Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foz do Iguaçu and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $836 a month against $1,381 in Popayan, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil
Popayan, Colombia
Foz do Iguaçu
🇧🇷 Brazil
$836
/mo nomad
Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,381
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $836 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $1,381 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Foz do Iguaçu $836
  • Popayan $1,381

A couple spends around $1,278 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $2,141 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Foz do Iguaçu $1,278
  • Popayan $2,141

A family of three spends $1,720 per month in Foz do Iguaçu vs $2,902 in Popayan, rent included.

  • Foz do Iguaçu $1,720
  • Popayan $2,902

Foz do Iguaçu is about 39% cheaper than Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$5.44 R$29.30
$7.91 COP 25.5K
-31.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.57 R$202
$48.54 COP 156.7K
-22.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.38 R$34.34
$10.37 COP 33.5K
-38.48%
Cappuccino
$1.76 R$9.47
$2.74 COP 8,854
-35.77%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 R$6.86
$1.29 COP 4,166
-1.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.55 R$2.95
$1.16 COP 3,751
-52.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.47 R$7.89
$2.80 COP 9,057
-47.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.87 R$15.44
$3.80 COP 12.3K
-24.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.89 R$4.80
$1.66 COP 5,366
-46.39%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 R$7.15
$2.59 COP 8,375
-48.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 R$8.58
$1.56 COP 5,028
1.92%
Eggs
$2.55 R$13.73
$3.00 COP 9,678
-15.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.69 R$41.36
$7.16 COP 23.1K
7.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.66 R$19.70
$9.63 COP 31.1K
-61.99%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.05 R$43.31
$12.17 COP 39.3K
-33.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.00 R$10.77
$4.02 COP 13.0K
-50.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.14
$1.51 COP 4,861
-24.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.91 R$4.92
$1.91 COP 6,161
-52.36%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.14 R$6.11
$2.08 COP 6,701
-45.19%
Potato (1kg)
$0.96 R$5.16
$1.77 COP 5,699
-45.76%
Onion (1kg)
$1.00 R$5.40
$1.71 COP 5,536
-41.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.77 R$4.13
$1.06 COP 3,434
-27.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 R$4.08
$1.30 COP 4,200
-41.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.73 R$14.71
$4.43 COP 14.3K
-38.37%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.38 R$39.73
$13.37 COP 43.2K
-44.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 R$9.13
$1.43 COP 4,631
18.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.66 R$14.30
$2.25 COP 7,268
18.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.96 R$5.17
$1.21 COP 3,909
-20.66%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$48.90 R$263
$73.5 COP 237.2K
-33.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.96 R$5.16
$1.61 COP 5,209
-40.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.32 R$7.11
$2.34 COP 7,568
-43.59%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.90 COP 28.8K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.15 R$6.17
$1.36 COP 4,382
-15.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.8K R$101.0K
$35.9K COP 115.9M
-47.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$37.0K COP 119.4M
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$65.4 R$352
$108 COP 348.0K
-39.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.93 R$96.5
$13.08 COP 42.2K
37.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.59 R$100
$25.36 COP 81.9K
-26.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$18.25 R$98.2
$34.59 COP 111.7K
-47.24%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$5.61 R$30.19
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$8.34 R$44.88
$7.06 COP 22.8K
18.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$223 R$1,202
$616 COP 2.0M
-63.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$8,853 COP 28.6M
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.85 R$231
$79.1 COP 255.4K
-45.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.86 R$90.8
$45.54 COP 147.1K
-62.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.23 R$249
$143 COP 461.7K
-67.67%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$36.41 R$196
$101 COP 325.5K
-63.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$347 R$1,870
$737 COP 2.4M
-52.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$295 R$1,585
$489 COP 1.6M
-39.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$665 R$3,580
$1,349 COP 4.4M
-50.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$465 R$2,500
$889 COP 2.9M
-47.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,190 R$6,406
$2,461 COP 7.9M
-51.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$863 R$4,643
$1,879 COP 6.1M
-54.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Foz do Iguaçu
Popayan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$367 R$1,976
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
8.16
12
-32.00%

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

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: October 25, 2026

Last update for Popayan: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Foz do Iguaçu
$295
Popayan
$489 66% $194
Groceries & Markets
Foz do Iguaçu
$176
Popayan
$281 59.6% $105
Eating Out
Foz do Iguaçu
$104
Popayan
$159 52.4% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Foz do Iguaçu
$102
Popayan
$146 43.5% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Foz do Iguaçu
$64
Popayan
$166 159% $102
Getting Around
Foz do Iguaçu
$60
Popayan
$92 51.9% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Foz do Iguaçu
$35
Popayan
$49 39.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $347 in Foz do Iguaçu 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 $38 in Foz do Iguaçu versus $49 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $176 vs $281 – making Foz do Iguaçu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu
🇨🇴 Popayan
🕒 Local time
23:38 11:38 PM
21:38 9:38 PM
2 h behind Foz do Iguaçu
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
285,415
318,059
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to BRL – Brazilian Real Converter

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 5.38 BRL (1 BRL = 0.186 USD). 1 EUR = 6.01 BRL (1 BRL = 0.166 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Foz do Iguaçu Popayan 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Foz do Iguaçu
  • 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
Foz do Iguaçu vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Foz do Iguaçu and in Popayan compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $836 in Foz do Iguaçu, $1,381 in Popayan – Foz do Iguaçu comes out roughly 39% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Foz do Iguaçu compared to Popayan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,254 per month in Foz do Iguaçu 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 Foz do Iguaçu and Popayan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $347 there versus $737 in Popayan.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Foz do Iguaçu and Popayan?
Kindergarten costs $223 per month in Foz do Iguaçu and $616 in Popayan. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 60% more in Popayan, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Popayan at $1,381. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Popayan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Foz do Iguaçu or Popayan?
Families tend to lean toward Foz do Iguaçu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Where should expats move: Foz do Iguaçu or Popayan?
For expats, Foz do Iguaçu is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 39% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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