Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Saint Cloud, MN

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Cloud, MN: $1,894 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $36,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
Learn more

New York, NY Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
Learn more

Saint Cloud, MN Living Index

Jump to prices

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Saint Cloud, MN

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

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $1,894 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Saint Cloud, MN $1,894

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $2,718 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Saint Cloud, MN $2,718

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $3,543 in Saint Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Saint Cloud, MN $3,543

New York, NY costs about 161% more than Saint Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Saint Cloud, MN sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Saint Cloud, MN by 40%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$15.19 $15.19

64.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$40.27 $40.27

198.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$8.63 $8.63

59.21%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$4.47 $4.47

47.65%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.88 $2.88

32.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.25 $2.25

27.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.08 $6.08

30.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$4.85 $4.85

107.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.92 $0.92

48.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$1.50 $1.50

216.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$1.90 $1.90

304.74%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.78 $3.78

55.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$9.54 $9.54

101.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$6.53 $6.53

173.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$19.42 $19.42

-2.01%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.66 $3.66

82.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.09 $1.09

110.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$2.82 $2.82

127.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$3.63 $3.63

85.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.03 $2.03

93.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.91 $2.91

55.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.99 $1.99

40.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.08 $3.08

-18.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$11.38 $11.38

59.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$15.07 $15.07

33.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.69 $1.69

92.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.04 $3.04

23.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.71 $1.71

70.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

$59.8 $59.8

138.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.48 $3.48

-12.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.84 $0.84

157.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$12.16 $12.16

239.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.92 $0.92

21.74%

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

$33.1K $33.1K

$30.2K $30.2K

9.66%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$23.7K $23.7K

8.50%

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

$219 $219

$118 $118

86.00%

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

$75.3 $75.3

$46.72 $46.72

61.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$43.38 $43.38

62.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$24.65 $24.65

368.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$28.09 $28.09

140.73%

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$12.18 $12.18

75.45%

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

$3,432 $3,432

$1,709 $1,709

100.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$5,778 $5,778

967.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$57.4 $57.4

30.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.1 $50.1

4.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$73.4 $73.4

59.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$78.9 $78.9

70.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$931 $931

367.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$862 $862

261.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$1,371 $1,371

564.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$1,290 $1,290

316.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$1,993 $1,993

867.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$1,745 $1,745

297.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

$3,967 $3,967

32.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.61

3.63%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Saint Cloud, MN: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5% 72.4% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17% 41.7% $230

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8% 35.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11% 43% $157

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2% 31.3% $53

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9% 55.8% $94

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6% 69% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $931 in Saint 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 32% higher in New York, NY, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $322 – making Saint Cloud, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

03:18 3:18 AM

02:18 2:18 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

67,109

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New York, NY Saint Cloud, MN 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Saint 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

New York, NY vs Saint Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 161% more than Saint Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $2,841 in Saint Cloud, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,709 in Saint Cloud, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 71% more in New York, NY, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Saint Cloud, MN, where all-in costs run around $1,894, than in New York, NY at $4,938. In Saint Cloud, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint Cloud, MN costs $1,894 versus $4,938 in New York, NY. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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