Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

91

Cost of Living Index in Saint Cloud, MN
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Saint Cloud, MN Living Index
239

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

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Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,894

/mo nomad

New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saint Cloud, MN is about 62% cheaper than New York, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.19 $15.19

$24.99 $24.99

-39.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.27 $40.27

$120 $120

-66.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.63 $8.63

$13.74 $13.74

-37.19%

Cappuccino

$4.47 $4.47

$6.60 $6.60

-32.27%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.82 $3.82

-24.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$2.87 $2.87

-21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 $6.08

$7.95 $7.95

-23.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

$10.06 $10.06

-51.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.37 $1.37

-32.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.50 $1.50

$4.75 $4.75

-68.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.90 $1.90

$7.69 $7.69

-75.29%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$5.87 $5.87

-35.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$19.25 $19.25

-50.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$17.83 $17.83

-63.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.42 $19.42

$19.03 $19.03

2.05%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$6.69 $6.69

-45.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.29 $2.29

-52.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$6.41 $6.41

-56.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$6.75 $6.75

-46.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.93 $3.93

-48.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.52 $4.52

-35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.79 $2.79

-28.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.51 $2.51

22.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.38 $11.38

$18.10 $18.10

-37.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$20.16 $20.16

-25.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$3.26 $3.26

-48.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$3.75 $3.75

-18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.92 $2.92

-41.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 $59.8

$143 $143

-58.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.06 $3.06

13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.16 $2.16

-61.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.16 $12.16

$41.33 $41.33

-70.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.12 $1.12

-17.86%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$33.1K $33.1K

-8.81%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$25.7K $25.7K

-7.83%

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

$118 $118

$219 $219

-46.24%

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

$46.72 $46.72

$75.3 $75.3

-37.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.38 $43.38

$70.5 $70.5

-38.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.65 $24.65

$116 $116

-78.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.09 $28.09

$67.6 $67.6

-58.46%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 $12.18

$21.37 $21.37

-43.00%

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

$1,709 $1,709

$3,432 $3,432

-50.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,778 $5,778

$61.7K $61.7K

-90.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 $57.4

$74.9 $74.9

-23.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$52.1 $52.1

-3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$117 $117

-37.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.9 $78.9

$135 $135

-41.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 $931

$4,347 $4,347

-78.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$862 $862

$3,117 $3,117

-72.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$9,110 $9,110

-84.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$5,379 $5,379

-76.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,993 $1,993

$19.3K $19.3K

-89.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,745 $1,745

$6,943 $6,943

-74.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,967 $3,967

$5,238 $5,238

-24.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.85

-3.50%

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

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

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Cloud, MN

$862 45.5%

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1% 262% $2.3K

Groceries & Markets

Saint Cloud, MN

$322 17%

New York, NY

$552 11.2% 71.4% $230

Eating Out

Saint Cloud, MN

$262 13.8%

New York, NY

$407 8.2% 55.4% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Cloud, MN

$208 11%

New York, NY

$365 7.4% 75.5% $157

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Cloud, MN

$117 6.2%

New York, NY

$170 3.5% 45.6% $53

Getting Around

Saint Cloud, MN

$74 3.9%

New York, NY

$168 3.4% 126% $94

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Cloud, MN

$49 2.6%

New York, NY

$158 3.2% 223% $109

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $931 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $4,347 in New York, NY. 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 $40.00 in Saint Cloud, MN versus $120 in New York, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $322 vs $552 – making Saint Cloud, MN the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Cloud, MN

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

02:28 2:28 AM

1 h ahead of Saint Cloud, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,109

8,804,190

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Saint Cloud, MN
New York, NY

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

Saint Cloud, MN vs New York, NY: 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 $2,841 per month in Saint Cloud, MN and $7,407 in New York, NY. 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 $1,709 per month in Saint Cloud, MN and $3,432 in New York, NY. 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.