Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cincinnati, OH and Mankato, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Mankato, MN: $2,094 a month against $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Cincinnati, OH
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Cincinnati, OH Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Mankato, MN
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Mankato, MN Living Index

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Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,343

/mo nomad

Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,094

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cincinnati, OH and in Mankato, MN

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

A single person spends $2,343 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $2,094 in Mankato, MN, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $2,343
Mankato, MN $2,094

A couple spends around $3,438 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $3,125 in Mankato, MN, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $3,438
Mankato, MN $3,125

A family of three spends $4,533 per month in Cincinnati, OH vs $4,157 in Mankato, MN, rent included.

Cincinnati, OH $4,533
Mankato, MN $4,157

Cincinnati, OH costs about 12% more than Mankato, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Cincinnati, OH and Mankato, MN sit above the global median – Cincinnati, OH by 73%, Mankato, MN by 55%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.05 $15.05

$20.07 $20.07

-25.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.13 $49.13

$71.1 $71.1

-30.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.14 $10.14

-1.68%

Cappuccino

$5.01 $5.01

$5.02 $5.02

-0.20%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$2.12 $2.12

8.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.64 $1.64

4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.96 $4.96

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.34 $7.34

$5.60 $5.60

31.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.93 $0.93

-6.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.93 $2.93

14.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.32 $3.32

21.39%

Eggs

$4.08 $4.08

$3.37 $3.37

21.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.79 $12.79

$8.40 $8.40

52.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.17 $11.17

$16.35 $16.35

-31.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.12 $16.12

$16.97 $16.97

-5.01%

Apples (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$7.69 $7.69

-26.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.30 $2.30

-31.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$6.43 $6.43

-31.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$3.85 $3.85

25.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$4.08 $4.08

-35.78%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.83 $3.83

-13.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.59 $2.59

-18.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.05 $2.05

-10.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.12 $10.12

-1.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$14.97 $14.97

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.71 $1.71

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.15 $4.15

-26.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.96 $1.96

92.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.27 $1.27

-0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.69 $24.69

$20.35 $20.35

21.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.87 $0.87

24.14%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

32.06%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$25.6K $25.6K

2.90%

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

$151 $151

$190 $190

-20.63%

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

$76.3 $76.3

$52.3 $52.3

45.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$77.6 $77.6

-7.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.06 $36.06

$39.45 $39.45

-8.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 $13.98

Cinema Ticket

$15.23 $15.23

$9.92 $9.92

53.53%

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

$1,443 $1,443

$1,362 $1,362

5.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$12.0K $12.0K

63.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.54 $45.54

$67.0 $67.0

-32.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.50 $45.50

$35.63 $35.63

27.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 $83.5

$77.9 $77.9

7.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$75.8 $75.8

43.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,556 $1,556

$1,014 $1,014

53.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,067 $1,067

$866 $866

23.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,194 $3,194

$2,183 $2,183

46.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$1,440 $1,440

24.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,497 $3,497

$1,644 $1,644

112.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,138 $2,138

$1,646 $1,646

29.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,149 $4,149

$4,364 $4,364

-4.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.57

0.30%

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

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 18, 2026

Last update for Mankato, MN: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cincinnati, OH

$1.1K 45.5%

Mankato, MN

$866 41.4% 18.8% $201

Groceries & Markets

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.6%

Mankato, MN

$422 20.2% 8.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cincinnati, OH

$299 12.8%

Mankato, MN

$320 15.3% 7.1% $21

Eating Out

Cincinnati, OH

$268 11.5%

Mankato, MN

$302 14.4% 12.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.4%

Mankato, MN

$115 5.5% 9.6% $12

Getting Around

Cincinnati, OH

$126 5.4%

Mankato, MN

$8.3 * 0.4% 93.4% $117

Sport & Entertainment

Cincinnati, OH

$67 2.8%

Mankato, MN

$59 2.8% 10.9% $7.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,556 in Cincinnati, OH versus $1,014 in Mankato, 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 5% higher in Mankato, 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 $49.00 in Cincinnati, OH versus $71.0 in Mankato, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $389 vs $422 – making Cincinnati, OH the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 Mankato, MN

🕒 Local time

01:22 1:22 AM

00:22 12:22 AM

1 h behind Cincinnati, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

298,800

39,309

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cincinnati, OH Mankato, MN 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cincinnati, OH
Mankato, 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

Cincinnati, OH vs Mankato, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,343 in Cincinnati, OH, $2,094 in Mankato, MN – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,515 per month in Cincinnati, OH and $3,141 in Mankato, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mankato, MN, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49.00 in Cincinnati, OH and $71.0 in Mankato, MN. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Cincinnati, OH – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mankato, MN, where all-in costs run around $2,094, than in Cincinnati, OH at $2,343. In Mankato, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cincinnati, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mankato, MN. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cincinnati, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.