Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Paul, MN: $2,445 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Saint Paul, 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 Paul, MN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
Saint Paul, MN $2,445

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
Saint Paul, MN $3,672

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
Saint Paul, MN $4,900

New York, NY costs about 102% more than Saint Paul, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Saint Paul, MN sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, Saint Paul, MN by 80%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$15.66 $15.66

82.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$67.8 $67.8

74.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$10.07 $10.07

49.35%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.03 $5.03

29.82%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$3.09 $3.09

28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.59 $2.59

16.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.04 $6.04

35.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.37 $7.37

33.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.98 $0.98

39.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.80 $3.80

30.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.33 $3.33

134.53%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.96 $2.96

101.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$9.39 $9.39

101.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.66 $9.66

86.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$13.17 $13.17

44.65%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.84 $4.84

39.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.11 $1.11

104.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$5.88 $5.88

16.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$4.92 $4.92

44.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.81 $3.81

10.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.48 $3.48

33.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.05 $2.05

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.75 $1.75

48.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.68 $12.68

48.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$14.65 $14.65

37.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.69 $1.69

104.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.41 $3.41

17.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.96 $1.96

48.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$104 $104

33.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.54 $2.54

21.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.52 $1.52

39.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$31.02 $31.02

35.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.03 $1.03

13.59%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

27.27%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.74%

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

$219 $219

$232 $232

-5.54%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$50.6 $50.6

46.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$64.7 $64.7

8.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$29.74 $29.74

276.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

$8.50 $8.50

780.71%

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$13.07 $13.07

69.40%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,481 $1,481

140.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$28.1K $28.1K

121.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$41.01 $41.01

84.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$40.23 $40.23

27.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$82.1 $82.1

50.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$110 $110

26.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$1,444 $1,444

211.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$1,153 $1,153

166.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$2,660 $2,660

255.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$2,132 $2,132

143.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$2,631 $2,631

588.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,949 $1,949

243.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$4,256 $4,256

22.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.31

8.72%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 26, 2026

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2% 62.5% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7% 36.1% $203

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6% 35.6% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2% 4.5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5% 29.8% $52

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5% 25.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3% 64.2% $100

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $1,444 in Saint Paul, 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 23% 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 $118 in New York, NY versus $68 in Saint Paul, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $360 – making Saint Paul, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

01:31 1:31 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

285,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Saint Paul, MN 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

New York, NY costs about 102% more than Saint Paul, 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $3,667 in Saint Paul, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Saint Paul, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,444 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,481 in Saint Paul, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 56% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Saint Paul, MN costs $2,445 versus $4,941 in New York, NY. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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