Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in St. Cloud, MN: $1,992 a month against $4,941 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $35,400 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
96

Cost of Living Index in St. Cloud, MN
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St. Cloud, MN Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,941

/mo nomad

St. Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,941 per month in New York, NY vs $1,992 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $4,941
St. Cloud, MN $1,992

A couple spends around $7,225 per month in New York, NY vs $3,128 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $7,225
St. Cloud, MN $3,128

A family of three spends $9,509 per month in New York, NY vs $4,263 in St. Cloud, MN, rent included.

New York, NY $9,509
St. Cloud, MN $4,263

New York, NY costs about 148% more than St. Cloud, MN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and St. Cloud, MN sit above the global median – New York, NY by 263%, St. Cloud, MN by 46%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.55 $28.55

$19.83 $19.83

43.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$76.4 $76.4

54.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$11.18 $11.18

34.53%

Cappuccino

$6.53 $6.53

$5.96 $5.96

9.56%

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

$3.96 $3.96

$2.84 $2.84

39.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.45 $2.45

22.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.16 $8.16

$6.79 $6.79

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.92 $7.92

24.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.75 $0.75

82.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.79 $2.79

78.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.36 $3.36

132.44%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$2.29 $2.29

160.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.91 $18.91

$4.79 $4.79

294.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.04 $18.04

$9.20 $9.20

96.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$17.67 $17.67

7.81%

Apples (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$3.78 $3.78

78.84%

Banana (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.28 $1.28

77.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.83 $6.83

$3.37 $3.37

102.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.09 $7.09

$2.16 $2.16

228.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$0.80 $0.80

427.50%

Onion (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$1.63 $1.63

185.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.03 $2.03

41.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.89 $1.89

37.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.77 $18.77

$9.86 $9.86

90.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.13 $20.13

$12.23 $12.23

64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.74 $1.74

98.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.45 $3.45

16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.80 $1.80

61.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$139 $139

$63.5 $63.5

118.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.66 $2.66

15.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.55 $1.55

36.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.96 $41.96

$26.41 $26.41

58.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.92 $0.92

27.17%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$26.9K $26.9K

28.02%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-2.82%

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

$219 $219

$169 $169

29.72%

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

$74.2 $74.2

$47.05 $47.05

57.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$44.22 $44.22

58.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$40.36 $40.36

177.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$74.9 $74.9

Cinema Ticket

$22.14 $22.14

$14.25 $14.25

55.37%

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

$3,558 $3,558

$1,711 $1,711

107.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$62.2K $62.2K

$21.1K $21.1K

194.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.6 $75.6

$63.6 $63.6

18.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$61.7 $61.7

-17.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 $123

$72.9 $72.9

68.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$83.5 $83.5

67.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,499 $4,499

$987 $987

355.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,078 $3,078

$822 $822

274.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,447 $9,447

$1,884 $1,884

401.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,190 $5,190

$1,635 $1,635

217.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$18.1K $18.1K

$1,835 $1,835

886.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,693 $6,693

$1,825 $1,825

266.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,220 $5,220

$5,348 $5,348

-2.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.61

3.78%

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 St. Cloud, MN: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 62.3%

St. Cloud, MN

$822 41.2% 73.3% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$563 11.4%

St. Cloud, MN

$299 15% 46.9% $264

Eating Out

New York, NY

$440 8.9%

St. Cloud, MN

$335 16.8% 24% $106

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

St. Cloud, MN

$260 13.1% 28.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$175 3.6%

St. Cloud, MN

$127 6.4% 27.7% $49

Getting Around

New York, NY

$164 3.3%

St. Cloud, MN

$81 4.1% 50.6% $83

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$156 3.2%

St. Cloud, MN

$69 3.5% 55.9% $87

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,499 in New York, NY versus $987 in St. Cloud, MN. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $118 in New York, NY versus $76 in St. Cloud, MN. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $563 vs $299 – making St. Cloud, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 St. Cloud, MN

🕒 Local time

17:35 5:35 PM

16:35 4:35 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

65,842

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

New York, NY
St. 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 St. Cloud, MN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY costs about 148% more than St. 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 $7,412 per month in New York, NY and $2,988 in St. Cloud, MN. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in St. Cloud, MN, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $987 there versus $4,499 in New York, NY.

Kindergarten costs $3,558 per month in New York, NY and $1,711 in St. Cloud, MN. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 88% more in New York, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in St. Cloud, MN, where all-in costs run around $1,992, than in New York, NY at $4,941. In St. Cloud, MN it covers expenses comfortably, while in New York, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, St. Cloud, MN is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 60% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.