Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Rapid City, SD

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $2,431 in Rapid City, SD, rent and utilities included – about $9,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Rapid City, SD

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 Rapid City, SD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $2,431 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Rapid City, SD $2,431

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,376 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Rapid City, SD $3,376

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,320 in Rapid City, SD, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Rapid City, SD $4,320

Medellin is about 33% cheaper than Rapid City, SD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Rapid City, SD sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Rapid City, SD by 79%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$17.22 $17.22

-53.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$61.6 $61.6

-23.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$10.88 $10.88

-12.68%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.66 $5.66

-46.82%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$2.33 $2.33

-22.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.71 $1.71

-17.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.02 $4.02

-20.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.43 $5.43

5.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.07 $1.07

41.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$3.12 $3.12

-23.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.94 $1.94

-8.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$4.36 $4.36

-33.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$13.35 $13.35

-23.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$8.16 $8.16

20.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$12.60 $12.60

11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.53 $3.53

12.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.29 $1.29

20.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.60 $2.60

-16.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$3.74 $3.74

-41.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.87 $1.87

4.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.62 $2.62

-39.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$2.09 $2.09

-44.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$2.95 $2.95

-57.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$9.78 $9.78

-59.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$13.94 $13.94

-1.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$1.76 $1.76

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$4.89 $4.89

-53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.47 $1.47

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$30.31 $30.31

155.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.98 $2.98

-57.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.21 $1.21

69.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$25.35 $25.35

-66.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.87 $0.87

55.17%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$35.4K $35.4K

-3.69%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$31.7K $31.7K

9.30%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$194 $194

-12.44%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$46.70 $46.70

-70.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$60.5 $60.5

-53.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$50.9 $50.9

-14.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$14.83 $14.83

15.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$11.79 $11.79

-41.39%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$767 $767

3.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$62.6 $62.6

35.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$75.4 $75.4

-23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$77.6 $77.6

73.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$111 $111

-11.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$973 $973

24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$1,237 $1,237

-48.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,751 $1,751

15.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,729 $1,729

-41.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,637 $2,637

58.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$2,608 $2,608

-26.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$3,923 $3,923

-83.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.44

69.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Rapid City, SD: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.9% 92.8% $595

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Rapid City, SD

$341 14% 14.9% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Rapid City, SD

$301 12.4% 42.4% $90

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Rapid City, SD

$285 11.7% 68.3% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Rapid City, SD

$147 6% 13.1% $22

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Rapid City, SD

$45 1.9% 51.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Rapid City, SD

$74 3.1% 29.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $973 in Rapid City, SD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Rapid City, SD are about 6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $62 in Rapid City, SD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $341 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

09:14 9:14 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

74,703

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Rapid City, SD 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Rapid City, SD

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

Medellin vs Rapid City, SD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rapid City, SD is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $3,646 in Rapid City, SD. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Rapid City, SD, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $973 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $62 in Rapid City, SD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $2,431 in Rapid City, SD. That’s a gap of about 48%.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $2,431 in Rapid City, SD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rapid City, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.