Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Bogota

For one person, living costs are similar in Popayan and in Bogota: $1,340 and $1,323 a month, rent and utilities included.

63

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Bogota
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Bogota Living Index

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Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,340

/mo nomad

Bogota

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,323

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Popayan and in Bogota

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Popayan and in Bogota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Popayan vs $1,323 in Bogota, rent included.

Popayan $1,340
Bogota $1,323

A couple spends around $2,023 per month in Popayan vs $2,110 in Bogota, rent included.

Popayan $2,023
Bogota $2,110

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Popayan vs $2,897 in Bogota, rent included.

Popayan $2,706
Bogota $2,897

Popayan costs about 1% more than Bogota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Popayan and Bogota are more affordable than the global median – Popayan 1% lower, Bogota 2% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.55 COP 20.8K

$7.65 COP 24.3K

-14.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.13 COP 143.1K

$41.44 COP 131.4K

8.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.71 COP 27.6K

$10.38 COP 32.9K

-16.09%

Cappuccino

$2.80 COP 8,877

$2.53 COP 8,011

10.67%

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

$1.20 COP 3,793

$1.35 COP 4,277

-11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 COP 3,234

$0.87 COP 2,752

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 COP 10.9K

$2.06 COP 6,542

67.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 COP 12.8K

$3.98 COP 12.6K

1.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 COP 5,224

$1.65 COP 5,240

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$2.40 COP 7,618

3.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,338

$1.69 COP 5,345

-0.59%

Eggs

$3.13 COP 9,927

$3.54 COP 11.2K

-11.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.94 COP 22.0K

$7.89 COP 25.0K

-12.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.05 COP 35.0K

$7.30 COP 23.1K

51.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.39 COP 32.9K

$9.87 COP 31.3K

5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 COP 11.1K

$3.58 COP 11.4K

-2.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,209

$1.84 COP 5,822

-10.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 COP 5,805

$1.90 COP 6,012

-3.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,031

$1.74 COP 5,517

-8.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,232

$1.41 COP 4,484

-5.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,714

$1.37 COP 4,332

8.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,572

$1.30 COP 4,131

-13.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 COP 3,183

$1.15 COP 3,643

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.81 COP 12.1K

$4.32 COP 13.7K

-11.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 COP 37.6K

$12.76 COP 40.5K

-7.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,485

$1.43 COP 4,542

-1.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 COP 8,304

$2.83 COP 8,986

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 COP 3,332

$1.08 COP 3,434

-2.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.8 COP 161.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 COP 5,413

$2.38 COP 7,550

-28.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.34 COP 7,411

-2.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.26 COP 29.4K

$9.20 COP 29.2K

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,091

$1.33 COP 4,213

-3.01%

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

$25.7K COP 81.4M

$23.5K COP 74.4M

9.41%

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

$35.5K COP 112.5M

$35.6K COP 113.0M

-0.41%

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

$136 COP 431.3K

$125 COP 397.8K

8.44%

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

$11.34 COP 35.9K

$16.29 COP 51.6K

-30.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.78 COP 84.9K

$30.21 COP 95.8K

-11.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.41 COP 109.1K

$34.11 COP 108.2K

0.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.37 COP 48.7K

Cinema Ticket

$5.91 COP 18.8K

$7.84 COP 24.8K

-24.62%

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

$539 COP 1.7M

$501 COP 1.6M

7.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,384 COP 23.4M

$7,450 COP 23.6M

-0.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.9 COP 250.1K

$82.8 COP 262.6K

-4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.9 COP 189.8K

$47.40 COP 150.3K

26.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 414.9K

$142 COP 449.4K

-7.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 COP 363.3K

$106 COP 337.4K

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$554 COP 1.8M

$803 COP 2.5M

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 COP 1.6M

$452 COP 1.4M

13.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$903 COP 2.9M

$1,244 COP 3.9M

-27.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 COP 2.8M

$974 COP 3.1M

-10.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,101 COP 6.7M

$2,816 COP 8.9M

-25.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,896 COP 6.0M

$2,354 COP 7.5M

-19.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$813 COP 2.6M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

12.81

-9.60%

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

Last update for Popayan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bogota: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Popayan

$513 38.3%

Bogota

$452 34.1% 11.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Popayan

$270 20.2%

Bogota

$261 19.7% 3.4% $9.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Popayan

$174 13%

Bogota

$172 13% 1.3% $2.2

Clothing & Footwear

Popayan

$173 12.9%

Bogota

$170 12.9% 1.5% $2.6

Eating Out

Popayan

$146 10.9%

Bogota

$150 11.3% 2.4% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Popayan

$46 3.5%

Bogota

$50 3.8% 7.7% $3.5

Getting Around

Popayan

$17 * 1.3%

Bogota

$69 5.2% 301% $52

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $554 in Popayan versus $803 in Bogota. 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 $45.00 in Popayan versus $41.00 in Bogota. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $261 – making Bogota the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Popayan

🇨🇴 Bogota

🕒 Local time

20:04 8:04 PM

Same time as Popayan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

318,059

8,181,047 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Popayan Bogota 380 km

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Popayan
Bogota

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

Popayan vs Bogota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Popayan is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Popayan and $1,985 in Bogota. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bogota, 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 $45.00 in Popayan and $41.00 in Bogota. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Popayan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bogota, where all-in costs run around $1,323, than in Popayan at $1,340. In Bogota it covers expenses comfortably, while in Popayan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bogota – 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 Bogota. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Popayan makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.