Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Popayan and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,308 in Popayan versus $1,646 in Mexico City.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,043 in Popayan versus $2,613 in Mexico City.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,778 in Popayan versus $3,580 in Mexico City.

Living in Popayan costs roughly 21% less than in Mexico City, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Popayan is 5% below, Mexico City is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.52 COP 20.5K

$12.11 MX$206

-46.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.39 COP 120.9K

$52.2 MX$887

-26.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.90 COP 28.0K

$10.90 MX$185

-18.35%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,247

$4.05 MX$68.8

-27.41%

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

$1.46 COP 4,604

$1.72 MX$29.13

-15.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 COP 2,612

$1.38 MX$23.40

-39.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 COP 7,333

$3.47 MX$58.9

-32.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 COP 13.1K

$5.81 MX$98.7

-28.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 COP 4,392

$1.85 MX$31.48

-24.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 COP 7,950

$3.22 MX$54.7

-21.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,311

$2.09 MX$35.42

-34.45%

Eggs

$2.93 COP 9,220

$2.91 MX$49.41

0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 COP 23.3K

$12.49 MX$212

-40.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.91 COP 34.4K

$10.11 MX$172

7.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.10 COP 41.2K

$15.89 MX$270

-17.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.56 COP 11.2K

$3.31 MX$56.3

7.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,828

$2.13 MX$36.12

-28.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,157

$2.19 MX$37.20

-10.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,373

$2.45 MX$41.57

-17.55%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 COP 4,537

$2.19 MX$37.18

-34.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,058

$1.90 MX$32.35

-15.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 COP 3,141

$1.62 MX$27.44

-38.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 COP 3,135

$1.35 MX$22.92

-25.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 COP 12.9K

$5.43 MX$92.1

-24.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 COP 48.0K

$17.59 MX$299

-13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,170

$2.07 MX$35.12

-36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 COP 8,866

$4.75 MX$80.6

-40.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 COP 3,080

$0.34 MX$5.77

188.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.58 MX$366

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 COP 5,533

$2.04 MX$34.65

-13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 COP 6,535

$0.58 MX$9.82

258.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.81 COP 27.7K

$5.97 MX$101

47.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,258

$1.62 MX$27.44

-16.67%

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

$22.1K COP 69.6M

$22.8K MX$387.4K

-3.08%

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

$34.8K COP 109.7M

$26.7K MX$452.8K

30.64%

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

$117 COP 368.4K

$65.2 MX$1,108

79.32%

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

$11.88 COP 37.4K

$29.87 MX$507

-60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.04 COP 107.2K

$36.55 MX$621

-6.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$61.0 MX$1,036

-47.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.70 MX$453

Cinema Ticket

$6.68 COP 21.0K

$6.85 MX$116

-2.48%

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

$676 COP 2.1M

$453 MX$7,700

48.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,426 COP 20.2M

$13.4K MX$227.1K

-51.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 279.7K

$75.0 MX$1,273

18.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.2 COP 177.0K

$55.3 MX$939

1.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$133 COP 418.8K

$114 MX$1,929

17.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 308.4K

$123 MX$2,083

-20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 COP 2.2M

$1,134 MX$19.3K

-37.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$444 COP 1.4M

$712 MX$12.1K

-37.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 COP 2.9M

$2,571 MX$43.7K

-63.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$861 COP 2.7M

$1,311 MX$22.3K

-34.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,137 COP 6.7M

$3,993 MX$67.8K

-46.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,654 COP 5.2M

$2,095 MX$35.6K

-21.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,047 MX$17.8K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.58

11.3

2.48%

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

Last update for Popayan: August 30, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Popayan and $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Popayan vs $52.0 in Mexico City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $345 per month, with Popayan cheaper across the board.

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Popayan and Mexico City differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,308 vs $1,646 including rent). Popayan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,962 in Popayan and $2,469 in Mexico City 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 $1,134 in Mexico City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $676 in Popayan versus $453 in Mexico City. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Popayan – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $52.0 in Mexico City. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,308 in Popayan versus $1,646 in Mexico City, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Popayan but tight or insufficient in Mexico City. 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 26% less than in Mexico City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.