Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montevideo and Popayan

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,340 a month against $1,771 in Montevideo, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

86

Cost of Living Index in Montevideo
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Montevideo Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index

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Montevideo

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$1,771

/mo nomad

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,340

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,771 per month in Montevideo vs $1,340 in Popayan, rent included.

Montevideo $1,771
Popayan $1,340

A couple spends around $2,740 per month in Montevideo vs $2,023 in Popayan, rent included.

Montevideo $2,740
Popayan $2,023

A family of three spends $3,708 per month in Montevideo vs $2,706 in Popayan, rent included.

Montevideo $3,708
Popayan $2,706

Montevideo costs about 32% more than Popayan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Montevideo sits 31% above the global median, while Popayan is 1% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.16 UYU 609

$6.55 COP 20.8K

131.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 UYU 2,776

$45.13 COP 143.1K

53.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.65 UYU 588

$8.71 COP 27.6K

68.20%

Cappuccino

$4.46 UYU 179

$2.80 COP 8,877

59.29%

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

$2.67 UYU 107

$1.20 COP 3,793

122.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 UYU 80.4

$1.02 COP 3,234

96.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.83 UYU 194

$3.45 COP 10.9K

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 UYU 152

$4.02 COP 12.8K

-5.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 UYU 54.8

$1.65 COP 5,224

-17.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 UYU 115

$2.49 COP 7,898

15.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 UYU 70.2

$1.68 COP 5,338

4.17%

Eggs

$4.68 UYU 188

$3.13 COP 9,927

49.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.88 UYU 557

$6.94 COP 22.0K

100.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.98 UYU 481

$11.05 COP 35.0K

8.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 UYU 480

$10.39 COP 32.9K

15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 UYU 111

$3.49 COP 11.1K

-20.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 UYU 110

$1.64 COP 5,209

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 UYU 71.2

$1.83 COP 5,805

-3.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 UYU 130

$1.59 COP 5,031

103.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 UYU 79.2

$1.33 COP 4,232

48.12%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 UYU 83.1

$1.49 COP 4,714

38.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 UYU 55.1

$1.13 COP 3,572

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 UYU 75.3

$1.00 COP 3,183

88.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.59 UYU 224

$3.81 COP 12.1K

46.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.78 UYU 352

$11.86 COP 37.6K

-25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 UYU 90.9

$1.41 COP 4,485

60.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 UYU 110

$2.62 COP 8,304

4.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 UYU 61.5

$1.05 COP 3,332

45.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$74.3 UYU 2,980

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.91 UYU 76.7

$1.71 COP 5,413

11.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 UYU 16.18

$2.27 COP 7,194

-82.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.33 UYU 415

$9.26 COP 29.4K

11.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 UYU 85.6

$1.29 COP 4,091

65.12%

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

$27.1K UYU 1.1M

$25.7K COP 81.4M

5.55%

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

$36.3K UYU 1.5M

$35.5K COP 112.5M

2.16%

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

$188 UYU 7,557

$136 COP 431.3K

38.42%

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

$20.54 UYU 824

$11.34 COP 35.9K

81.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.81 UYU 1,798

$26.78 COP 84.9K

67.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.0 UYU 2,166

$34.41 COP 109.1K

56.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.75 UYU 793

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 UYU 480

$5.91 COP 18.8K

102.20%

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

$634 UYU 25.5K

$539 COP 1.7M

17.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.1K UYU 443.6K

$7,384 COP 23.4M

49.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 UYU 4,099

$78.9 COP 250.1K

29.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 UYU 2,309

$59.9 COP 189.8K

-3.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 UYU 5,079

$131 COP 414.9K

-3.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 UYU 5,131

$115 COP 363.3K

11.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 UYU 28.8K

$554 COP 1.8M

29.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$568 UYU 22.8K

$513 COP 1.6M

10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 UYU 46.0K

$903 COP 2.9M

26.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 UYU 41.1K

$874 COP 2.8M

17.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 UYU 136.1K

$2,101 COP 6.7M

61.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 UYU 78.2K

$1,896 COP 6.0M

2.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,245 UYU 50.0K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.74

11.58

-50.43%

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

Last update for Montevideo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Popayan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montevideo

$568 32.1%

Popayan

$513 38.3% 9.7% $55

Groceries & Markets

Montevideo

$332 18.7%

Popayan

$270 20.2% 18.6% $62

Eating Out

Montevideo

$269 15.2%

Popayan

$146 10.9% 45.7% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montevideo

$254 14.3%

Popayan

$174 13% 31.3% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Montevideo

$186 10.5%

Popayan

$173 12.9% 7.2% $13

Getting Around

Montevideo

$84 4.8%

Popayan

$17 * 1.3% 79.5% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Montevideo

$78 4.4%

Popayan

$46 3.5% 40.6% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $719 in Montevideo versus $554 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 $69.0 in Montevideo versus $45.00 in Popayan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $332 vs $270 – making Popayan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇾 Montevideo

🇨🇴 Popayan

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

22:57 10:57 PM

2 h behind Montevideo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,319,108 Capital

318,059

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Montevideo Popayan 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Montevideo
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

Montevideo vs Popayan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Montevideo is pricier by about 32%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,656 per month in Montevideo and $2,009 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 $69.0 in Montevideo and $45.00 in Popayan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 23% more in Montevideo, 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 $1,340, than in Montevideo at $1,771. In Popayan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Montevideo 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Popayan. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Montevideo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.