Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Big Rapids, MI

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.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
95

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

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Big Rapids, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Medellin costs roughly 16% less than in Big Rapids, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$18.73 $18.73

-56.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$61.1 $61.1

-22.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.17 $8.17

16.28%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$4.93 $4.93

-38.95%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.99 $2.99

-39.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$2.18 $2.18

-35.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$6.52 $6.52

-51.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$7.84 $7.84

-26.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.89 $0.89

69.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.20 $3.20

-25.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.17 $2.17

-18.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.70 $3.70

-21.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$16.99 $16.99

-40.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$13.26 $13.26

-25.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$14.66 $14.66

-4.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.41 $3.41

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.63 $0.63

146.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$3.82 $3.82

-42.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$4.49 $4.49

-51.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$2.29 $2.29

-14.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.73 $2.73

-41.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.33 $2.33

-50.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.05 $2.05

-39.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$10.26 $10.26

-61.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$13.64 $13.64

0.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.08 $2.08

-20.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.84 $2.84

-20.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.96 $1.96

-40.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$61.0 $61.0

26.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.98 $2.98

-57.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.59 $1.59

28.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$26.80 $26.80

-68.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.12 $1.12

20.54%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$29.6K $29.6K

14.90%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$24.0K $24.0K

44.32%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$196 $196

-13.53%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$58.9 $58.9

-76.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$72.3 $72.3

-61.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$43.35 $43.35

0.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$13.11 $13.11

-47.29%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$1,985 $1,985

-59.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$19.7K $19.7K

-53.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$56.1 $56.1

51.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$35.30 $35.30

64.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$85.8 $85.8

57.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$103 $103

-5.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$912 $912

32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$682 $682

-5.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,575 $1,575

28.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,064 $1,064

-4.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,629 $2,629

58.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,463 $2,463

-22.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.68

92.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Big Rapids, MI

$682 34.8% 6.4% $41

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Big Rapids, MI

$374 19.1% 25.9% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Big Rapids, MI

$327 16.7% 55% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Big Rapids, MI

$302 15.4% 78.3% $133

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Big Rapids, MI

$126 6.4% 25.3% $43

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Big Rapids, MI

$80 4.1% 14.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Big Rapids, MI

$70 3.6% 20.9% $12

Cost Breakdown

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

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

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Big Rapids, MI

🕒 Local time

16:34 4:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,565

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

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

USD to COP in detail →

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

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Medellin
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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

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

Medellin is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, utilities, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $2,942 in Big Rapids, MI 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $912 in Big Rapids, MI. 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.