Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Calgary

For one person, living is cheaper in Popayan: $1,398 a month against $2,297 in Calgary, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

67

Cost of Living Index in Popayan
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Popayan Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Calgary
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Calgary Living Index

Jump to prices

Popayan

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,398

/mo nomad

Calgary

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,297

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Popayan and in Calgary

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 Calgary actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,398 in Popayan versus $2,297 in Calgary.

Popayan $1,398
Calgary $2,297

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,091 in Popayan versus $3,378 in Calgary.

Popayan $2,091
Calgary $3,378

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,783 in Popayan versus $4,459 in Calgary.

Popayan $2,783
Calgary $4,459

Living in Popayan costs roughly 39% less than in Calgary, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Popayan 3% above, Calgary 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$17.94 CA$25.05

-56.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.74 COP 150.3K

$68.9 CA$96.1

-32.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 COP 31.6K

$10.94 CA$15.27

-10.24%

Cappuccino

$2.77 COP 8,896

$3.70 CA$5.17

-25.14%

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

$1.36 COP 4,387

$2.07 CA$2.89

-34.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,919

$2.04 CA$2.85

-55.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 COP 9,208

$5.74 CA$8.02

-50.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.26 COP 13.7K

$5.70 CA$7.96

-25.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,819

$1.98 CA$2.76

-24.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 COP 6,672

$2.65 CA$3.70

-21.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,390

$5.84 CA$8.15

-65.92%

Eggs

$3.31 COP 10.6K

$3.81 CA$5.33

-13.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 COP 26.6K

$10.81 CA$15.08

-23.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 COP 36.0K

$11.02 CA$15.38

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 COP 45.6K

$17.87 CA$24.95

-20.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 COP 12.6K

$4.88 CA$6.81

-19.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 COP 4,792

$1.45 CA$2.03

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 COP 5,843

$4.15 CA$5.80

-56.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$3.99 CA$5.57

-54.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,204

$2.93 CA$4.09

-44.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 COP 5,438

$3.02 CA$4.22

-44.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,354

$2.67 CA$3.72

-61.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 COP 4,309

$1.57 CA$2.19

-14.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 COP 12.9K

$14.11 CA$19.69

-71.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.00 COP 41.8K

$15.45 CA$21.57

-15.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 COP 5,171

$2.50 CA$3.50

-35.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 COP 7,296

$3.18 CA$4.44

-28.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,764

$2.85 CA$3.97

-58.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.8 COP 182.7K

$90.2 CA$126

-37.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.71 COP 5,490

$3.16 CA$4.41

-45.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,929

$1.41 CA$1.96

52.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 COP 26.2K

$27.46 CA$38.33

-70.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 COP 4,284

$1.18 CA$1.65

12.71%

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

$36.6K COP 117.9M

$27.9K CA$38.9K

31.54%

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

$37.8K COP 121.6M

$21.1K CA$29.4K

79.46%

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

$111 COP 358.5K

$182 CA$254

-38.69%

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

$14.64 COP 47.1K

$36.01 CA$50.3

-59.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.47 COP 88.4K

$48.80 CA$68.1

-43.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.02 COP 125.5K

$48.78 CA$68.1

-20.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.15 CA$25.34

Cinema Ticket

$6.76 COP 21.7K

$14.52 CA$20.26

-53.44%

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

$507 COP 1.6M

$542 CA$756

-6.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K COP 33.7M

$21.2K CA$29.5K

-50.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.7 COP 259.6K

$59.1 CA$82.5

36.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.1 COP 186.8K

$42.34 CA$59.1

37.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 COP 384.0K

$94.2 CA$131

26.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 COP 333.4K

$109 CA$152

-4.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$802 COP 2.6M

$1,214 CA$1,694

-33.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 COP 1.6M

$1,036 CA$1,447

-51.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,349 COP 4.3M

$2,045 CA$2,855

-34.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$779 COP 2.5M

$1,655 CA$2,310

-52.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,078 COP 6.7M

$3,653 CA$5,099

-43.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 COP 5.8M

$3,183 CA$4,443

-43.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,219 CA$4,493

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.43

170.88%

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

Last update for Popayan: November 1, 2026

Last update for Calgary: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Popayan

$506 36.2%

Calgary

$1K 45.1% 105% $530

Groceries & Markets

Popayan

$292 20.9%

Calgary

$390 17% 33.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Popayan

$163 11.6%

Calgary

$137 6% 15.9% $26

Eating Out

Popayan

$157 11.2%

Calgary

$277 12.1% 76.4% $120

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Popayan

$154 11%

Calgary

$267 11.6% 73.6% $113

Getting Around

Popayan

$74 5.3%

Calgary

$112 4.9% 51.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Popayan

$53 3.8%

Calgary

$78 3.4% 48.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $802 in Popayan and $1,214 in Calgary. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Popayan vs $69 in Calgary for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $292 vs $390 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Popayan

🇨🇦 Calgary

🕒 Local time

19:43 7:43 PM

18:43 6:43 PM

1 h behind Popayan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

318,059

1,267,344

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,217 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Popayan Calgary 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Popayan
Calgary

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 Calgary: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan is about 39% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,098 in Popayan and $3,445 in Calgary 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: $802 in Popayan versus $1,214 in Calgary. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Popayan – a meal for two runs $47 versus $69 in Calgary. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,398 per month in Popayan versus $2,297 in Calgary – Popayan is about 39% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,398 in Popayan versus $2,297 in Calgary, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Calgary. 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 39% less than in Calgary. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.