Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexico City and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,398 a month against $1,674 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
Learn more

Mexico City Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
Learn more

Popayan Living Index

Jump to prices

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,674

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,398

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,674 in Mexico City versus $1,398 in Popayan.

Mexico City $1,674
Popayan $1,398

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,606 in Mexico City versus $2,091 in Popayan.

Mexico City $2,606
Popayan $2,091

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,537 in Mexico City versus $2,783 in Popayan.

Mexico City $3,537
Popayan $2,783

Living in Mexico City is roughly 20% more expensive than in Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mexico City 24% above, Popayan 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.59 MX$198

$7.83 COP 25.3K

35.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 MX$972

$46.74 COP 150.9K

11.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.73 MX$201

$9.82 COP 31.7K

9.27%

Cappuccino

$3.80 MX$71.0

$2.77 COP 8,931

37.18%

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

$1.61 MX$30.16

$1.36 COP 4,404

18.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$22.67

$0.91 COP 2,931

32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 MX$59.4

$2.86 COP 9,243

11.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 MX$102

$4.26 COP 13.8K

27.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$32.13

$1.50 COP 4,838

14.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.97 MX$55.5

$2.07 COP 6,698

43.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$36.02

$1.99 COP 6,415

-3.02%

Eggs

$2.77 MX$51.9

$3.31 COP 10.7K

-16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.67 MX$218

$8.28 COP 26.7K

40.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 MX$177

$11.20 COP 36.2K

-15.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.37 MX$288

$14.18 COP 45.8K

8.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 MX$58.1

$3.93 COP 12.7K

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.67

$1.49 COP 4,810

31.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.07

$1.82 COP 5,866

8.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.34 MX$43.68

$1.81 COP 5,856

29.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.85

$1.62 COP 5,224

24.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$34.13

$1.69 COP 5,459

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 MX$28.89

$1.04 COP 3,367

48.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$24.54

$1.34 COP 4,326

-2.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.35 MX$100

$4.02 COP 13.0K

33.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.19 MX$303

$13.00 COP 42.0K

24.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.64

$1.61 COP 5,191

21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 MX$81.4

$2.27 COP 7,325

91.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 MX$5.70

$1.17 COP 3,779

-74.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.49 MX$365

$56.8 COP 183.5K

-65.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.92 MX$35.86

$1.71 COP 5,511

12.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 MX$8.84

$2.15 COP 6,956

-78.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.41 MX$101

$8.15 COP 26.3K

-33.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.75

$1.33 COP 4,301

11.28%

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

$21.4K MX$399.7K

$36.6K COP 118.3M

-41.68%

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

$23.8K MX$444.3K

$37.8K COP 122.0M

-37.13%

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

$62.0 MX$1,160

$111 COP 359.9K

-44.38%

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

$28.47 MX$533

$14.64 COP 47.3K

94.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.11 MX$638

$27.47 COP 88.7K

24.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.4 MX$1,092

$39.02 COP 126.0K

49.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.50 MX$458

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 MX$123

$6.76 COP 21.8K

-2.51%

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

$434 MX$8,122

$507 COP 1.6M

-14.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.0K MX$262.5K

$10.5K COP 33.8M

34.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 MX$1,278

$80.7 COP 260.6K

-15.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 MX$1,025

$58.1 COP 187.6K

-5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$2,073

$119 COP 385.5K

-7.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 MX$2,169

$104 COP 334.7K

11.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 MX$22.1K

$802 COP 2.6M

47.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$771 MX$14.4K

$506 COP 1.6M

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,570 MX$48.1K

$1,349 COP 4.4M

90.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,420 MX$26.6K

$779 COP 2.5M

82.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,586 MX$67.1K

$2,078 COP 6.7M

72.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,064 MX$38.6K

$1,794 COP 5.8M

15.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,003 MX$18.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.35

-5.42%

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

Last update for Mexico City: November 1, 2026

Last update for Popayan: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Mexico City

$771 46.1%

Popayan

$506 36.2% 34.3% $265

Groceries & Markets

Mexico City

$324 19.3%

Popayan

$292 20.9% 9.7% $31

Eating Out

Mexico City

$201 12%

Popayan

$157 11.2% 21.6% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Mexico City

$158 9.4%

Popayan

$163 11.6% 3.4% $5.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexico City

$125 7.4%

Popayan

$154 11% 23.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Mexico City

$72 4.3%

Popayan

$53 3.8% 26.6% $19

Getting Around

Mexico City

$25 1.5%

Popayan

$74 5.3% 196% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Mexico City and $802 in Popayan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $52 in Mexico City vs $47 in Popayan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $324 vs $292 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

11:17 11:17 AM

1 h ahead of Mexico City

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,209,944 Capital

318,059

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.35 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.7 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 21.01 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,627 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mexico City Popayan 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mexico City
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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,674 in Mexico City and $1,398 in Popayan, so Popayan is about 16% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,510 in Mexico City and $2,098 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: $1,179 in Mexico City versus $802 in Popayan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Mexico City runs roughly 66% less than in Popayan. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $434 in Mexico City versus $507 in Popayan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Popayan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.