Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Cali Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Cali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Popayan versus $1,090 in Cali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Popayan versus $1,649 in Cali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Popayan versus $2,208 in Cali.

Living in Popayan is roughly 20% more expensive than in Cali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Popayan 5% lower, Cali 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 COP 20.5K

$7.70 COP 24.2K

-15.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.39 COP 120.9K

$38.08 COP 119.9K

0.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 COP 28.0K

$8.61 COP 27.1K

3.37%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,247

$1.62 COP 5,101

81.48%

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

$1.46 COP 4,604

$1.26 COP 3,965

15.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,612

$0.87 COP 2,749

-4.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 COP 7,333

$3.25 COP 10.2K

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 COP 13.1K

$3.85 COP 12.1K

8.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 COP 4,392

$1.57 COP 4,959

-11.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,950

$1.99 COP 6,269

26.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,311

$1.51 COP 4,756

-9.27%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,220

$2.83 COP 8,904

3.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 COP 23.3K

$6.43 COP 20.3K

14.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 COP 34.4K

$7.06 COP 22.2K

54.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 COP 41.2K

$10.39 COP 32.7K

26.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$3.49 COP 11.0K

2.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,828

$1.41 COP 4,448

8.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,157

$1.76 COP 5,531

11.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,373

$1.75 COP 5,511

15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,537

$1.45 COP 4,575

-0.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,058

$1.57 COP 4,939

2.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,141

$1.15 COP 3,632

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 COP 3,135

$1.04 COP 3,265

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 COP 12.9K

$3.70 COP 11.7K

10.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 COP 48.0K

$13.26 COP 41.8K

14.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,170

$1.45 COP 4,560

-8.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 COP 8,866

$2.53 COP 7,974

11.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 COP 3,080

$1.08 COP 3,415

-9.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.95 COP 94.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 COP 5,533

$0.84 COP 2,657

109.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 COP 6,535

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 COP 27.7K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.30 COP 4,106

3.85%

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

$22.1K COP 69.6M

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

$34.8K COP 109.7M

$35.7K COP 112.4M

-2.39%

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

$117 COP 368.4K

$114 COP 357.6K

3.04%

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

$11.88 COP 37.4K

$13.49 COP 42.5K

-11.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 COP 107.2K

$31.05 COP 97.8K

9.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$28.87 COP 90.9K

10.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 COP 21.0K

$8.43 COP 26.5K

-20.76%

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

$676 COP 2.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,426 COP 20.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 279.7K

$80.3 COP 252.8K

10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 COP 177.0K

$54.4 COP 171.2K

3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 COP 418.8K

$124 COP 391.0K

7.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 308.4K

$109 COP 343.0K

-10.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 COP 2.2M

$641 COP 2.0M

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 COP 1.4M

$299 COP 943.0K

48.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 COP 2.9M

$1,577 COP 5.0M

-41.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 COP 2.7M

$493 COP 1.6M

74.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 COP 6.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$591 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

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

Last update for Popayan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cali: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Popayan and $641 in Cali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Popayan vs $38.00 in Cali. Groceries flip the comparison at $284 vs $244, with Cali cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cali is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,962 in Popayan and $1,636 in Cali 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: $708 in Popayan versus $641 in Cali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Popayan. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cali – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $38.00 in Popayan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,090 in Cali versus $1,308 in Popayan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cali but tight or insufficient in Popayan. The gap between the two cities makes Cali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cali is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Popayan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Popayan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.