Loading
Assembling your view…
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 87, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 87, rent $1,485/mo, income $73,055
St Paul rent up 3% over the past year
2 of 2 cities come in below the national cost-of-living average of 111
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 111. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 87, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
Why St Paul ranks #1: the numbers tell a clear story. At 87 on the cost index, residents save roughly 24% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,485/month while the median household pulls in $73,055/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 87, though Healthcare (97) lags behind. Home prices average $289,137 — $178,233 below the national median.
Bottom line: St Paul leads this ranking for clear, data-backed reasons — but the "best" city depends on your priorities. Click into any city below to see the full detail page with 12-month trend charts, profession-specific salary data, and a breakdown of all five cost categories. If you're seriously considering a move, use our salary calculator to model your specific income against these numbers.
| Rank | City | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 87 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 96 | $1,638 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
A closer look at St Paul: the cost index of 87 — this is the part where it gets real — breaks down to a Housing index of 87 (strongest category) and a Healthcare index of 97 (weakest). Median rent is $1,485/month — 22% below the national median — while household income sits at $73,055, meaning locals spend about 24% of income on rent. That's a healthy margin by any standard.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Why Minneapolis ranks #2: the numbers tell a clear story. You get the picture. At 96 on the cost index, residents save roughly 15% less than the typical American. Rent sits at $1,638/month — and that's before you even look at taxes — while the median household pulls in $80,269/year. The Housing category is particularly strong at 96, though Healthcare (99) lags behind. Home prices average $327,043 — $140,327 below the national median.
St Paul ranks #1 in Minnesota for this analysis with a cost index of 87 and median income of $73,055.
Our cost of living index uses real Zillow rent data as the foundation, indexed to 100 (national median). Sub-categories (housing, food, transport, utilities, healthcare) are derived from the overall index with regional adjustments. Data is updated monthly.
St Paul (ranked #1) has a cost index of 87 and rent of $1,485/mo, while Minneapolis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 96 and rent of $1,638/mo — a 9-point difference in cost of living.
City data is refreshed monthly from Census Bureau population estimates, Zillow rent and home price indices, BLS salary data, and Tax Foundation tax rates. Last updated: 2026.
The median 1-bedroom rent in St Paul is $1,485/month as of 2026, based on Zillow's Observed Rent Index. This is $410 below the national median of $1,895/month.
The median home price in St Paul is $289,137, which is 4.0× the local median income. It's on the edge of affordability for median-income households. The national median home price is $467,370.
Minnesota has a 9.85% state income tax rate. Combined state and local sales tax averages 7.545%, and the effective property tax rate is 1.02%.
This ranking was generated using data current as of early 2026. Population and income data comes from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (5-year estimates). Rent and home price data is from Zillow's monthly releases. Tax rates are from the Tax Foundation's 2025 edition. Rankings are refreshed monthly.