Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Medellin

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.

116

Cost of Living Index in Rapid City, SD
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Rapid City, SD Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Rapid City, SD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,431

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rapid City, SD 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 Rapid City, SD and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rapid City, SD costs about 48% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 $17.22

$8.09 COP 26.1K

112.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.6 $61.6

$47.05 COP 151.7K

30.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$9.50 COP 30.6K

14.53%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.01 COP 9,722

88.04%

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

$2.33 $2.33

$1.80 COP 5,801

29.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.41 COP 4,554

21.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.18 COP 10.2K

26.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 $5.43

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.51 COP 4,869

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.38 COP 7,667

31.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.77 COP 5,712

9.60%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$2.89 COP 9,320

50.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$10.19 COP 32.9K

31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 $8.16

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-17.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-9.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-11.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.55 COP 5,005

-16.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.18 COP 7,039

19.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.18 COP 7,041

71.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.96 COP 6,328

-4.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.59 COP 5,125

64.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.15 COP 3,694

81.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.24 COP 4,009

137.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.78 $9.78

$3.96 COP 12.8K

146.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.94 $13.94

$13.68 COP 44.1K

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.66 COP 5,352

6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$2.26 COP 7,281

116.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.17 COP 3,766

25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.31 $30.31

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-60.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.27 COP 4,089

134.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.05 COP 6,603

-40.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.35 $25.35

$8.55 COP 27.6K

196.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.35 COP 4,343

-35.56%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

3.83%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-8.51%

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

$194 $194

$170 COP 547.0K

14.21%

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

$46.70 $46.70

$13.55 COP 43.7K

244.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.5 $60.5

$28.07 COP 90.5K

115.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 $50.9

$43.70 COP 140.9K

16.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.83 $14.83

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-13.73%

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$6.91 COP 22.3K

70.62%

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

$767 $767

$797 COP 2.6M

-3.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 $62.6

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-26.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.4 $75.4

$58.0 COP 186.9K

30.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.6 $77.6

$135 COP 435.2K

-42.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$97.9 COP 315.6K

13.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$973 $973

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-19.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,237 $1,237

$642 COP 2.1M

92.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,751 $1,751

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-13.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,729 $1,729

$1,012 COP 3.3M

70.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,637 $2,637

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-36.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,608 $2,608

$1,910 COP 6.2M

36.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,923 $3,923

$657 COP 2.1M

497.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

10.94

-41.13%

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

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rapid City, SD

$1.2K 50.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 48.1% $595

Groceries & Markets

Rapid City, SD

$341 14%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 13% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rapid City, SD

$301 12.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 29.8% $90

Eating Out

Rapid City, SD

$285 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 40.6% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Rapid City, SD

$147 6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 15% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Rapid City, SD

$74 3.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22.7% $17

Getting Around

Rapid City, SD

$45 1.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 107% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $973 in Rapid City, SD versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 $62 in Rapid City, SD versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $341 vs $297 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rapid City, SD

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:43 10:43 PM

00:43 12:43 AM

2 h ahead of Rapid City, SD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,703

2,486,723

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Rapid City, SD
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

Rapid City, SD vs Medellin: 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 $3,646 per month in Rapid City, SD and $2,459 in Medellin. 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 $62 in Rapid City, SD and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,431 in Rapid City, SD and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 33% cheaper.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Rapid City, SD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.