Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Big Rapids, MI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,961 in Big Rapids, MI, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Big Rapids, MI
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Big Rapids, MI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Big Rapids, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,961

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Big Rapids, MI and in Medellin

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,961 in Big Rapids, MI versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Big Rapids, MI $1,961
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,883 in Big Rapids, MI versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Big Rapids, MI $2,883
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,804 in Big Rapids, MI versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Big Rapids, MI $3,804
Medellin $3,186

Living in Big Rapids, MI is roughly 20% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Big Rapids, MI 44% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.73 $18.73

$8.09 COP 25.4K

131.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.1 $61.1

$47.05 COP 148.0K

29.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 $8.17

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-14.00%

Cappuccino

$4.93 $4.93

$3.01 COP 9,485

63.79%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$1.80 COP 5,660

66.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.41 COP 4,443

54.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.18 COP 9,990

105.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$5.75 COP 18.1K

36.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.51 COP 4,751

-41.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.38 COP 7,480

34.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.77 COP 5,573

22.60%

Eggs

$3.70 $3.70

$2.89 COP 9,093

28.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$10.19 COP 32.1K

66.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.26 $13.26

$9.87 COP 31.1K

34.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.66 $14.66

$13.99 COP 44.0K

4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-14.11%

Banana (1kg)

$0.63 $0.63

$1.55 COP 4,883

-59.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.18 COP 6,867

75.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.18 COP 6,870

105.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.96 COP 6,174

16.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.59 COP 5,000

71.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.15 COP 3,604

102.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.24 COP 3,911

65.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.26 $10.26

$3.96 COP 12.5K

159.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 $13.64

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.66 COP 5,221

25.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.26 COP 7,103

25.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.17 COP 3,674

67.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.0 $61.0

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-21.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.27 COP 3,989

134.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.05 COP 6,442

-22.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.80 $26.80

$8.55 COP 26.9K

213.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.35 COP 4,237

-17.04%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-12.97%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-30.71%

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

$196 $196

$170 COP 533.7K

15.65%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$13.55 COP 42.6K

334.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$28.07 COP 88.3K

157.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.35 $43.35

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-0.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$13.11 $13.11

$6.91 COP 21.7K

89.73%

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

$1,985 $1,985

$797 COP 2.5M

149.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

116.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-33.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.30 $35.30

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-39.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$135 COP 424.6K

-36.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$97.9 COP 307.9K

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$912 $912

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-24.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 $682

$642 COP 2.0M

6.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-22.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 $1,064

$1,012 COP 3.2M

5.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,629 $2,629

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-36.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 $2,463

$1,910 COP 6.0M

28.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.68

10.94

-48.08%

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

Last update for Big Rapids, MI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Big Rapids, MI

$682 34.8%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 6% $41

Groceries & Markets

Big Rapids, MI

$374 19.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 20.5% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Big Rapids, MI

$327 16.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 35.5% $116

Eating Out

Big Rapids, MI

$302 15.4%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 43.9% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Big Rapids, MI

$126 6.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 33.9% $43

Getting Around

Big Rapids, MI

$80 4.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 17.3% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Big Rapids, MI

$70 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 17.3% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $912 in Big Rapids, MI and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Big Rapids, MI vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $297 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Big Rapids, MI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

13:04 1:04 PM

1 h behind Big Rapids, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,565

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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Big Rapids, MI Medellin 4,270 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

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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

Big Rapids, MI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,942 in Big Rapids, MI and $2,459 in Medellin 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: $912 in Big Rapids, MI versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Big Rapids, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47 versus $61 in Big Rapids, MI. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Medellin gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.