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Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Crunching costs, sorting signals, rendering insights.
Minnesota is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And for many people, st Paul leads at an index of 87 — for better or worse — with rent at just $1,485/month — 22% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced …
Minnesota is a genuine bargain: 2 of the 2 cities in this ranking come in below the national cost-of-living average. And for many people, st Paul leads at an index of 87 — for better or worse — with rent at just $1,485/month — 22% less than the $1,895 national median. Here are the numbers, sourced from federal data updated in 2026.
The transportation sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 98 (the top-10 average here) means transportation costs are about 2% below the national median. St Paul leads at 97, followed by Minneapolis (99) and Minneapolis (99). Note: a low transportation index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
A closer look at St Paul: the cost index of 87 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.
St Paul rent up 3% over the past year. Rent in #1-ranked St Paul has increased from $1,443 to $1,485/mo over the past 12 months — a 3% increase. Rising costs may erode its top ranking over time.
What to do with this data: use the ranking as a shortlist, then dig into the city profiles for trend lines and category breakdowns. The difference between #1 and #5 is often smaller than the difference between "good on paper" and "actually fits my life." Compare your top picks with our calculator to see real take-home numbers (that's pre-tax, of course).
#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
| Rank | City | Transportation Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 97 | 87 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 99 | 96 | $1,638 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
What does daily life actually cost in St Paul? Start with the 24% rent-to-income ratio — that's the kind of margin that lets people build savings. It's fine. Not great, not bad. On the category level, Housing (index 87) is where the real savings show up, while Healthcare (index 97) is the line item most likely to surprise newcomers. Income at $73,055 and homes at $289,137 round out a profile that ranks #1 for clear reasons.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Dive into Minneapolis's numbers: cost index 96 (15 points below national average), rent $1,638/month, income $80,269, and a home price of $327,043. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Housing is the cheapest category at 96, while Healthcare runs 99. With 425,115 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Cities are ranked by their transportation cost sub-index within Minnesota. Each sub-index is derived from the overall cost of living with regional adjustment factors. All data is sourced from federal agencies and verified research institutions. Cost of living indices are normalized to 100 (national median) using Zillow rent as the primary signal, with sub-category adjustments derived from regional BLS price data. Rankings are updated monthly as new data is released.
St Paul ranks #1 in Minnesota for this analysis with a cost index of 87 and median income of $73,055.
St Paul, MN has the lowest transportation index at 97, compared to the national average of 100.
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.