Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Bogota and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $966 per month in Bogota vs $804 in Popayan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,496 per month in Bogota vs $1,223 in Popayan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,025 per month in Bogota vs $1,642 in Popayan, rent included.

Bogota costs about 20% more than Popayan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Bogota and Popayan are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 28% lower, Popayan 40% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.97 COP 16.2K

$3.82 COP 12.4K

30.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.94 COP 104.0K

$23.83 COP 77.6K

34.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.81 COP 25.4K

$7.29 COP 23.7K

7.13%

Cappuccino

$1.81 COP 5,896

$1.50 COP 4,898

20.67%

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

$1.00 COP 3,260

$0.88 COP 2,866

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 COP 2,220

$0.61 COP 1,977

11.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 COP 3,825

$1.17 COP 3,798

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.24 COP 7,305

$2.21 COP 7,187

1.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 COP 3,816

$1.11 COP 3,602

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 COP 4,810

$1.29 COP 4,215

14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 COP 3,863

$1.17 COP 3,823

1.71%

Eggs

$2.00 COP 6,511

$2.22 COP 7,224

-9.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.64 COP 15.1K

$4.31 COP 14.0K

7.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.11 COP 16.6K

$5.21 COP 17.0K

-1.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 COP 23.4K

$7.16 COP 23.3K

0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.09 COP 10.0K

$2.52 COP 8,197

22.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 COP 3,554

$1.11 COP 3,622

-1.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,423

$1.37 COP 4,449

-0.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.28 COP 4,176

$0.91 COP 2,958

40.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,620

$1.12 COP 3,647

-0.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 COP 3,698

$1.13 COP 3,684

0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 COP 2,369

$0.81 COP 2,645

-9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,706

$0.65 COP 2,116

27.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 COP 9,416

$2.41 COP 7,859

19.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.46 COP 50.3K

$13.06 COP 42.5K

18.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 COP 3,606

$1.12 COP 3,658

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 COP 6,038

$1.74 COP 5,659

6.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 COP 2,485

$0.71 COP 2,325

7.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.87 COP 133.0K

$30.45 COP 99.1K

34.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.46 COP 4,753

$1.47 COP 4,800

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 COP 5,015

$1.65 COP 5,373

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.98 COP 19.5K

$6.19 COP 20.1K

-3.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 COP 3,316

$1.00 COP 3,254

2.00%

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

$15.8K COP 51.4M

$17.6K COP 57.4M

-10.51%

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

$25.5K COP 83.1M

$25.7K COP 83.6M

-0.60%

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

$83.6 COP 272.0K

$83.9 COP 273.0K

-0.36%

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

$11.26 COP 36.6K

$9.26 COP 30.1K

21.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.20 COP 85.3K

$22.35 COP 72.8K

17.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.99 COP 78.1K

$23.29 COP 75.8K

3.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.93 COP 35.6K

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 COP 16.0K

$3.87 COP 12.6K

26.61%

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

$291 COP 946.4K

$241 COP 784.9K

20.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,502 COP 27.7M

$5,914 COP 19.3M

43.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 COP 196.6K

$59.8 COP 194.6K

1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.70 COP 139.0K

$32.82 COP 106.8K

30.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 333.6K

$84.4 COP 274.7K

21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.4 COP 271.4K

$72.3 COP 235.4K

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$449 COP 1.5M

$281 COP 914.1K

59.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$331 COP 1.1M

$237 COP 771.0K

39.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$829 COP 2.7M

$519 COP 1.7M

59.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$643 COP 2.1M

$430 COP 1.4M

49.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,725 COP 8.9M

$1,662 COP 5.4M

63.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 COP 6.7M

$1,192 COP 3.9M

72.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 COP 2.4M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.93

13.18

-1.90%

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

Last update for Bogota: July 11, 2026

Last update for Popayan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $449 in Bogota versus $281 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 $32.00 in Bogota versus $24.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $179 – making Popayan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Bogota vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bogota is pricier by about 20%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,449 per month in Bogota and $1,207 in Popayan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Popayan, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $966 in Bogota and $804 in Popayan. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 34% less in Popayan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Popayan, where all-in costs run around $804, than in Bogota at $966. In Popayan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bogota it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Popayan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Popayan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bogota makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.