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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 112. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 97, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
Dollar for dollar, few states match Minnesota's value. 2 out of 2 cities undercut the national cost index of 112. Leading the pack: St Paul at index 97, where median rent of $1,485/month saves renters $4,920/year versus the national median.
The utilities sub-index is derived from overall cost of living with regional BLS price adjustments. A score of 91 (the top-10 average here) means utilities costs are about 9% below the national median. St Paul leads at 89, followed by Minneapolis (93) and Minneapolis (93). Note: a low utilities index doesn't guarantee a low overall cost — check the full cost breakdown table below.
Dive into St Paul's numbers: cost index 97 (15 points below national average), rent $1,485/month, income $73,055, and a home price of $289,137. And broadly, the city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 89, while Healthcare runs 100. With 303,820 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
Here's where the story takes a turn: 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.
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.
#1 Ranked: St Paul — cost index 97, 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 112
Data sourced from Census Bureau, Zillow, BLS, and Tax Foundation — current as of 2026
| Rank | City | Utilities Index | Cost Index | Median Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St Paul | 89 | 97 | $1,485 | Details |
| 2 | Minneapolis | 93 | 101 | $1,638 | Details |
303,820 residents · Minnesota
Dive into St Paul's numbers: cost index 97 (15 points below national average), rent $1,485/month, income $73,055, and a home price of $289,137. The city's cost profile isn't flat — Utilities is the cheapest category at 89, while Healthcare runs 100. With 303,820 residents, it balances mid-size city convenience with manageable costs.
425,115 residents · Minnesota
Minneapolis earns its position at #2 through a combination that's hard to replicate. The 101 cost index sits 11 points below the national baseline, and the $80,269 median income means purchasing power here is amplified by the low cost base. Homes list at $327,043 — $140,327 below the national median — a genuine ownership opportunity. On the cost side, Utilities leads the way at 93, while Healthcare trails at 104.
Cities are ranked by their utilities 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 97 and median income of $73,055.
St Paul, MN has the lowest utilities index at 89, 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 97 and rent of $1,485/mo, while Minneapolis (ranked #2) has a cost index of 101 and rent of $1,638/mo — a 4-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.