Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Popayan Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Popayan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,456 in Mexico City versus $804 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,361 in Mexico City versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,266 in Mexico City versus $1,642 in Popayan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 81% more expensive than in Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 9% above, Popayan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.07 MX$228

$3.82 COP 12.4K

242.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$936

$23.83 COP 77.6K

125.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.68 MX$169

$7.29 COP 23.7K

32.78%

Cappuccino

$3.74 MX$65.1

$1.50 COP 4,898

149.33%

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

$1.62 MX$28.13

$0.88 COP 2,866

84.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$20.23

$0.61 COP 1,977

90.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.17 COP 3,798

176.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.74 MX$82.5

$2.21 COP 7,187

114.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.68

$1.11 COP 3,602

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.75 MX$47.95

$1.29 COP 4,215

113.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.63

$1.17 COP 3,823

59.83%

Eggs

$2.50 MX$43.54

$2.22 COP 7,224

12.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.20 MX$178

$4.31 COP 14.0K

136.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.25 MX$144

$5.21 COP 17.0K

58.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.82 MX$206

$7.16 COP 23.3K

65.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.01 MX$52.4

$2.52 COP 8,197

19.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.54

$1.11 COP 3,622

63.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.81

$1.37 COP 4,449

45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.74

$0.91 COP 2,958

119.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$36.30

$1.12 COP 3,647

85.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.56

$1.13 COP 3,684

100.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$25.36

$0.81 COP 2,645

80.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.74

$0.65 COP 2,116

66.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.35 MX$75.7

$2.41 COP 7,859

80.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.99 MX$296

$13.06 COP 42.5K

30.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 MX$30.18

$1.12 COP 3,658

54.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 MX$62.3

$1.74 COP 5,659

105.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 MX$6.74

$0.71 COP 2,325

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.69 MX$325

$30.45 COP 99.1K

-38.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 MX$23.08

$1.47 COP 4,800

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.87

$1.65 COP 5,373

-83.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.25 MX$91.5

$6.19 COP 20.1K

-15.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$1.00 COP 3,254

34.00%

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

$19.4K MX$338.0K

$17.6K COP 57.4M

10.10%

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

$23.8K MX$415.0K

$25.7K COP 83.6M

-7.21%

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

$40.69 MX$709

$83.9 COP 273.0K

-51.47%

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

$26.87 MX$468

$9.26 COP 30.1K

190.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.51 MX$531

$22.35 COP 72.8K

36.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.8 MX$919

$23.29 COP 75.8K

126.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.65 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.51 MX$113

$3.87 COP 12.6K

68.22%

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

$428 MX$7,454

$241 COP 784.9K

77.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K MX$182.8K

$5,914 COP 19.3M

77.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.3 MX$997

$59.8 COP 194.6K

-4.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 MX$792

$32.82 COP 106.8K

38.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,812

$84.4 COP 274.7K

23.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 MX$1,878

$72.3 COP 235.4K

49.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 MX$17.5K

$281 COP 914.1K

257.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 MX$10.8K

$237 COP 771.0K

162.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,109 MX$36.7K

$519 COP 1.7M

306.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,218 MX$21.2K

$430 COP 1.4M

182.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,885 MX$67.6K

$1,662 COP 5.4M

133.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 MX$35.4K

$1,192 COP 3.9M

70.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,038 MX$18.1K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.34

13.18

-13.96%

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

Last update for Mexico City: July 13, 2026

Last update for Popayan: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,003 in Mexico City and $281 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $54.0 in Mexico City vs $24.00 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $179 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

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

Mexico City vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexico City and Popayan differ by about 81% in total monthly costs ($1,456 vs $804 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,185 in Mexico City and $1,207 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: $1,003 in Mexico City versus $281 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Popayan runs roughly 63% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $428 in Mexico City versus $241 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $804 in Popayan versus $1,456 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 81% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.