Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cordoba and Popayan

For one person, living costs are similar in Cordoba and in Popayan: $1,368 and $1,340 a month, rent and utilities included.

Cordoba
🇦🇷 Argentina
$1,368
/mo nomad
Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,340
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,368 per month in Cordoba vs $1,340 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Cordoba $1,368
  • Popayan $1,340

A couple spends around $2,259 per month in Cordoba vs $2,023 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Cordoba $2,259
  • Popayan $2,023

A family of three spends $3,150 per month in Cordoba vs $2,706 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Cordoba $3,150
  • Popayan $2,706

Cordoba costs about 2% more than Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Cordoba sits 1% above the global median, while Popayan is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.43 ARS 20.4K
$6.55 COP 20.8K
105.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.9 ARS 83.3K
$45.13 COP 143.1K
21.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.03 ARS 19.8K
$8.71 COP 27.6K
49.60%
Cappuccino
$3.59 ARS 5,447
$2.80 COP 8,877
28.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.55 ARS 3,871
$1.20 COP 3,793
112.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 ARS 3,198
$1.02 COP 3,234
106.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 ARS 5,132
$3.45 COP 10.9K
-2.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.78 ARS 5,729
$4.02 COP 12.8K
-5.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.68 ARS 2,553
$1.65 COP 5,224
1.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.76 ARS 4,194
$2.49 COP 7,898
10.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.06 ARS 3,122
$1.68 COP 5,338
22.62%
Eggs
$2.38 ARS 3,609
$3.13 COP 9,927
-23.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.06 ARS 15.3K
$6.94 COP 22.0K
44.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.02 ARS 12.2K
$11.05 COP 35.0K
-27.42%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.62 ARS 17.6K
$10.39 COP 32.9K
11.84%
Apples (1kg)
$2.44 ARS 3,704
$3.49 COP 11.1K
-30.09%
Banana (1kg)
$2.28 ARS 3,462
$1.64 COP 5,209
39.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.61 ARS 2,436
$1.83 COP 5,805
-12.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.91 ARS 4,419
$1.59 COP 5,031
83.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.18 ARS 1,794
$1.33 COP 4,232
-11.28%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 ARS 2,041
$1.49 COP 4,714
-10.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.23 ARS 1,861
$1.13 COP 3,572
8.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 ARS 2,668
$1.00 COP 3,183
76.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$5.10 ARS 7,734
$3.81 COP 12.1K
33.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$4.86 ARS 7,372
$11.86 COP 37.6K
-59.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.26 ARS 3,424
$1.41 COP 4,485
60.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.64 ARS 5,518
$2.62 COP 8,304
38.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.27 ARS 1,921
$1.05 COP 3,332
20.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$55.5 ARS 84.2K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 ARS 1,950
$1.71 COP 5,413
-25.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.95 ARS 2,958
$2.27 COP 7,194
-14.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$7.18 ARS 10.9K
$9.26 COP 29.4K
-22.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.16 ARS 1,757
$1.29 COP 4,091
-10.08%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.6K ARS 54.1M
$25.7K COP 81.4M
38.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.2K ARS 53.4M
$35.5K COP 112.5M
-0.92%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 ARS 245.7K
$136 COP 431.3K
19.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.47 ARS 26.5K
$11.34 COP 35.9K
54.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.87 ARS 48.4K
$26.78 COP 84.9K
19.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$28.21 ARS 42.8K
$34.41 COP 109.1K
-18.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.72 ARS 34.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.91 ARS 15.0K
$5.91 COP 18.8K
67.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$218 ARS 330.8K
$539 COP 1.7M
-59.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,059 ARS 6.2M
$7,384 COP 23.4M
-45.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$125 ARS 190.0K
$78.9 COP 250.1K
58.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$105 ARS 158.8K
$59.9 COP 189.8K
74.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 ARS 211.4K
$131 COP 414.9K
6.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 ARS 203.4K
$115 COP 363.3K
16.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$483 ARS 732.5K
$554 COP 1.8M
-12.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$304 ARS 460.6K
$513 COP 1.6M
-40.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$986 ARS 1.5M
$903 COP 2.9M
9.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$784 ARS 1.2M
$874 COP 2.8M
-10.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,807 ARS 4.3M
$2,101 COP 6.7M
33.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,613 ARS 2.4M
$1,896 COP 6.0M
-14.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cordoba
Popayan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$658 ARS 998.3K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
48.5
11.58
318.83%

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

Last update for Cordoba: October 12, 2026

Last update for Popayan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cordoba
$304
Popayan
$513 69% $209
Groceries & Markets
Cordoba
$275
Popayan
$270 1.7% $4.8
Eating Out
Cordoba
$233
Popayan
$146 37.2% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Cordoba
$226
Popayan
$173 23.7% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cordoba
$211
Popayan
$174 17.6% $37
Getting Around
Cordoba
$72
Popayan
$17 * 75.9% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Cordoba
$48
Popayan
$46 3.7% $1.8

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $483 in Cordoba versus $554 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 $55.0 in Cordoba versus $45.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $270 – making Popayan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇷 Cordoba
🇨🇴 Popayan
🕒 Local time
01:45 1:45 AM
23:45 11:45 PM
2 h behind Cordoba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,655,481
318,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cordoba Popayan 3,990 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cordoba
  • 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
Cordoba vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Popayan cheaper than Cordoba?
Yes – Cordoba is pricier by about 2%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,052 per month in Cordoba and $2,009 in Popayan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Cordoba or in Popayan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $55.0 in Cordoba and $45.00 in Popayan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Cordoba and in Popayan?
Groceries cost about 2% more in Cordoba, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $2,000 a realistic budget for living in Cordoba or in Popayan?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Popayan, where all-in costs run around $1,340, than in Cordoba at $1,368. In Popayan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cordoba it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cordoba or Popayan more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Cordoba or Popayan?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Popayan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cordoba makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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