Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calgary and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,398 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index

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Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,297 in Calgary versus $1,398 in Popayan.

Calgary $2,297
Popayan $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,378 in Calgary versus $2,091 in Popayan.

Calgary $3,378
Popayan $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,459 in Calgary versus $2,783 in Popayan.

Calgary $4,459
Popayan $2,783

Living in Calgary is roughly 64% more expensive than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Calgary 70% above, Popayan 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 CA$25.15

$7.83 COP 25.3K

129.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.9 CA$96.5

$46.74 COP 151.0K

47.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 CA$15.33

$9.82 COP 31.7K

11.41%

Cappuccino

$3.70 CA$5.19

$2.77 COP 8,933

33.57%

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

$2.07 CA$2.90

$1.36 COP 4,405

52.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 CA$2.86

$0.91 COP 2,931

124.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 CA$8.05

$2.86 COP 9,246

100.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 CA$7.99

$4.26 COP 13.8K

33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.98 CA$2.77

$1.50 COP 4,839

32.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 CA$3.71

$2.07 COP 6,699

28.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.84 CA$8.18

$1.99 COP 6,416

193.47%

Eggs

$3.81 CA$5.35

$3.31 COP 10.7K

15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 CA$15.15

$8.28 COP 26.7K

30.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.02 CA$15.45

$11.20 COP 36.2K

-1.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.87 CA$25.06

$14.18 COP 45.8K

26.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 CA$6.84

$3.93 COP 12.7K

24.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 CA$2.03

$1.49 COP 4,812

-2.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 CA$5.82

$1.82 COP 5,867

128.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.59

$1.81 COP 5,857

120.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.93 CA$4.10

$1.62 COP 5,225

80.86%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 CA$4.24

$1.69 COP 5,460

78.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 CA$3.74

$1.04 COP 3,368

156.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.20

$1.34 COP 4,327

17.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.11 CA$19.77

$4.02 COP 13.0K

251.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.45 CA$21.66

$13.00 COP 42.0K

18.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 CA$3.51

$1.61 COP 5,192

55.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 CA$4.45

$2.27 COP 7,326

40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 CA$3.99

$1.17 COP 3,780

143.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.2 CA$126

$56.8 COP 183.5K

58.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.43

$1.71 COP 5,512

84.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.97

$2.15 COP 6,958

-34.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 CA$38.49

$8.15 COP 26.3K

236.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 CA$1.66

$1.33 COP 4,302

-11.28%

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

$27.9K CA$39.1K

$36.6K COP 118.4M

-23.98%

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

$21.1K CA$29.5K

$37.8K COP 122.1M

-44.28%

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

$182 CA$255

$111 COP 360.0K

63.11%

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

$36.01 CA$50.5

$14.64 COP 47.3K

145.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.80 CA$68.4

$27.47 COP 88.7K

77.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.78 CA$68.4

$39.02 COP 126.0K

25.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.45

Cinema Ticket

$14.52 CA$20.35

$6.76 COP 21.8K

114.79%

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

$542 CA$760

$507 COP 1.6M

6.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K CA$29.7K

$10.5K COP 33.8M

102.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 CA$82.8

$80.7 COP 260.7K

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.34 CA$59.4

$58.1 COP 187.6K

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.2 CA$132

$119 COP 385.6K

-21.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 CA$152

$104 COP 334.8K

4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,214 CA$1,702

$802 COP 2.6M

51.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,036 CA$1,453

$506 COP 1.6M

104.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,045 CA$2,867

$1,349 COP 4.4M

51.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 CA$2,319

$779 COP 2.5M

112.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,653 CA$5,121

$2,078 COP 6.7M

75.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,183 CA$4,462

$1,794 COP 5.8M

77.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,512

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

-63.08%

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

Last update for Calgary: 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

Calgary

$1K 45.1%

Popayan

$506 36.2% 51.2% $530

Groceries & Markets

Calgary

$390 17%

Popayan

$292 20.9% 25% $98

Eating Out

Calgary

$277 12.1%

Popayan

$157 11.2% 43.3% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calgary

$267 11.6%

Popayan

$154 11% 42.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Calgary

$137 6%

Popayan

$163 11.6% 18.9% $26

Getting Around

Calgary

$112 4.9%

Popayan

$74 5.3% 33.8% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Calgary

$78 3.4%

Popayan

$53 3.8% 32.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,214 in Calgary and $802 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $69 in Calgary vs $47 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $292 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Calgary

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

20:15 8:15 PM

21:15 9:15 PM

1 h ahead of Calgary

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,267,344

318,059

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.635 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.635 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).

USD to CAD in detail →

On the map

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Calgary Popayan 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Calgary
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

Calgary vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,445 in Calgary 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: $1,214 in Calgary versus $802 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Popayan – a meal for two runs $47 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,297 per month in Calgary versus $1,398 in Popayan – Popayan is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,398 in Popayan versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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.

Expats usually find Popayan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.