Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and St. Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN: $1,992 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in St. Cloud, MN
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St. Cloud, MN Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

St. Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL and in St. Cloud, MN

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

A single person spends $3,037 per month in Chicago, IL vs $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,037
St. Cloud, MN $1,992

A couple spends around $4,518 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,128 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,518
St. Cloud, MN $3,128

A family of three spends $5,999 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,263 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

Chicago, IL $5,999
St. Cloud, MN $4,263

Chicago, IL costs about 52% more than St. Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and St. Cloud, MN sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 123%, St. Cloud, MN by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.71 $20.71

$19.83 $19.83

4.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.2 $89.2

$76.4 $76.4

16.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.19 $13.19

$11.18 $11.18

17.98%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.96 $5.96

-5.03%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.84 $2.84

-7.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.45 $2.45

-6.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$6.79 $6.79

1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$7.92 $7.92

11.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$0.75 $0.75

66.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.79 $2.79

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.36 $3.36

60.42%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$2.29 $2.29

106.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.84 $13.84

$4.79 $4.79

188.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$9.20 $9.20

56.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.38 $18.38

$17.67 $17.67

4.02%

Apples (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$3.78 $3.78

38.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.28 $1.28

54.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.37 $3.37

20.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.16 $2.16

130.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.80 $0.80

233.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.63 $1.63

63.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.03 $2.03

10.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.89 $1.89

65.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.82 $13.82

$9.86 $9.86

40.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.23 $12.23

21.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.74 $1.74

45.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.45 $3.45

1.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.80 $1.80

35.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.5 $73.5

$63.5 $63.5

15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.66 $2.66

19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.55 $1.55

-10.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$26.41 $26.41

-5.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$0.92 $0.92

30.43%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$26.9K $26.9K

30.10%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.27%

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

$194 $194

$169 $169

14.95%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$47.05 $47.05

47.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 $61.6

$44.22 $44.22

39.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 $47.90

$40.36 $40.36

18.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.34 $27.34

Cinema Ticket

$17.81 $17.81

$14.25 $14.25

24.98%

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

$1,794 $1,794

$1,711 $1,711

4.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$21.1K $21.1K

51.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$63.6 $63.6

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$61.7 $61.7

-15.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$72.9 $72.9

39.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$83.5 $83.5

72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$987 $987

155.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$822 $822

92.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,738 $4,738

$1,884 $1,884

151.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,693 $2,693

$1,635 $1,635

64.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,190 $4,190

$1,835 $1,835

128.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,768 $2,768

$1,825 $1,825

51.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,931 $4,931

$5,348 $5,348

-7.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.81

6.61

3.03%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Last update for St. Cloud, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52%

St. Cloud, MN

$822 41.2% 47.9% $756

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7%

St. Cloud, MN

$299 15% 33.2% $149

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4%

St. Cloud, MN

$335 16.8% 3% $10

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7%

St. Cloud, MN

$260 13.1% 20% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4%

St. Cloud, MN

$127 6.4% 22.7% $37

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1%

St. Cloud, MN

$81 4.1% 13.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8%

St. Cloud, MN

$69 3.5% 17.6% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,526 in Chicago, IL versus $987 in St. Cloud, MN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 8% higher in St. Cloud, MN, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL versus $76 in St. Cloud, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $447 vs $299 – making St. Cloud, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

15:25 3:25 PM

Same time as Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

65,842

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Chicago, IL St. Cloud, MN 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
St. Cloud, MN

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

Chicago, IL vs St. Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,037 in Chicago, IL, $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN – St. Cloud, MN comes out roughly 34% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,555 per month in Chicago, IL and $2,988 in St. Cloud, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Cloud, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $987 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 50% more in Chicago, IL, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89 in Chicago, IL and $76 in St. Cloud, MN. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St. Cloud, MN, where all-in costs run around $1,992, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In St. Cloud, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward St. Cloud, MN – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, St. Cloud, MN is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.