Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Minneapolis, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Minneapolis, MN: $2,772 a month against $3,159 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bakersfield, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

153

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Minneapolis, MN
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Minneapolis, MN Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,159

/mo nomad

Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bakersfield, CA and in Minneapolis, MN

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bakersfield, CA and in Minneapolis, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,159 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,772 in Minneapolis, MN.

Bakersfield, CA $3,159
Minneapolis, MN $2,772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,362 in Bakersfield, CA versus $4,125 in Minneapolis, MN.

Bakersfield, CA $4,362
Minneapolis, MN $4,125

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Bakersfield, CA versus $5,479 in Minneapolis, MN.

Bakersfield, CA $5,565
Minneapolis, MN $5,479

Living in Bakersfield, CA is roughly 14% more expensive than in Minneapolis, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bakersfield, CA 134% above, Minneapolis, MN 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.66 $18.66

$22.29 $22.29

-16.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$83.9 $83.9

-23.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 $13.90

$11.78 $11.78

18.00%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$6.75 $6.75

-11.41%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.07 $3.07

-11.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.26 $2.26

-12.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$7.09 $7.09

-13.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 $5.69

$7.86 $7.86

-27.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.86 $0.86

26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.48 $3.48

20.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$6.66 $6.66

-22.22%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$3.65 $3.65

-9.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$10.15 $10.15

26.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.47 $13.47

-1.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$19.29 $19.29

-16.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$5.63 $5.63

-26.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.80 $1.80

9.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$6.83 $6.83

-41.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$5.05 $5.05

-22.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$4.35 $4.35

-51.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.27 $4.27

-44.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.28 $2.28

-9.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.65 $2.65

-7.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$12.77 $12.77

-21.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.36 $18.36

$15.94 $15.94

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.76 $2.76

-31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.83 $4.83

$5.77 $5.77

-16.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.03 $2.03

-13.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.9 $55.9

$83.3 $83.3

-32.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$5.10 $5.10

-39.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.68 $1.68

23.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 $24.03

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.03 $1.03

52.43%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$36.4K $36.4K

1.63%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$25.5K $25.5K

3.44%

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

$396 $396

$179 $179

120.91%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$55.3 $55.3

6.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$72.5 $72.5

0.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.78 $38.78

$64.6 $64.6

-39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 $24.52

$27.80 $27.80

-11.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.91 $14.91

$16.01 $16.01

-6.87%

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

$1,504 $1,504

$1,381 $1,381

8.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$59.1 $59.1

2.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.34 $47.34

$43.43 $43.43

9.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

-0.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$106 $106

14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,697 $1,697

$1,773 $1,773

-4.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$1,306 $1,306

22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,321 $2,321

$2,817 $2,817

-17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,430 $2,430

$2,183 $2,183

11.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,490 $2,490

$3,406 $3,406

-26.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,465 $2,465

$2,163 $2,163

13.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,602 $3,602

$4,128 $4,128

-12.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.66

-3.45%

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

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Minneapolis, MN: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.6K 50.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$1.3K 47.1% 18.5% $297

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$527 16.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$307 11.1% 41.8% $221

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$412 13.1%

Minneapolis, MN

$452 16.3% 9.5% $39

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$324 10.3%

Minneapolis, MN

$367 13.3% 13.4% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$148 4.7%

Minneapolis, MN

$139 5% 6.3% $9.3

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$76 2.4%

Minneapolis, MN

$105 3.8% 37.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$69 2.2%

Minneapolis, MN

$97 3.5% 40.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,697 in Bakersfield, CA and $1,773 in Minneapolis, MN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Minneapolis, MN pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Bakersfield, CA vs $84.0 in Minneapolis, MN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $412 vs $452 per month, with Bakersfield, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

14:40 2:40 PM

2 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

429,954

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Bakersfield, CA Minneapolis, MN 2,420 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, CA
Minneapolis, MN

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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

Bakersfield, CA vs Minneapolis, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Minneapolis, MN is cheaper overall, especially in clothing and utilities. The 14% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Minneapolis, MN. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,697 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,773 in Minneapolis, MN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Minneapolis, MN – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $65.0 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $3,159 per month in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,772 in Minneapolis, MN – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Minneapolis, MN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Minneapolis, MN is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Bakersfield, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Minneapolis, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Bakersfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.