Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,398 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
Learn more

Popayan Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Popayan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,398 in Popayan.

Austin, TX $2,689
Popayan $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,091 in Popayan.

Austin, TX $4,112
Popayan $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,783 in Popayan.

Austin, TX $5,534
Popayan $2,783

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 92% more expensive than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Popayan 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$7.83 COP 25.3K

172.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$46.74 COP 151.0K

88.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.82 COP 31.7K

26.68%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$2.77 COP 8,933

102.17%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.36 COP 4,405

168.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.91 COP 2,931

162.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.86 COP 9,246

173.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$4.26 COP 13.8K

105.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 COP 4,839

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.07 COP 6,699

74.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.99 COP 6,416

75.88%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.31 COP 10.7K

34.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.28 COP 26.7K

59.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$11.20 COP 36.2K

24.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$14.18 COP 45.8K

16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.93 COP 12.7K

20.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.49 COP 4,812

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.82 COP 5,867

154.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.81 COP 5,857

149.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.62 COP 5,225

57.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.69 COP 5,460

41.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.04 COP 3,368

76.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.34 COP 4,327

58.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.02 COP 13.0K

150.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$13.00 COP 42.0K

14.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.61 COP 5,192

75.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.27 COP 7,326

44.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.17 COP 3,780

5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$56.8 COP 183.5K

-27.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.71 COP 5,512

56.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.15 COP 6,958

-24.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$8.15 COP 26.3K

331.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.33 COP 4,302

-26.32%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$36.6K COP 118.4M

-6.19%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$37.8K COP 122.1M

-29.03%

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

$252 $252

$111 COP 360.0K

126.30%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$14.64 COP 47.3K

308.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$27.47 COP 88.7K

153.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$39.02 COP 126.0K

54.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$6.76 COP 21.8K

103.40%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$507 COP 1.6M

187.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$10.5K COP 33.8M

153.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$80.7 COP 260.7K

-34.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$58.1 COP 187.6K

-21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$119 COP 385.6K

-28.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$104 COP 334.8K

2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$802 COP 2.6M

173.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$506 COP 1.6M

150.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,349 COP 4.4M

196.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$779 COP 2.5M

208.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,078 COP 6.7M

255.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,794 COP 5.8M

65.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-43.17%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Popayan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Popayan

$506 36.2% 60.1% $763

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Popayan

$292 20.9% 28.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Popayan

$154 11% 59.8% $228

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Popayan

$157 11.2% 55.8% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Popayan

$163 11.6% 24.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Popayan

$53 3.8% 40.2% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Popayan

$74 5.3% 29.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $802 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $47 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $292 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

00:03 12:03 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

318,059

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Popayan 3,810 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Popayan

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

Austin, TX vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Popayan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $2,098 in Popayan 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $802 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,398 in Popayan – Popayan is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 27% less than in Popayan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $1,398 in Popayan versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Popayan 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.