Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Minneapolis, MN and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Minneapolis, MN: $2,772 a month against $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Palm Springs, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

134

Cost of Living Index in Minneapolis, MN
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Minneapolis, MN Living Index
143

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index

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Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,772

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,926

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,772 in Minneapolis, MN versus $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA.

Minneapolis, MN $2,772
Palm Springs, CA $2,926

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,125 in Minneapolis, MN versus $4,653 in Palm Springs, CA.

Minneapolis, MN $4,125
Palm Springs, CA $4,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,479 in Minneapolis, MN versus $6,380 in Palm Springs, CA.

Minneapolis, MN $5,479
Palm Springs, CA $6,380

Living in Minneapolis, MN costs roughly 5% less than in Palm Springs, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Minneapolis, MN 105% above, Palm Springs, CA 117% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.29 $22.29

$30.42 $30.42

-26.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 $83.9

$75.2 $75.2

11.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 $11.78

$9.91 $9.91

18.87%

Cappuccino

$6.75 $6.75

$5.50 $5.50

22.73%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.78 $2.78

10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.58 $1.58

43.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.89 $4.89

44.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.86 $7.86

$5.76 $5.76

36.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.33 $1.33

-35.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.81 $3.81

-8.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.93 $2.93

127.30%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$5.81 $5.81

-37.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.15 $10.15

$14.03 $14.03

-27.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.47 $13.47

$13.48 $13.48

-0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.29 $19.29

$12.53 $12.53

53.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$5.02 $5.02

12.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.25 $2.25

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$4.41 $4.41

54.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.85 $4.85

4.12%

Potato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$4.59 $4.59

-5.23%

Onion (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.18 $4.18

2.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.15 $2.15

6.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.28 $2.28

16.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.77 $12.77

$11.83 $11.83

7.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.94 $15.94

$13.74 $13.74

16.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.67 $1.67

65.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.77 $5.77

$2.68 $2.68

115.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.73 $1.73

17.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.3 $83.3

$33.40 $33.40

149.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.36 $3.36

51.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.81 $1.81

-7.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.03 $24.03

$23.53 $23.53

2.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.37 $1.37

-24.82%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$33.5K $33.5K

8.70%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

-2.46%

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

$179 $179

$246 $246

-27.09%

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

$55.3 $55.3

$79.7 $79.7

-30.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$65.7 $65.7

10.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.6 $64.6

$32.53 $32.53

98.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.80 $27.80

$50.1 $50.1

-44.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.01 $16.01

$12.13 $12.13

31.99%

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

$1,381 $1,381

$541 $541

155.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$8,450 $8,450

326.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$31.22 $31.22

89.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.43 $43.43

$34.74 $34.74

25.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$70.9 $70.9

41.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$140 $140

-24.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,773 $1,773

$1,877 $1,877

-5.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,306 $1,306

$1,496 $1,496

-12.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,817 $2,817

$3,686 $3,686

-23.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,183 $2,183

$3,207 $3,207

-31.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,406 $3,406

$4,980 $4,980

-31.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,163 $2,163

$3,329 $3,329

-35.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 $4,128

$4,813 $4,813

-14.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.68

-0.30%

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

Last update for Minneapolis, MN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Minneapolis, MN

$1.3K 47.1%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.1% 14.5% $190

Groceries & Markets

Minneapolis, MN

$452 16.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$413 14.1% 8.5% $38

Eating Out

Minneapolis, MN

$367 13.3%

Palm Springs, CA

$392 13.4% 6.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Minneapolis, MN

$307 11.1%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.4% 27.5% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Minneapolis, MN

$139 5%

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.3% 10.3% $14

Getting Around

Minneapolis, MN

$105 3.8%

Palm Springs, CA

$53 1.8% 49.8% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Minneapolis, MN

$97 3.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$57 1.9% 41.2% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,773 in Minneapolis, MN and $1,877 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Palm Springs, CA pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $84.0 in Minneapolis, MN vs $75.0 in Palm Springs, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $452 vs $413 per month, with Palm Springs, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Minneapolis, MN

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

2 h behind Minneapolis, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

429,954

44,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Minneapolis, MN Palm Springs, CA 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Minneapolis, MN
Palm Springs, CA

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

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

Minneapolis, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Palm Springs, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Minneapolis, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 17% lower in Palm Springs, CA. 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: $1,773 in Minneapolis, MN versus $1,877 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,381 in Minneapolis, MN versus $541 in Palm Springs, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Palm Springs, CA pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Minneapolis, MN delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,772 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Minneapolis, MN hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Minneapolis, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Palm Springs, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.