Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East Lansing, MI and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,614 a month against $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in East Lansing, MI
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East Lansing, MI Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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East Lansing, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,318

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East Lansing, 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 East Lansing, MI and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in East Lansing, MI versus $1,614 in Medellin.

East Lansing, MI $2,318
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,429 in East Lansing, MI versus $2,402 in Medellin.

East Lansing, MI $3,429
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,540 in East Lansing, MI versus $3,190 in Medellin.

East Lansing, MI $4,540
Medellin $3,190

Living in East Lansing, MI is roughly 44% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: East Lansing, MI 72% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.62 $16.62

$7.93 COP 25.2K

109.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.9 $73.9

$46.13 COP 146.3K

60.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$9.50 COP 30.1K

28.53%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$3.11 COP 9,866

68.49%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$1.83 COP 5,800

34.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.38 COP 4,360

59.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.05 COP 9,672

61.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.47 $6.47

$5.50 COP 17.4K

17.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.45 COP 4,600

-42.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.36 COP 7,496

23.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.68 COP 5,328

208.33%

Eggs

$2.75 $2.75

$2.86 COP 9,077

-3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$10.19 COP 32.3K

7.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.78 $16.78

$9.53 COP 30.2K

76.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.59 $16.59

$14.04 COP 44.5K

18.16%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.07 COP 12.9K

28.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.50 COP 4,742

2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.17 COP 6,891

211.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.31 COP 7,310

56.28%

Potato (1kg)

$5.81 $5.81

$1.93 COP 6,113

201.04%

Onion (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.64 COP 5,196

245.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.13 COP 3,571

90.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.25 COP 3,954

216.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.58 $9.58

$3.99 COP 12.6K

140.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.14 $16.14

$13.35 COP 42.3K

20.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.70 COP 5,384

14.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.37 COP 7,525

-35.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.21 COP 3,827

32.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.5 $50.5

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-33.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 $9.80

$1.32 COP 4,179

642.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.14 COP 6,774

49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.93 $9.93

$8.47 COP 26.8K

17.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.30 COP 4,114

-25.38%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

23.19%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-27.09%

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

$173 $173

$172 COP 545.6K

0.25%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$13.37 COP 42.4K

304.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$28.73 COP 91.1K

119.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.22 $36.22

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-19.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.24 $15.24

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-10.56%

Cinema Ticket

$11.21 $11.21

$6.28 COP 19.9K

78.50%

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

$645 $645

$770 COP 2.4M

-16.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.0K $11.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

21.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-37.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 $37.29

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-34.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.0 $69.0

$137 COP 432.9K

-49.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 $85.0

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-13.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,231 $1,231

$1,055 COP 3.3M

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,041 $1,041

$616 COP 2.0M

69.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,063 $2,063

$1,892 COP 6.0M

9.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,684 $1,684

$1,023 COP 3.2M

64.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 $2,070

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-49.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-5.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,117 $6,117

$652 COP 2.1M

837.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

10.94

-40.04%

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

Last update for East Lansing, MI: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

East Lansing, MI

$1K 44.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 40.9% $426

Groceries & Markets

East Lansing, MI

$446 19.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 34% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East Lansing, MI

$290 12.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 26.1% $75

Eating Out

East Lansing, MI

$289 12.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 41.7% $120

Clothing & Footwear

East Lansing, MI

$110 4.8%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 54% $60

Getting Around

East Lansing, MI

$83 3.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 12.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

East Lansing, MI

$59 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 1.4% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,231 in East Lansing, MI and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

East Lansing, MI pays 838% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $74.0 in East Lansing, MI vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $295 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 East Lansing, MI

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:50 4:50 AM

03:50 3:50 AM

1 h behind East Lansing, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,741

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

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East Lansing, MI Medellin 4,150 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

East Lansing, MI
Medellin

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

East Lansing, MI vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

East Lansing, MI and Medellin differ by about 44% in total monthly costs ($2,318 vs $1,614 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 838% higher in East Lansing, MI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,231 in East Lansing, MI versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,318 per month in East Lansing, MI versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 51% less than in East Lansing, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,614 in Medellin versus $2,318 in East Lansing, MI, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in East Lansing, MI. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Safety-wise, East Lansing, MI and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in East Lansing, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.