Mortgage interest rate (20yr fixed)$15—

—

Lower is better for all cost items.

Data from Open-Meteo (weather) and global internet speed rankings. Updated monthly.

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