Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,311 in Popayan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,104 in Popayan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,896 in Popayan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 28% more than Popayan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Popayan is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.42 COP 23.1K

8.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$46.79 COP 146.0K

2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.41 COP 29.3K

5.10%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.43 COP 7,580

28.81%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.52 COP 4,731

25.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.98 COP 3,069

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.65 COP 8,267

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.33 COP 13.5K

32.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.33 COP 4,160

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.51 COP 7,845

-0.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.57 COP 4,887

12.74%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.82 COP 8,807

4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.85 COP 27.6K

13.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.82 COP 33.8K

-6.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$12.63 COP 39.4K

13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.22 COP 10.1K

28.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.65 COP 5,136

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.79 COP 5,590

25.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.66 COP 5,177

35.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.69 COP 5,286

20.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.48 COP 4,621

4.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.28 COP 3,986

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.09 COP 3,409

20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.65 COP 11.4K

6.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$13.67 COP 42.6K

2.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.36 COP 4,249

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.62 COP 8,184

9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.18 COP 3,668

3.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.49 COP 4,644

-12.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.24 COP 6,989

-2.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.46 COP 26.4K

2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.38 COP 4,294

-0.72%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$25.1K COP 78.3M

10.87%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$33.9K COP 105.8M

5.56%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$115 COP 357.4K

54.79%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$14.07 COP 43.9K

-1.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$25.98 COP 81.1K

14.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$38.08 COP 118.8K

17.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.53 COP 23.5K

-11.69%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$628 COP 2.0M

29.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$7,376 COP 23.0M

24.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$84.2 COP 262.7K

6.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$51.2 COP 159.8K

15.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$136 COP 423.4K

1.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$116 COP 362.2K

-12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$763 COP 2.4M

39.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$544 COP 1.7M

21.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$920 COP 2.9M

105.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$984 COP 3.1M

4.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,286 COP 7.1M

83.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,938 COP 6.0M

-13.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.58

-5.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Popayan: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $282 – 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

Medellin vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 28%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $47.00 in Popayan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 8% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Popayan, where all-in costs run around $1,311, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Popayan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.