Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beni Mellal and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Beni Mellal: $618 a month against $1,381 in Popayan, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Beni Mellal, Morocco
Popayan, Colombia
Beni Mellal
🇲🇦 Morocco
$618
/mo nomad
Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beni Mellal 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 Beni Mellal and in Popayan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $618 per month in Beni Mellal vs $1,381 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Beni Mellal $618
  • Popayan $1,381

A couple spends around $975 per month in Beni Mellal vs $2,141 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Beni Mellal $975
  • Popayan $2,141

A family of three spends $1,332 per month in Beni Mellal vs $2,902 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Beni Mellal $1,332
  • Popayan $2,902

Beni Mellal is about 55% cheaper than Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 MAD 35.70
$7.91 COP 25.5K
-54.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$25.91 MAD 255
$48.54 COP 156.5K
-46.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.25 MAD 51.6
$10.37 COP 33.4K
-49.37%
Cappuccino
$1.20 MAD 11.78
$2.74 COP 8,842
-56.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.57 MAD 5.56
$1.29 COP 4,160
-55.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.32 MAD 3.14
$1.16 COP 3,746
-72.41%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MAD 24.39
$2.80 COP 9,044
-11.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 MAD 30.12
$3.80 COP 12.2K
-19.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 MAD 8.81
$1.66 COP 5,358
-45.78%
White Bread (500g)
$0.66 MAD 6.49
$2.59 COP 8,363
-74.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.88 MAD 18.52
$1.56 COP 5,021
20.51%
Eggs
$1.55 MAD 15.26
$3.00 COP 9,664
-48.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.24 MAD 110
$7.16 COP 23.1K
56.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.76 MAD 66.4
$9.63 COP 31.0K
-29.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.30 MAD 101
$12.17 COP 39.2K
-15.37%
Apples (1kg)
$1.15 MAD 11.30
$4.02 COP 13.0K
-71.39%
Banana (1kg)
$1.01 MAD 9.92
$1.51 COP 4,854
-33.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.68 MAD 6.67
$1.91 COP 6,152
-64.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.82 MAD 8.10
$2.08 COP 6,692
-60.58%
Potato (1kg)
$0.60 MAD 5.85
$1.77 COP 5,691
-66.10%
Onion (1kg)
$0.69 MAD 6.80
$1.71 COP 5,529
-59.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.32 MAD 3.18
$1.06 COP 3,429
-69.81%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.59 MAD 5.80
$1.30 COP 4,194
-54.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.85 MAD 37.85
$4.43 COP 14.3K
-13.09%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.37 MAD 72.4
$13.37 COP 43.1K
-44.88%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 MAD 25.81
$1.43 COP 4,625
83.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 MAD 26.26
$2.25 COP 7,258
18.67%
🚌 Getting Around
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.30 MAD 2.92
$1.21 COP 3,903
-75.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$8.31 MAD 81.7
$73.5 COP 236.9K
-88.69%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.75 MAD 7.33
$1.61 COP 5,202
-53.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.78 MAD 7.67
$2.34 COP 7,557
-66.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.48 MAD 24.36
$8.90 COP 28.7K
-72.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 MAD 14.71
$1.36 COP 4,376
10.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.0K MAD 304.5K
$35.9K COP 115.7M
-13.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$31.9K MAD 313.6K
$37.0K COP 119.3M
-13.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$35.59 MAD 350
$108 COP 347.5K
-66.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$10.13 MAD 99.6
$13.08 COP 42.2K
-22.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.18 MAD 248
$25.36 COP 81.8K
-0.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.29 MAD 199
$34.59 COP 111.5K
-41.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.45 MAD 152
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.18 MAD 60.8
$7.06 COP 22.8K
-12.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$182 MAD 1,786
$616 COP 2.0M
-70.48%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,416 MAD 92.6K
$8,853 COP 28.5M
6.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$47.36 MAD 465
$79.1 COP 255.0K
-40.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.84 MAD 392
$45.54 COP 146.9K
-12.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.7 MAD 744
$143 COP 461.1K
-47.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$64.4 MAD 633
$101 COP 325.1K
-36.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$191 MAD 1,879
$737 COP 2.4M
-74.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$126 MAD 1,234
$489 COP 1.6M
-74.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$279 MAD 2,744
$1,349 COP 4.3M
-79.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$195 MAD 1,914
$889 COP 2.9M
-78.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,226 MAD 12.1K
$2,461 COP 7.9M
-50.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$828 MAD 8,141
$1,879 COP 6.1M
-55.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Beni Mellal
Popayan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$322 MAD 3,162
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.55
12
-62.08%

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

Last update for Beni Mellal: October 24, 2026

Last update for Popayan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Beni Mellal
$191
Popayan
$281 47% $90
Accommodation & Living
Beni Mellal
$126
Popayan
$489 289% $363
Clothing & Footwear
Beni Mellal
$102
Popayan
$166 62.1% $64
Eating Out
Beni Mellal
$81
Popayan
$159 95.3% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Beni Mellal
$71
Popayan
$146 106% $75
Sport & Entertainment
Beni Mellal
$33
Popayan
$49 49.2% $16
Getting Around
Beni Mellal
$14
Popayan
$92 548% $77

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $191 in Beni Mellal versus $737 in Popayan. 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 $26 in Beni Mellal versus $49 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $191 vs $281 – making Beni Mellal the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇦 Beni Mellal
🇨🇴 Popayan
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
18:45 6:45 PM
5 h behind Beni Mellal
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
192,676
318,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.83 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.98 MAD (100 MAD = 9.11 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Beni Mellal Popayan 8,010 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Beni Mellal
  • 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
Beni Mellal vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Beni Mellal and in Popayan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $618 in Beni Mellal, $1,381 in Popayan – Beni Mellal comes out roughly 55% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Beni Mellal compared to Popayan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $927 per month in Beni Mellal and $2,071 in Popayan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Beni Mellal and Popayan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Beni Mellal, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $191 there versus $737 in Popayan.
How do commuting costs compare in Beni Mellal and in Popayan?
Public transport costs about 89% less in Beni Mellal. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Beni Mellal and Popayan?
Kindergarten costs $182 per month in Beni Mellal and $616 in Popayan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Beni Mellal, where all-in costs run around $618, than in Popayan at $1,381. In Beni Mellal it covers expenses comfortably, while in Popayan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Beni Mellal or Popayan?
Families tend to lean toward Beni Mellal – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Beni Mellal or Popayan?
For expats, Beni Mellal is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 55% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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