Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MN and Salem, OR

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester, MN: $2,512 a month against $2,741 in Salem, OR, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, MN
Learn more

Rochester, MN Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Salem, OR
Learn more

Salem, OR Living Index

Jump to prices

Rochester, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,512

/mo nomad

Salem, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rochester, MN and in Salem, OR

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,512 in Rochester, MN versus $2,741 in Salem, OR.

Rochester, MN $2,512
Salem, OR $2,741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,838 in Rochester, MN versus $3,927 in Salem, OR.

Rochester, MN $3,838
Salem, OR $3,927

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,164 in Rochester, MN versus $5,114 in Salem, OR.

Rochester, MN $5,164
Salem, OR $5,114

Living in Rochester, MN costs roughly 8% less than in Salem, OR, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester, MN 85% above, Salem, OR 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$19.72 $19.72

1.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.6 $73.6

$94.4 $94.4

-22.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$12.15 $12.15

-8.97%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$4.66 $4.66

25.11%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$2.44 $2.44

15.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.12 $2.12

16.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.93 $4.93

2.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.67 $5.67

$7.15 $7.15

-20.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.17 $1.17

-26.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.81 $3.81

-24.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.15 $4.15

-21.45%

Eggs

$3.65 $3.65

$4.99 $4.99

-26.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.31 $9.31

$14.49 $14.49

-35.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$13.60 $13.60

-10.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$17.92 $17.92

5.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$4.75 $4.75

9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.79 $1.79

-15.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.77 $3.77

13.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$4.17 $4.17

-7.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.06 $3.06

-29.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.40 $3.40

5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.86 $1.86

46.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.23 $2.23

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.83 $9.83

$11.62 $11.62

-15.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$15.07 $15.07

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.66 $1.66

1.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.92 $2.92

0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.25 $42.25

$44.32 $44.32

-4.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.53 $3.53

-42.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$2.13 $2.13

-40.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.82 $19.82

$49.26 $49.26

-59.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.26 $1.26

-31.75%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.5K $25.5K

6.64%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.4K $24.4K

5.66%

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

$169 $169

$220 $220

-23.05%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$60.9 $60.9

-22.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.05 $44.05

$96.4 $96.4

-54.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 $53.2

$45.21 $45.21

17.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 $20.18

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$14.94 $14.94

-32.46%

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

$1,352 $1,352

$1,061 $1,061

27.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$16.2K $16.2K

-26.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.4 $62.4

$56.4 $56.4

10.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 $62.7

$46.91 $46.91

33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 $73.9

$84.6 $84.6

-12.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 $86.4

$80.1 $80.1

7.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,645 $1,645

$1,548 $1,548

6.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,378 $1,378

-6.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,035 $2,035

$2,348 $2,348

-13.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,380 $2,380

$2,064 $2,064

15.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,165 $2,165

$2,973 $2,973

-27.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,961 $1,961

$2,981 $2,981

-34.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,617 $4,617

$3,709 $3,709

24.47%

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 Rochester, MN: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salem, OR: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rochester, MN

$1.3K 51.1%

Salem, OR

$1.4K 50.3% 7.3% $94

Groceries & Markets

Rochester, MN

$386 15.4%

Salem, OR

$416 15.2% 7.8% $30

Eating Out

Rochester, MN

$321 12.8%

Salem, OR

$307 11.2% 4.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rochester, MN

$261 10.4%

Salem, OR

$378 13.8% 44.9% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Rochester, MN

$128 5.1%

Salem, OR

$121 4.4% 6.1% $7.8

Sport & Entertainment

Rochester, MN

$73 2.9%

Salem, OR

$75 2.7% 2.4% $1.7

Getting Around

Rochester, MN

$59 2.3%

Salem, OR

$66 2.4% 13.5% $7.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,645 in Rochester, MN and $1,548 in Salem, OR. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MN pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rochester, MN vs $94.0 in Salem, OR for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $416 per month, with Rochester, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rochester, MN

🇺🇸 Salem, OR

🕒 Local time

23:48 11:48 PM

21:48 9:48 PM

2 h behind Rochester, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,328

155,469

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rochester, MN Salem, OR 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rochester, MN
Salem, OR

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

Rochester, MN vs Salem, OR: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rochester, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Salem, OR. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rochester, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% higher in Rochester, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,645 in Rochester, MN versus $1,548 in Salem, OR. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Salem, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Rochester, MN – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $94.0 in Salem, OR. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Rochester, MN is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Rochester, MN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Salem, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.