Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Foz do Iguaçu

For one person, living is cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu: $910 a month against $1,340 in Popayan, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Popayan
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,340
/mo nomad
Foz do Iguaçu
🇧🇷 Brazil
$910
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Popayan and in Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,340 per month in Popayan vs $910 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

  • Popayan $1,340
  • Foz do Iguaçu $910

A couple spends around $2,023 per month in Popayan vs $1,390 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

  • Popayan $2,023
  • Foz do Iguaçu $1,390

A family of three spends $2,706 per month in Popayan vs $1,870 in Foz do Iguaçu, rent included.

  • Popayan $2,706
  • Foz do Iguaçu $1,870

Popayan costs about 47% more than Foz do Iguaçu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Popayan and Foz do Iguaçu are more affordable than the global median – Popayan 1% lower, Foz do Iguaçu 33% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.55 COP 20.8K
$6.08 R$30.80
7.73%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$45.13 COP 143.1K
$40.68 R$206
10.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.71 COP 27.6K
$7.11 R$36.04
22.50%
Cappuccino
$2.80 COP 8,877
$1.90 R$9.65
47.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.20 COP 3,793
$1.38 R$6.98
-13.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 COP 3,234
$0.58 R$2.94
75.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.45 COP 10.9K
$1.64 R$8.32
110.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 COP 12.8K
$2.99 R$15.15
34.45%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.65 COP 5,224
$0.95 R$4.81
73.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.49 COP 7,898
$1.51 R$7.64
64.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,338
$1.70 R$8.62
-1.18%
Eggs
$3.13 COP 9,927
$2.69 R$13.66
16.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.94 COP 22.0K
$8.04 R$40.74
-13.68%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.05 COP 35.0K
$4.11 R$20.85
168.86%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.39 COP 32.9K
$8.43 R$42.72
23.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.49 COP 11.1K
$2.15 R$10.90
62.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,209
$1.19 R$6.02
37.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.83 COP 5,805
$0.97 R$4.92
88.66%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,031
$1.17 R$5.91
35.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.33 COP 4,232
$0.97 R$4.94
37.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.49 COP 4,714
$1.09 R$5.51
36.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,572
$0.88 R$4.47
28.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.00 COP 3,183
$0.88 R$4.47
13.64%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.81 COP 12.1K
$2.95 R$14.94
29.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.86 COP 37.6K
$8.03 R$40.72
47.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,485
$1.89 R$9.56
-25.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 COP 8,304
$2.99 R$15.18
-12.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.05 COP 3,332
$0.97 R$4.92
8.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$52.4 R$266
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.71 COP 5,413
$1.02 R$5.16
67.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$1.44 R$7.28
57.64%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.26 COP 29.4K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 COP 4,091
$1.24 R$6.30
4.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.7K COP 81.4M
$20.3K R$103.1K
26.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.5K COP 112.5M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$136 COP 431.3K
$72.2 R$366
88.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.34 COP 35.9K
$19.15 R$97.1
-40.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.78 COP 84.9K
$20.40 R$103
31.27%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.41 COP 109.1K
$19.97 R$101
72.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$5.98 R$30.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.91 COP 18.8K
$9.29 R$47.09
-36.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$539 COP 1.7M
$242 R$1,227
122.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,384 COP 23.4M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.9 COP 250.1K
$47.64 R$242
65.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.9 COP 189.8K
$17.75 R$90.0
237.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$131 COP 414.9K
$50.3 R$255
159.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$115 COP 363.3K
$39.21 R$199
192.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$554 COP 1.8M
$377 R$1,912
46.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$513 COP 1.6M
$320 R$1,622
60.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$903 COP 2.9M
$711 R$3,603
27.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$874 COP 2.8M
$508 R$2,573
72.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,101 COP 6.7M
$1,279 R$6,485
64.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,896 COP 6.0M
$897 R$4,547
111.36%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Popayan
Foz do Iguaçu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$397 R$2,015
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.58
8.16
41.91%

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

Last update for Popayan: October 11, 2026

Last update for Foz do Iguaçu: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Popayan
$513
Foz do Iguaçu
$320 37.6% $193
Groceries & Markets
Popayan
$270
Foz do Iguaçu
$190 29.5% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Popayan
$174
Foz do Iguaçu
$112 35.9% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Popayan
$173
Foz do Iguaçu
$70 59.7% $103
Eating Out
Popayan
$146
Foz do Iguaçu
$115 21.5% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Popayan
$46
Foz do Iguaçu
$39 16.7% $7.7
Getting Around
Popayan
$17 *
Foz do Iguaçu
$64 274% $47

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 $377 in Foz do Iguaçu. 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 Foz do Iguaçu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $270 vs $190 – making Foz do Iguaçu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Popayan
🇧🇷 Foz do Iguaçu
🕒 Local time
15:19 3:19 PM
17:19 5:19 PM
2 h ahead of Popayan
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
318,059
285,415
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

BRL, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Brazilian Real exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5.07 BRL (1 BRL = 0.197 USD). 1 EUR = 5.7 BRL (1 BRL = 0.175 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Popayan Foz do Iguaçu 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Popayan
  • Foz do Iguaçu

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 Foz do Iguaçu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Popayan and in Foz do Iguaçu compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,340 in Popayan, $910 in Foz do Iguaçu – roughly 47% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Popayan compared to Foz do Iguaçu?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,009 per month in Popayan and $1,364 in Foz do Iguaçu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Popayan and Foz do Iguaçu?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Foz do Iguaçu, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Popayan and $41.00 in Foz do Iguaçu. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 42% more in Popayan, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Foz do Iguaçu, where all-in costs run around $910, than in Popayan at $1,340. In Foz do Iguaçu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Popayan it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Popayan or Foz do Iguaçu?
Families tend to lean toward Foz do Iguaçu – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Popayan and Foz do Iguaçu?
If budget matters most, go with Foz do Iguaçu. 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.

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