Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Grand Rapids, MI and Krefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Krefeld: $1,920 a month against $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Grand Rapids, MI
Learn more

Grand Rapids, MI Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Krefeld
Learn more

Krefeld Living Index

Jump to prices

Grand Rapids, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,440

/mo nomad

Krefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,920

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Grand Rapids, MI and in Krefeld

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,440 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $1,920 in Krefeld.

Grand Rapids, MI $2,440
Krefeld $1,920

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,757 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $2,931 in Krefeld.

Grand Rapids, MI $3,757
Krefeld $2,931

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,074 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $3,941 in Krefeld.

Grand Rapids, MI $5,074
Krefeld $3,941

Living in Grand Rapids, MI is roughly 27% more expensive than in Krefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Grand Rapids, MI 79% above, Krefeld 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.76 $19.76

$16.96 €15.23

16.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.8 $74.8

$71.3 €64.0

4.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.85 $9.85

$12.82 €11.52

-23.17%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$3.98 €3.58

14.57%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$3.66 €3.29

-23.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.23 €2.90

-47.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$5.76 €5.17

3.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.57 $6.57

$5.61 €5.04

17.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$1.26 €1.13

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.06 €1.85

78.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.63 €3.26

-9.64%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$3.64 €3.27

17.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.65 €12.27

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.70 $13.70

$11.98 €10.76

14.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.96 $14.96

$23.19 €20.84

-35.49%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.12 €2.80

60.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$2.01 €1.81

-18.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$2.47 €2.22

129.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.26 €3.83

42.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.41 €1.27

48.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.21 €1.09

211.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.69 €1.52

65.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.05 €0.95

142.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.45 $10.45

$9.76 €8.77

7.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.65 €5.98

121.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.07 €0.96

86.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.53 €1.37

69.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$3.43 €3.08

-49.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.24 $47.24

$58.7 €52.8

-19.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.98 €4.47

-6.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.23 €2.00

-8.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.67 $31.67

$32.97 €29.62

-3.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.29 €2.06

-51.97%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.9K €29.5K

-17.68%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$38.3K €34.4K

-32.69%

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

$131 $131

$310 €278

-57.55%

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

$49.23 $49.23

$26.00 €23.35

89.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$40.20 €36.11

81.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.54 $41.54

$40.19 €36.10

3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.22 $20.22

$27.55 €24.75

-26.61%

Cinema Ticket

$13.51 $13.51

$13.54 €12.17

-0.22%

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

$899 $899

$469 €421

91.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$21.7K €19.5K

-4.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.9 $63.9

$87.5 €78.6

-27.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$77.0 $77.0

$40.65 €36.52

89.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$105 €94.6

-4.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$127 €114

-6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 $1,732

$729 €655

137.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,162 $1,162

$598 €537

94.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,498 $2,498

$1,425 €1,280

75.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$1,096 €985

96.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,928 $2,928

$3,276 €2,942

-10.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,061 $2,061

$4,505 €4,047

-54.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,906 $3,906

$1,953 €1,755

100.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.96

72.22%

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

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

Last update for Krefeld: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Grand Rapids, MI

$1.2K 47.6%

Krefeld

$598 31.1% 48.6% $564

Groceries & Markets

Grand Rapids, MI

$422 17.3%

Krefeld

$339 17.7% 19.6% $83

Eating Out

Grand Rapids, MI

$303 12.4%

Krefeld

$289 15.1% 4.6% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Grand Rapids, MI

$254 10.4%

Krefeld

$376 19.6% 48.2% $122

Clothing & Footwear

Grand Rapids, MI

$162 6.6%

Krefeld

$162 8.5% 0.3% $0.5

Getting Around

Grand Rapids, MI

$69 2.8%

Krefeld

$89 4.6% 28.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Grand Rapids, MI

$69 2.8%

Krefeld

$67 3.5% 1.9% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Grand Rapids, MI and $729 in Krefeld. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grand Rapids, MI pays 100% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Grand Rapids, MI vs $71 in Krefeld for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $339 per month, with Krefeld cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Grand Rapids, MI

🇩🇪 Krefeld

🕒 Local time

16:36 4:36 PM

21:36 9:36 PM

5 h ahead of Grand Rapids, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

198,917

222,058

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Grand Rapids, MI Krefeld 6,570 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Grand Rapids, MI
Krefeld

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

Grand Rapids, MI vs Krefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Krefeld is about 21% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Grand Rapids, 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: $1,732 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $729 in Krefeld. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $899 in Grand Rapids, MI versus $469 in Krefeld. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Grand Rapids, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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

It comes down to priorities – Krefeld wins on affordability, Grand Rapids, MI on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.