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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,323 per month in Bogota vs $1,311 in Popayan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,177 per month in Bogota vs $2,104 in Popayan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,031 per month in Bogota vs $2,896 in Popayan, rent included.

Bogota costs about 1% more than Popayan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Bogota and Popayan are more affordable than the global median – Bogota 3% lower, Popayan 4% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.11 COP 25.3K

$7.42 COP 23.1K

9.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.15 COP 128.4K

$46.79 COP 146.0K

-12.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 COP 31.7K

$9.41 COP 29.3K

8.08%

Cappuccino

$2.68 COP 8,351

$2.43 COP 7,580

10.29%

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

$1.38 COP 4,296

$1.52 COP 4,731

-9.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,833

$0.98 COP 3,069

-7.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.88 COP 5,865

$2.65 COP 8,267

-29.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 COP 12.3K

$4.33 COP 13.5K

-8.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 COP 5,222

$1.33 COP 4,160

25.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,772

$2.51 COP 7,845

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,289

$1.57 COP 4,887

8.28%

Eggs

$3.74 COP 11.7K

$2.82 COP 8,807

32.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 COP 26.0K

$8.85 COP 27.6K

-5.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 COP 23.5K

$10.82 COP 33.8K

-30.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 COP 33.3K

$12.63 COP 39.4K

-15.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.46 COP 10.8K

$3.22 COP 10.1K

7.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 COP 5,546

$1.65 COP 5,136

7.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,185

$1.79 COP 5,590

10.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 COP 5,800

$1.66 COP 5,177

12.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 COP 4,554

$1.69 COP 5,286

-13.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 COP 4,557

$1.48 COP 4,621

-1.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 COP 4,204

$1.28 COP 3,986

5.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,674

$1.09 COP 3,409

8.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.58 COP 14.3K

$3.65 COP 11.4K

25.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.02 COP 40.6K

$13.67 COP 42.6K

-4.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 COP 4,676

$1.36 COP 4,249

10.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 COP 9,011

$2.62 COP 8,184

10.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.12 COP 3,506

$1.18 COP 3,668

-5.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 COP 159.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 COP 7,706

$1.49 COP 4,644

65.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 COP 7,779

$2.24 COP 6,989

11.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 COP 31.0K

$8.46 COP 26.4K

17.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,170

$1.38 COP 4,294

-2.90%

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

$22.8K COP 71.2M

$25.1K COP 78.3M

-9.07%

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

$37.0K COP 115.6M

$33.9K COP 105.8M

9.28%

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

$127 COP 394.9K

$115 COP 357.4K

10.49%

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

$16.68 COP 52.1K

$14.07 COP 43.9K

18.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.16 COP 97.2K

$25.98 COP 81.1K

19.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.33 COP 110.2K

$38.08 COP 118.8K

-7.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.51 COP 48.4K

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 COP 25.8K

$7.53 COP 23.5K

9.69%

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

$481 COP 1.5M

$628 COP 2.0M

-23.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,640 COP 20.7M

$7,376 COP 23.0M

-9.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$81.0 COP 252.8K

$84.2 COP 262.7K

-3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.3 COP 156.8K

$51.2 COP 159.8K

-1.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$141 COP 439.6K

$136 COP 423.4K

3.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 COP 358.5K

$116 COP 362.2K

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 COP 2.2M

$763 COP 2.4M

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$432 COP 1.3M

$544 COP 1.7M

-20.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 COP 4.2M

$920 COP 2.9M

44.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.1M

$984 COP 3.1M

0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,940 COP 9.2M

$2,286 COP 7.1M

28.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,287 COP 7.1M

$1,938 COP 6.0M

18.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$802 COP 2.5M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.81

11.58

10.62%

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

Last update for Bogota: September 15, 2026

Last update for Popayan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $720 in Bogota versus $763 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 $41.00 in Bogota versus $47.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $282 – making Bogota 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 1%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,985 per month in Bogota and $1,967 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $41.00 in Bogota and $47.00 in Popayan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 5% cheaper in Bogota – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Popayan, where all-in costs run around $1,311, than in Bogota at $1,323. 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.