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: $1,467 in Mexico City versus $805 in Popayan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,371 in Mexico City versus $1,223 in Popayan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,274 in Mexico City versus $1,640 in Popayan.

Living in Mexico City is roughly 82% more expensive than Popayan, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mexico City is 10% above, Popayan is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.18 MX$228

$3.98 COP 14.2K

231.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 MX$932

$24.01 COP 85.7K

124.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 MX$163

$7.18 COP 25.6K

31.20%

Cappuccino

$3.55 MX$61.4

$1.51 COP 5,406

135.10%

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

$1.62 MX$27.98

$0.86 COP 3,073

88.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.27

$0.58 COP 2,069

91.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 MX$54.0

$1.15 COP 4,101

171.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$80.1

$2.12 COP 7,573

118.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$29.43

$1.05 COP 3,757

61.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.72 MX$47.02

$1.25 COP 4,447

117.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.07

$1.18 COP 4,199

61.86%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$43.86

$2.21 COP 7,887

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.03 MX$174

$4.54 COP 16.2K

120.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 MX$140

$5.18 COP 18.5K

56.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.62 MX$201

$7.14 COP 25.5K

62.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$51.3

$2.43 COP 8,678

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.24

$1.07 COP 3,818

69.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.82

$1.36 COP 4,843

47.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$35.20

$0.85 COP 3,022

138.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.75

$1.11 COP 3,980

90.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.25

$1.12 COP 4,009

102.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 MX$24.22

$0.88 COP 3,149

59.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$19.55

$0.64 COP 2,279

76.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.31 COP 8,264

84.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.56 MX$269

$10.38 COP 37.1K

49.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.39

$1.13 COP 4,046

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$1.80 COP 6,437

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 MX$6.62

$0.69 COP 2,461

-44.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.18 MX$332

$29.66 COP 105.9K

-35.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$23.79

$1.46 COP 5,214

-5.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.28 MX$4.78

$1.71 COP 6,104

-83.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$6.15 COP 21.9K

-11.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.99 COP 3,543

31.31%

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

$18.7K MX$323.2K

$17.9K COP 63.9M

4.50%

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

$23.1K MX$400.1K

$25.5K COP 91.2M

-9.45%

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

$40.86 MX$707

$83.5 COP 298.2K

-51.07%

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

$26.81 MX$464

$8.86 COP 31.6K

202.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.96 MX$518

$22.84 COP 81.6K

31.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.0 MX$900

$23.53 COP 84.0K

121.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.84 MX$464

Cinema Ticket

$6.30 MX$109

$3.93 COP 14.0K

60.31%

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

$436 MX$7,544

$241 COP 861.1K

80.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K MX$180.2K

$6,042 COP 21.6M

72.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$980

$58.4 COP 208.4K

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.38 MX$768

$32.94 COP 117.6K

34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,780

$82.9 COP 296.0K

24.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 MX$1,825

$72.8 COP 259.8K

45.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 MX$17.7K

$284 COP 1.0M

260.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$242 COP 863.9K

160.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 MX$36.9K

$525 COP 1.9M

306.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,243 MX$21.5K

$423 COP 1.5M

193.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,903 MX$67.5K

$1,434 COP 5.1M

172.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$35.7K

$1,260 COP 4.5M

63.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,115 MX$19.3K

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Popayan: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,022 in Mexico City and $284 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 $288 vs $172 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 82% in total monthly costs ($1,467 vs $805 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,201 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: $1,022 in Mexico City versus $284 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 55% less than in Mexico City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $436 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 $805 in Popayan versus $1,467 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 82% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.