Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

101

Cost of Living Index in Mankato, MN
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Mankato, MN Living Index
113

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

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Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,094

/mo nomad

Cincinnati, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,343

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mankato, MN is about 11% cheaper than Cincinnati, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.07 $20.07

$15.05 $15.05

33.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.1 $71.1

$49.13 $49.13

44.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 $10.14

$9.97 $9.97

1.71%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.01 $5.01

0.20%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$2.30 $2.30

-7.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 $1.72

-4.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$5.46 $5.46

-9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.60 $5.60

$7.34 $7.34

-23.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.87 $0.87

6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.35 $3.35

-12.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.03 $4.03

-17.62%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$4.08 $4.08

-17.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.40 $8.40

$12.79 $12.79

-34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.35 $16.35

$11.17 $11.17

46.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 $16.97

$16.12 $16.12

5.27%

Apples (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$5.67 $5.67

35.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.58 $1.58

45.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$4.41 $4.41

45.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$4.82 $4.82

-20.12%

Potato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$2.62 $2.62

55.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.31 $3.31

15.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.11 $2.11

22.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.84 $1.84

11.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.12 $10.12

$9.97 $9.97

1.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$14.95 $14.95

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.16 $2.16

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.06 $3.06

35.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.70 $2.70

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.78 $3.78

-48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.26 $1.26

0.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$24.69 $24.69

-17.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.08 $1.08

-19.44%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.8K $35.8K

-24.28%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.3K $26.3K

-2.82%

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

$190 $190

$151 $151

25.99%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$76.3 $76.3

-31.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.6 $77.6

$71.7 $71.7

8.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.45 $39.45

$36.06 $36.06

9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.98 $13.98

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 $9.92

$15.23 $15.23

-34.87%

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

$1,362 $1,362

$1,443 $1,443

-5.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$19.6K $19.6K

-38.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.0 $67.0

$45.54 $45.54

47.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.63 $35.63

$45.50 $45.50

-21.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.9 $77.9

$83.5 $83.5

-6.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.8 $75.8

$109 $109

-30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 $1,014

$1,556 $1,556

-34.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 $866

$1,067 $1,067

-18.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$3,194 $3,194

-31.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,440 $1,440

$1,793 $1,793

-19.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,644 $1,644

$3,497 $3,497

-52.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,646 $1,646

$2,138 $2,138

-23.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,364 $4,364

$4,149 $4,149

5.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.59

-0.30%

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

Last update for Mankato, MN: October 20, 2026

Last update for Cincinnati, OH: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mankato, MN

$866 41.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$1.1K 45.5% 23.2% $201

Groceries & Markets

Mankato, MN

$422 20.2%

Cincinnati, OH

$389 16.6% 7.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mankato, MN

$320 15.3%

Cincinnati, OH

$299 12.8% 6.6% $21

Eating Out

Mankato, MN

$302 14.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$268 11.5% 11.2% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Mankato, MN

$115 5.5%

Cincinnati, OH

$128 5.4% 10.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Mankato, MN

$59 2.8%

Cincinnati, OH

$67 2.8% 12.2% $7.3

Getting Around

Mankato, MN

$8.3 * 0.4%

Cincinnati, OH

$126 5.4% 1412% $117

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

Cost Breakdown

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

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mankato, MN

🇺🇸 Cincinnati, OH

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

00:48 12:48 AM

1 h ahead of Mankato, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,309

298,800

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Mankato, MN
Cincinnati, OH

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,141 per month in Mankato, MN and $3,515 in Cincinnati, OH. 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 $71.0 in Mankato, MN and $49.00 in Cincinnati, OH. 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.